Suitcase Sefton and the American Dream

Amid baseball, racism, and hope, Sefton and the Yamadas rediscover the American dream.

 Visit Jay Feldman's website to find out more about him and his work.

Baseball is a universal language. It's a ball, a bat and a mitt. It's a game of skill that transcends boundaries. A brand-new novel by Jay Feldman reveals how baseball can act as a source of normalcy during some of the most difficult and lonely times while also bringing the necessary continuity to an otherwise messy situation.

In Suitcase Sefton and the American Dream Feldman tells a story about Mac “Suitcase” Sefton, a scout for the New York Yankees who discovers the meaning of family and love, and a cannon-armed lefty at a Japanese-American internment camp in during World War II in1942.

As Sefton schemes to get the pitcher – Jerry Yamada – released from the camp, he is forced to confront his own conceptions of race, culture, and politics. Sefton’s contact with Yamada, his family – including Yamada’s sister Annie, with whom the scout falls in love – and the rest of the camp internees inevitably lead to a culture clash, which causes Sefton to confront his own life and values. Through the filter of baseball, Suitcase Sefton addresses issues of personal integrity, racism, internment, and American dreams.

Combining fictional characters and historic personages, Suitcase Sefton and the American Dream is well-grounded by extensive historical research, which grew out of a long article Feldman wrote on baseball in the internment camps. The original article, “Baseball Behind Barbed Wire,” can be seen at his website www.jfeldman.com.  

Baseball fans will have the opportunity to look at baseball from a fresh perspective. It’s so much more than just a game and Suitcase Sefton and the American Dream gives readers something to think about for years to come.

About the Authors