Opinion: Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees is something we can all relate to

Yes, it's true, some books can reach out to an entire readership of a blog. Jane Heller, who frequents Sox and Pinstripes, has created a masterpiece. I don't just say that because she is brilliant enough to read superior web sites regarding the Yankees, but I say that because every time I pick up her book, it takes a small crane and multiple weapons to get me to put it down and go to class or back... Yes, it's true, some books can reach out to an entire readership of a blog. Jane Heller, who frequents Sox and Pinstripes, has created a masterpiece. I don't just say that because she is brilliant enough to read superior web sites regarding the Yankees, but I say that because every time I pick up her book, it takes a small crane and multiple weapons to get me to put it down and go to class or back to work. It's that good.

I was sent a copy in the mail to review but decided a single entry would not do the book (which in case you hadn't had caught on is actually named, Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees) the sort of justice it deserves.

What makes it so great?

It's simple, the premise is about how Jane was so fed up in the beginning of the 2007 Yankees' season, she wrote an essay to the New York Times expressing her divorce from the team, sighting mental cruelty as the main culprit. As I'm sure many of you recall, I had similar sentiments throughout the beginning of the first season of Sox and Pinstripes. And that's the point, any die-hard Yankees fan, which I'm sure most of you are, can relate to what is between the pages.

Jane, however, takes it a step further and in order to prove her loyalty to the club, follows them for months chronicling each moment with the sort of camaraderie in her words that makes it easy to whiz through the pages. And this isn't just a diary of box scores and mistakes to make us feel bad about the season that was not to be, it's an actual tell-all of a loyal Yankees' fans feelings game by game.

It's a retelling of how a Yankees fan is born, how a teenage girl obsessed with baseball players can get into trouble and how a lifetime of memories about the Yankees can be: funny, scary and touching all at once. Jane was crucified after the essay and took it upon herself to prove her loyalty was deep and largely existent even if she had no interest in seeing the team play anymore.

It's the exact point I've tried to make myself over and over again. Loyalty doesn't equal torture, it equals passion, and though it's clear nobody with such a passion for something can stay away for long, if she did go through with the concept of a divorce from the Yankees in 2007 I wouldn't had held it against her.

This is a true tell-all, it wasn't based on money, it's not based on fame, or any of the other reasons we see athletes spill the beans about what goes on behind closed doors. This is a list of confessions about a fan just like you and I, who felt the same pain at the same times, and goes through it with similar people we can all relate to all season long. The difference is she was able to get the Yankees' vantage point at the same time, thus answering all the questions you might have had about the team struggling from the team's point of view.

She holds nothing back, and it makes for both a hysteria level of humor and jogs your memory to the point where the scores no longer matter when you're reading, but knowing you're very far from alone in sharing the pain of the 25 man roster is much more important.

Football season is over, and the most important holiday of the year doesn't take place until February 14th, when pitcher's and catcher's report. Let Ms. Heller take you through the magical adventure that is a Baseball season before the real one begins. I let her, and it was completely worth it. I will be revisiting this book from time to time until the real news begins, but let me just say this for now:

You will be hooked in about two pages. By the end of the first section after over 60 pages, you will start to brighten up knowing the Yankees are about to turn a corner. By the time you get half way through, you might want to marry Jane and throw a survival party for your friends two years later. When you finish, you're going to be crying from happiness, sadness, sentiment and exuberence.

In the wake of having to read numerous books about: Vietnam, film images, media production, journalistic integrity and every other topic I don't particularly care to indulge myself with, reading a book I can actually enjoy and share a common passion with, is a breath of fresh air. And I know, just like how Jane must feel now, I am not alone in how I feel.

So do yourself a favor, go to Amazon, get yourself a sweet little Amazon deal and give yourself a free read for a while. You might learn something you never knew, but more importantly you might relearn something you once forgot, and this time you'll be able to vicariously relate it to a friend you have yet to make.

The book comes out tomorrow, February 3rd, and the Yankees Universe is better off for it.

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