The Pitcher’s Kid

The Pitcher’s Kid is Jack Olsen’s memoir of the first 18 years of his life, years that formed his voice, his ear, and his passionate concern for the underdog. It is a story of a young boy’s desperate yearning for a father during a time of extreme poverty and confusion. The book has been compared to Frank McCourt for its poignant depiction of deprivation, to Geoffrey Wolff for its sad depiction of a deceptive father, and to David Sedaris for its hilarious depiction of childhood. This is an unforgettable tale of coming of age during the hard years of America’s Depression and of a family’s struggle to not just survive, but to triumph.

In this posthumously published work, Olsen relates anecdotes of his childhood that are often very funny and others that are deeply poignant. Listening to the book is a lot like sitting in Olsen’s Bainbridge Island home, and listening to a very wise and very funny storyteller. One leaves the book knowing a lot about poverty, about family, about deception, and about the Great Depression. And even a bit about baseball. I know you’ll laugh. You might even cry.

Audible