By Virginia Euwer WolffSet against the backdrop of a softball game played in Oregon in 1949, this novel brilliantly probes issues such as racial prejudice, illegitimacy, and life in a small town. The story revolves around Aki, who has spent several years in a Japanese internment camp, and Shazam, whose father was killed at Pearl Harbor. During the annual baseball competition, Shazam attacks Aki, injuring her severely. The game ends suddenly, and all of the players are left to wonder what share of the responsibility they bear. With honesty and powerful insight, the story is told through the first-person narrations of the 21 girls on the two teams.