• Calico Joe

  • By: John Grisham
  • Narrated by: Erik Singer
  • Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,935 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Calico Joe  By  cover art

Calico Joe

By: John Grisham
Narrated by: Erik Singer
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.26

Buy for $19.26

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball…

“Grisham knocks it out of the park.”—
The Washington Post

It’s the summer of 1973, and Joe Castle is the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone has ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzles Chicago Cubs fans as he hits home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shatters all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly becomes the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing New York Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faces Calico Joe, Paul is in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his dad. Then Warren throws a fastball that will change their lives forever.

Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM!

©2012 Belfry Holdings, Inc (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Grisham knocks it out of the park.” (The Washington Post)

“An enjoyable, heartwarming read that’s not just for baseball fans.” (USA Today)

“Grisham has hit a home run.... Calico Joe is a great read, a lyrical ode to baseball, small-town America, youthful innocence and a young boy’s search for heroes.” (The Buffalo News)

What listeners say about Calico Joe

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,156
  • 4 Stars
    517
  • 3 Stars
    188
  • 2 Stars
    42
  • 1 Stars
    32
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,138
  • 4 Stars
    432
  • 3 Stars
    112
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    11
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,063
  • 4 Stars
    402
  • 3 Stars
    174
  • 2 Stars
    33
  • 1 Stars
    26

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A great story - Wll done by reader

What did you like best about this story?

greater insight about father and son relationships

Which character – as performed by Erik Singer – was your favorite?

Erik Singer my favorite reader

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

His father meeting Joe

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Grisham at his best

If you could sum up Calico Joe in three words, what would they be?

John Grisham has always done a superb job at defining the personalities and uniqueness of his characters and in this book his characters are so real it's hard to bear in mind that the story is fiction. Joe is talented but tragic!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Calico Joe - he seems so real and in view of the story's circumstances, his life seems so tragic..... even though he's not real!

What does Erik Singer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Does a great job of distinguishing among the characters with his voice and emphasis -- makes their personalities more unique

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction -- ending was sad but still humorous -- kind of justice after all.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great baseball book!

I can't wait to see this in a movie! Great narrator and a great story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Better than Skipping Christmas!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I think the ending was somewhat contrived.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect was the character of Calico Joe. Both before and after his accident.

Was Calico Joe worth the listening time?

Yes, but not as good as Grisham's legal stories.

Any additional comments?

I was concerned because I thought Skipping Christmas was a waste of time to listen to. I do think that this book has few high points and is a very serious, almost depressing story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Read

Highly recommend this interesting, touching, and well written story. John Grisham hits it out of the park again!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great story, even on the second listen

this is just a timeless story a lot of father, a son, and the Love of the game of baseball. it is also a great story about failure and redemption. I'm not listen to it twice oh, and may listen to it a third time at some point in the future!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed very much

My dad recommended this... as an avid baseball fan since the age of about 9... it did not disappoint.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Calico

Get past the first few chapters and becomes an excellent story.
Glad I stuck with it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Baseball legend PLUS,

A MUST READ for all baseball fans!!! Brings back memories from your own favorite teams---- Cincinnitti pitcher hitting Cardinal's Pujols on his broken wrist last year---remembrance for me. We all love our teams and players!! I happened to finish this book on Friday, April13, when the Cubs beat my Cardinals 8-5, when one of our great pitchers, Wainright, pitched on comeback from Tommy John's surgery. I so wanted him to do great! So, we all have our great memories!!

Hitting on the head-----terrible. Really enjoyed hearing ( I listened on Audible) this story of a great player I had not heard about, but so glad I have now. Once again, personal memories. The Cardinals new manager is the youngest rookie manager in the National League. And why is he still not playing the game---head concussions!!

BUT-- this book is also great as a father-son relationship book. Best one I've read since Pat Conroy's "The Great Santini"!! Children are not the only bullies that need to STOP BULLING!! Kids have dreams that often get destroyed by their parents bullying! This book shows the results of that in a wonderfully, emotionally, literary story! Thanks, John Grisham!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

John Grisham has done it again1

Would you listen to Calico Joe again? Why?

As I have listened to Skipping Christmas many times, I will listen to Calico Joe again. I loved it. It is a departure from lawyer books.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was between the two ball players

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It is never to late to do the right thing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful