J.W. Wartick - Reconstructing Faith
Kelly Loy Gilbert’s Conviction is a novel that covers any number of sensitive topics, from faith to familial abuse, from homosexuality to racism. There are few punches pulled in the book, and it centers the narrative around both a baseball season and a murder trial. There will be SPOILERS for this thought-provoking book in what follows.
Baseball and Conviction
The plot centers around Braden as he waits to testify in his father’s murder trial. His father, Martin Scott Raynor, Jr., is accused of intentionally running over and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Meanwhile, the dead cop’s nephew plays baseball for the major rival team that Braden has to prepare to defeat. Braden is a pitcher, and many of the anecdotes in the book center around Braden’s experiences in baseball.
Indeed, many of the moments throughout the book where baseball is discussed are linked directly to faith and conviction…
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