Book review: 42 FAITH

Book review: 42 FAITH: The Rest of the Jackie Robinson Story

The book is drawn from interviews, recently discovered sermons, and an unpublished manuscript by the player. It tells the story behind how Jackie Robinson was carefully chosen, for his athletic skills, his fiery determination, his discipline, and his faith--to become the first African American to break the color barrier in maior US sports, and thus lead the way in the civil rights movement. President Barack Obama told Jackie Robinson's widow Rachel that he saw a "straight line from her husband to the first African American president."

The book describes how the deep Methodist faith of Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey led him to dedicate himself to breaking down the barriers which kept Negro players out of the major leagues. Branch Rickey saw in Jackie Robinson a man who was strong enough to be both a winning player and a symbol for justice. Robinson saw how critical Rickey's faith was in sustaining his determination. Rickey saw in Rachel and Jackie Robinson people whose faith was important throughout their lives, and as Rachel says in the book, at the age of 95 (2017), "we came from religious families ... and our beliefs supported us in our activities, our judgments, and in the plans we made."

This book is an outstanding companion to the great movie 42, and to the other accounts of the great Hall of Fame ballplayer and civil rights icon, and it is in our library.

— Larry Ballenger