42 Is Not Just a Number

“Explores some of the seminal events in Robinson’s life and the ballplayer’s feelings about them, ably profiling a groundbreaking athlete and a ‘one-person civil rights movement.’ ” — Publishers Weekly

Jackie Robinson’s athletic talents would have easily landed another man a career in pro sports, but such opportunities were closed to athletes like Jackie for one reason: his skin was the wrong color. Jackie settled for playing baseball in the Negro Leagues until 1946, when the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers recruited him for a position that would cause him to face cruel and sometimes violent hatred and discrimination: Jackie Robinson was going to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball. In this compelling biography, award-winning author Doreen Rappaport chronicles the extraordinary life of Jackie Robinson and how his achievements won over — and changed — a segregated nation.