Nobody Daily 5/20/08

Nobody Asked Me But:

I want to tell you about a book I just finished, “Edenville Owls” by Robert Parker

Radios the size of television sets/One Man’s Family/the Kraft Music Hall/fireside chats/ The Friday Night Fights with Don Dunphy The Lux Radio Theater/Get Wildwood Cream Oil, Charlie/LS-MFT/Steve Wilson of the Illustrated Press and his girlfriend Lorelei Kilbourn/Mr. District Attorney/I Love A Mystery.

Robert B. Parker takes us back to the 1940s in his first novel for teens. One of the masters of mystery fiction, Parker, the creator of Spenser, Susan and Hawk, tells us a story about Bobby Murphy and his junior high buddies, the Edenville Owls.

World War II has just ended, and, the Owls, a traveling basketball team with talent and heart but no coach, are playing games against junior varsity teams in the area. They could do that because these were more unstructured times.

The Owls and playing basketball are great, but Bobby has other things on his mind as well. There is his best friend, Joanie. He can tell her everything. But is this enough? Or does he really want his girl friend to be his girlfriend?

And there is his pretty and troubled new teacher, Miss Delaney. Who is the mysterious man who threatens her, and what can the Owls and Joanie do to save her?

Parker mixes sports, mystery, 1940s nostalgia and a post-war Nazi menace. They blend well. Robert B. has written a fine book for a new audience.

Oh, and is it just a coincidence that his teen heroes, Bobby and Joanie have the same first names as Parker and his wife to whom he dedicates this and all of his other books?