Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 01/01/2021 Placing sports history within a larger context, this book provides biographical information about Effa Manley, the Black business manager and co-owner of the Newark Eagles, while tracing the story of the Negro leagues from their nineteenth-century beginnings to their final years. The discussion most fully explores the tumultuous 1940s, including Jackie Robinson’s breakthrough into the major leagues, which led to the recruitment of other outstanding players from the Negro leagues (usually without compensating the teams) and the subsequent collapse of the leagues. Williams convincingly portrays Manley as a smart, savvy, dauntless Black woman who was passionate about her work and about creating opportunities for others in her community. The writing shifts focus according to the subject at hand, precisely describing pivotal plays during baseball games, as well as offering broad perspectives on topics such as the Great Migration. The appended source-notes section meticulously documents information and quotes within the text. Occasional archival photos illustrate the book. A well-organized, detailed introduction to Effa Manley, who was the first woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2021 Gr 6–9—An important hole in baseball literature is addressed in this nonfiction recollection of businesswoman Effa Manley's role in the rise and fall of the Negro Leagues. Effa's role as a light-skinned woman who grew up in a biracial family and fought for rights for Black people and women is portrayed through detailed narratives and passionate quotes from her career as a co-owner of the Newark Eagles with her husband Abe Manley. The narrative explores the 19th-century beginnings of the Negro Leagues, to the recruitment of Black players to the major leagues, to its ultimate downfall. The biography of Effa Manley's life is intertwined with, and sometimes overwhelmed by, the history of the Negro Leagues as a whole. Endnotes and sources are very detailed and the narration reads like a textbook with a small amount of archival photos and pull quotes. The conclusion features a story about Effa purchasing a mink cape with her final paycheck, which is dramatic and endearing—however it leaves a big gap for readers. The remainder of Effa's life is not addressed, nor is her inclusion into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. VERDICT A detailed history of Negro League baseball focusing on Effa Manley's life and a supplemental addition to middle school sports collections.—Emily Bayci-Mroczek, Naperville P.L.-Naper Boulevard Lib., IL - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.