“Emily Nemens’s magnificent debut is a masterwork of great empathy and detail, uncovering the realms of incredible pain and beauty enmeshed within every level of America’s pastime. If you love baseball, you won’t put this book down, and if you don’t love baseball, you might love it by the end.”

—J. Ryan Stradal, author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Great Midwest

“A debut? You’ve got to be kidding. The Cactus League reads like the work of a seasoned novelist. The way the story’s tension ramps up, the richly drawn characters, the indelible imagery—you’ll never see a ballpark the same—not to mention that Emily Nemens’s knowledge of America’s pastime is downright encyclopedic. And while all those things are true, absolutely true, the heart of this amazing novel is Nemens’s understanding of the crucibles faced by those both in the limelight and out of it. Goodyear and the rest of the gang are a cast for the ages. Hip hip hooray for this achievement.”

—Mitchell S. Jackson, author of Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family

“Emily Nemens gets beneath the image—the macho chewing, the spitting, the ball fondling, the studied nonchalant distraction—to the real people on the field and off. She’s a true fan, and one hell of a writer. The Cactus League is crisp, clean, funny, and just plain good. If you love baseball, and fiction, you’ll love this book.”

—Brad Watson, author of Miss Jane

A Note About the Author

EMILY NEMENS

The Cactus League

Emily Nemens is the editor of The Paris Review. She was previously the coeditor of The Southern Review. Her work has been published in Esquire, n+1, The Gettysburg Review, Hobart, and other outlets. You can sign up for email updates here.

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