The Sons of Chester: A Tale of Small Town Boys, Baseball, and Very Big Dreams

by Craig Ohlau, Kevin L. Gingrich

“This book will touch the veins of your heart.” –Bengie Molina, World Series Champion and author of New York Times Bestseller Molina

In the mid-1990s, a band of baseball-loving boys from the small town of Chester, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River, pursue their dreams of state and national championships. Their fathers, guards in the local penitentiary that houses some of the worst criminals in US history, are their coaches. One dream comes true—the other doesn’t.

This is the story of the dreams and of the town that made them possible. Filled with unforgettable anecdotes from perhaps the last (nearly) innocent age in America, The Sons of Chester recalls a childhood that in some sense is the twentieth century’s version of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2019

Reviews

[R.G. Ziemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don’t have to be a small town boy to enjoy Sons of Chester. You don’t even have to love baseball. But if you’ve ever been young, ever had dreams, ever worked toward a goal, you will love this book. Ohlau and Gingrich summon up all the sweat and desire that go into those strivings of our youth. In this case, the focus is on a ragtag group of young athletes from the small Mississippi River town of Chester, IL. We see them grow up from their middle school years on as they work toward the top of their game – first the elusive little league baseball championship and later high school honors. Readers will also appreciate the vivid descriptions of small-town life in Chester, where the biggest employer is the state prison, and the most famous sons of the town rarely return. But always we return to the game. You don’t have to love baseball to love the Sons of Chester, but when you’re done with this book, you’ll love the game the way these kids played it.

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much potential. I received this book free for signing up for something. Most of the time I ignore free books but being a baseball fan I read this one. The weave of information about the town and the comic Popeye was a nice touch. Unfortunately, a good edit was much needed. Repeated words, ideas and sentences pulled away from the main story, which was good but could have been better.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has wonderful nostalgia of a memoir, but some additional editing would have helped. After living in Chester and knowing some of the people in the book, it was a wonderful trip down memory lane.

[Matthew Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

The place where we grew up leaves indelible memories. These hometown memories are celebrated in The Sons of Chester by Craig Ohlau and Kevin L. Gingrich. The book describes growing up in the 1990s in the small town of Chester, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi south of St. Louis. Chester’s only claim to fame are the hometown of the creator of Popeye and the prison where John Wayne Gacy was held.
 
Thanks to this book, we can also celebrate this town. Craig (nicknamed Bobber) and his friends (who called themselves the Smothers Brothers, even though none of them knew who they were) set out to compete for the Class A National Baseball Tournament. Along the way, they indulge in juvenile mischief, such as mock battles with fireworks and sneaking out of their hotel room to play with a quarter push machine. We also see their love for baseball, the mental and physical battles between pitchers and batters, the charm of barely maintained ball fields and bleachers with peeling paint, and the joy of victory and crushing blows of defeat. The rich descriptions, the clearly developed personalities of these growing boys and their parents, and snippets of the town and its fascinating history, bring the story to life.
 
The Sons of Chester describes the rites of passage all boys go through in becoming men. Changing bodies and changing interests. Temptations and consequences. The desire to prove oneself and the assuring comfort of family and friends. The rush to grow up and the fears of end of childhood. The quest to achieve dreams and acceptance of dreams that cannot be fulfilled.
 
Ohlau and Gingrich create a poetic and moving snapshot of growing up in a small town. Regardless of where you grew up, you will relate to The Sons of Chester. It is a book that stays with you. 

[Corrine Ardoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sons of Chester by Craig Ohlau and Kevin L. Gingrich is the story of a group of boys in the small town of Chester, Illinois during the 1990's and their love of baseball. Their dream to play in the national championships gives the story its hopeful and inspiring momentum.

The use of point-of-view is an effective tool drawing the reader not merely into the story, but onto the seat of a bicycle. Now, you are there experiencing the thrill of riding your bike down to the ballfield. The town's history and background narrative are rich with memories, factual information, and a sometimes bittersweet nostalgia for a bygone era. The love of baseball, of family, friends, and one's own home town is clearly shown in the telling of this story.

While some may be put off by the occasional, "boys only" rhetoric, make no mistake, Sons of Chester is about the heart of a boy and about honoring a special and important time. Juxtaposed alongside the remembrance of his larger-than-life father, Danny Ohlau, Craig Ohlau digs deep and shares what it was like to be a boy whose father worked at a maximum-security prison.

By far, the most gratifying aspect to this story is its ability to draw the reader into their own past, their own childhood memories of hours spent at the local ballfield, the smell of the grass, the cross-bantering of the spectators in the bleachers, the sound of the ball smacking into someone's mitt and the crack of the bat hitting a homer. It is not about chewing gum. It is about life and the mythos of an American town.

[Patti Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in Chester, IL; in fact the street in the opening of the book is one that I lived on; I remember St Mary's Catholic bowl and the games that were played there in the Summer. I remember drives down past the prison, just to see if any prisoners were out on the yard on a Spring or a Summer day. It is one those small towns where kids complain about not having anything to do and dream of getting out of as soon as they can but it also has a way of drawing you back and if you do get get out, eventually you go back or wish you could.

[Gojan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, small town tale of not only baseball but of the hopes and illusive dreams of youth. I enjoyed the nostalgic Americana flavor of Chester, Illinois and the adventures of its baseball-playing characters, all of whom are wonderfully developed and described by the authors. This book is filled with pleasant mischief and drips with detailed river town ambiance. The baseball point-of-view is effectively used by the authors to draw you into the story. I happen to love the sport, but even casual fans will enjoy Sons of Chester.

[Richard B]

As a small town baseball boy, I have always dreamed of smacking some Homers. This book has given me the confidence to leave , and abandoned my 3 kids aka my mistakes. I am currently joining the professional baseball team the virginaian smackers. This book gave me the inspiration to give up on my family and pursue my dreams.

[Dennis E Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It

I love baseball and The Sons of Chester fulfilled all of my wishes for a good baseball book/story. The game/action descriptions were right on. The author obviously knows of what he’s writing. It brought back wonderful memories. The characters were all so clear and memorable. THANKS

[Robert Sanwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book about small-town Chester, Illinois. It is a fun and entertaining story of everyday youth in the 90s. There's a little baseball in there as well.

[Beth Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am from Chester, so I enjoyed reading about my home town.