ÒDad had asked me to give him a hand, and thatÕs exactly what I was doing. I was fast becoming part of the fourteen-cent chopped meat specialÑwhich, IÕm told, was not a big seller for the rest of the day.Ó

What would it be like to go through life with only one hand? ThatÕs exactly what eleven-year-old Norm finds out when he loses his left hand in an accident at his familyÕs store. ItÕs July 4, 1946. World War II has ended, and life is getting back to normal. But for Norm, the pressing question now is whether he will ever be able to play baseball again. And what about his dreams of becoming an artist? Norm canÕt even figure out how to tie his shoes anymore. How will he ever learn how to pitch or catch or swing a bat with no left hand? ItÕs up to Norm to find the strength to get beyond this roadblock and move on with his life.