UPON PUBLICATION, RANKED #1 NEW RELEASE IN TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL ACTIVIST BIOGRAPHIES
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EARLY PRAISE FOR A MAN NAMED BRANCH:
“This charming book — so full of humor and warmth and carefully observed detail — could only come from a writer who knows and loves her subject like Marjorie Maddox knows and loves Branch Rickey. What made Rickey so unusual? What made him think he could do the amazing things he did? Read this book and you’ll find out. In A Man Named Branch, you’ll meet the man in all his complicated glory, and I promise you will never forget him.”
~Jonathan Eig, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for King: A Life and author of Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season
“My maternal grandparents were Brooklyn Dodger fans and were lucky enough to see Jackie Robinson play at Ebbets Field. Marjorie Maddox’s A Man Named Branch brings this incredible period of American history—not just baseball history—to life. Maddox, a relative of Rickey, illuminates the man behind Robinson’s call to the majors—his courage, ambition, and upbringing—through a compelling narrative perfectly consumable for middle grade readers. Maddox’s work includes new anecdotes and insights about Rickey that paint an honest and accessible portrait of a true pioneer.”
~Sandra Marchetti, winner of the 2023 Twin Bill Book Prize for Best Baseball Poetry Book of the Year for Aisle 228
“God, baseball, and family were the inseparable trinity in Branch Rickey’s noteworthy life. Poet-teacher Marjorie Maddox, Rickey’s great grandniece, has vividly brought back to life for the benefit of younger generations the story of his greatest achievement, racially integrating baseball.”
~Lee Lowenfish, author of the award-winning biography Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman (University of Nebraska Press).
“Wow. In a powerful, poetic voice, Maddox tells the story of the legendary Branch Rickey, a man of faith, principle, and integrity who fought against racism in 20th century baseball, and ultimately as general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, signed Jackie Robinson. Maddox creates a vivid and compelling narrative of a remarkable man, a fearless man born with a "busy brain" who made a monumental contribution to baseball.”
~Susan Campbell Bartoletti, author of How Women Won the Vote: Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and Their Big Idea
With an affectionate voice and captivating prose, Marjorie Maddox shines a light on her great uncle Branch Rickey, whose “great experiment” integrated Major League Baseball. This book’s page-turning pace will appeal to its intended young readers, indeed any reader. I remembered Branch Rickey from the movie “42: The Jackie Robinson Story” and enjoyed learning more about this visionary titan who changed baseball history. A fascinating story of an important time in America!
-Carolyn Perry, author of For Better, For Worse: Patient in the Maelstrom
“….In “A Man Named Branch,” Maddox described how Rickey cajoled, charmed, and strategized to win support for Robinson in baseball’s halls of power. And he took on the task of personally training Robinson to steel himself for the personal attacks he would encounter as the first Black player in the major league….Rickey would [pretend to] threaten Robinson, ridicule him and even jab his fists near Robinson’s face, and the baseball great was supposed to maintain his outward composure and inner peace. Even before the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King marched on Washington, Robinson learned the power of peaceful resistance to change not only baseball but an entire nation.As we celebrate Black History Month in an age when cruelty, bigotry and xenophobia are on the rise, and people are again marching in the streets, “A Man Named Branch” is worth reading. It reminds us that social justice heroes are always peaceful and come in all colors. And thank God for them.” Award-winning journalist Joyce Davis for PennLive. Read the full article HERE.
RANKED #1 NEW RELEASE IN TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL ACTIVIST BIOGRAPHIES
Here's the Penn Live video to the MLK celebration at Harrisburg Community College. I read "Throwing Like a Girl" (about Moné Davis) from KEYSTONE POETRY around 55.45 minutes and brief selections from A MAN NAMED BRANCH: THE TRUE STORY OF BASEBALL'S GREAT EXPERIMENT around 57:00 minutes. Watch HERE!
