“How’d you know that?” I asked, surprised.
“I keep up,” Jackie said with a chuckle. “The year Rachel and I celebrated Hanukkah with your family was so special. Your grandmother gave me such a hard time over that tree.”
I laughed. “As I remember it, you handled Bubbe with ease. She talked about you for years after that.”
“That’s it, Steve. When you reach out to others, good always comes back to you. I have a saying: ‘A life is not important except for the impact it has on other lives.’ ”
“That makes sense, Jackie. Guess that’s why I want to be a doctor.”
“You’ll be a great doctor—and hurry up. I need help keeping my diabetes under control,” Jackie said.
“Give me a few years,” I promised.
“Steve, we’d love to have you and your mom over for Christmas. Jackie, Sharon, and David would be so excited! It would mean the world to Rachel,” Jackie suggested. “I’ll ask her to make the arrangements with your mother. What do you say?”
“You mean in Connecticut?”
“That’s right. Would you like that, Steve?”
“More than you know,” I said, feeling happy for the first time since losing Dad.
Standing and drawing me into a bear hug, Jackie thanked me for coming to see him. “I know that you’re in pain, but I hope you feel some comfort in knowing how much your dad loved you. Be strong, son. We’ll see you again soon.”
“Yes, see you again soon,” I told him. I turned and left. Jackie’s strength and friendship meant more to me now than ever.
The Hero Two Doors Down is based on a true story. It takes place in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn in 1948. Stephen Satlow truly lived two doors down from my parents, Jack and Rachel Robinson. In reality, Steve was Sarah and Archie’s middle child. To keep the focus on Steve’s relationship with Jackie, I left out his sisters, Paula and Sena. Steve’s best friend is based on his sister Sena.
Since this story happened before I was born, my strongest memories are of my mother, father, and Steve’s mother, Sarah, each sharing their reflections on the Christmas tree story. This family lore marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship between the Satlows and the Robinsons.
Steve did become a doctor and he and I have remained friends. Occasionally we ride horses on his Ocala, Florida, ranch, but mostly we sit back and marvel at the strength of the bond between our mothers. Sarah and Rachel are both deep into their nineties now, with hearing aids, strong legs, and determined spirits. They’ve become our heroes.
During these troubling times of global, racial, cultural, and religious unrest, I decided that this classic story of friendship and unity needed to be shared with the next generation of readers. While I maintained the integrity of the true story, this is partly a work of fiction. For example, Steve was actually six years old in 1948. He is an amazing storyteller. While we spent quiet afternoons on his ranch, he shared the richness of his Jewish Brooklyn childhood. Gradually, Steve’s voice was firmly implanted in my head.
Throughout my life, I’ve encountered many passionate men and women who grew up in Brooklyn during the Brooklyn Dodgers era. The genuine affection for the Brooklyn Dodgers was matched by a profound sense of loss when the team moved west. But few stories could compete with the one told by Steve Satlow. In 1948, he lived the dream of millions of young boys. He lived two doors down from his hero.
Stephen Satlow, age seven, reading in 1949. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Satlow)
Jackie Robinson, Rachel Robinson, and Jackie Robinson Jr. on the steps of their Tilden Avenue home. (© Nina Leen Life Picture Collection/Getty Images)
Rachel Robinson and Sarah Cymrot, Steve’s mom, remain friends to this day. (Photo courtesy of the Robinson family)
Still friends today, Sharon and Steve ride horses at the Satlow ranch in Ocala, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Izzy Satlow)
First and foremost I’d like to open this page with a thank-you to all young readers! You’re awesome! I hope you loved reading The Hero Two Doors Down. Were you able to picture becoming friends with your hero? I wish that for all of you!
I’d like to thank my amazing parents, Jack and Rachel Robinson, for their love and guidance and for teaching me the importance of preserving and passing along a strong family legacy. I learned to love books from my mother. Life with “RR,” as I’m fond of calling my mom, is one long, wondrous journey! Our shared love for reading is part of that adventure.
I’ve had an incredible twenty-year partnership with Scholastic Inc.! This includes the operation of the Breaking Barriers program, co-run by Scholastic and Major League Baseball, which focuses on students’ abilities to overcome obstacles in their lives.
I’ve also been fortunate to author several books for Scholastic. Our newest one, The Hero Two Doors Down, would not have been possible without the vibrant storytelling of our young hero, Stephen Satlow. I wish to thank Steve and his entire family, including his mother, Sarah Cymrot, for years of friendship as well as their guidance and best wishes on this project.
I want to thank my editor, Matt Ringler, who helped bring clarity and insight to my writing and the project as a whole. Thank you, Matt, for making the process seamless and fun! There are many others at Scholastic whom I’d like to thank especially: Dick Robinson, Ellie Berger, Charisse Meloto, Bess Braswell, Whitney Steller, Caitlin Friedman, Lizette Serrano, Judy Newman and her Book Clubs team, and Alan Boyko and his Book Fairs group.
The relationship between writer and literary agent is critical to moving a project from manuscript to published book. My agent, Katherine Cowles, has played such an important role in my life. Kitty, thank you for your keen insight, friendship, and vision!
I’ve worked with two incredible MLB Commissioners: Bud Selig and Rob Manfred. I owe a great deal of my professional growth to their enduring support. Along the way, I’ve made many friends at MLB who have been especially supportive of my writing: Jacqueline Parkes, Thomas Brasuell, Kevin Moss, Steve Arocho, Anne Occi, Claudia Vosper, David Kaufman, and Nick Trotta. A special thank-you to the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers along with their players—especially Curtis Granderson (Mets), Michael Cuddyer (Mets), and Jimmy Rollins (Dodgers)—for their amazing support and contributions to the Scholastic video!
A very special thank-you to Della Britton Baeza, Gregg Gonsalves, Len Coleman, Marty Edelman, and the entire staff and board of the Jackie Robinson Foundation for your incredible work, love, and support!
Many, many thanks to friends who read each version of the manuscript and gave me invaluable feedback: Nancy Lerner, Steven Ungerleider, Lyman Carter, and Steve’s wife, Izzy. And, last but not least, a special thank-you to my brother, David, to my nieces and nephews, and to my grandchildren, Jessica and Lucas.
You are all my sheroes and heroes. I’m blessed to call each of you my friend. If only you all lived two doors down . . .
Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction. She has also written several widely praised nonfiction books about her father, including Jackie’s Nine: Jackie Robinson’s Values to Live By and Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America.
Copyright © 2016 by Sharon Robinson
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
While inspired by real events and historical characters, this is a work of fiction and does not claim to be historically accurate or portray factual events or relationships. Please keep in mind that references to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales may not be factually accurate, but rather fictionalized by the author.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data avail
able
eISBN 978-0-545-80453-0
Cover art © 2016 by Kadir Nelson
Cover design by Elizabeth B. Parisi & Mary Claire Cruz
Author Photo by John Vecchiolla
First edition, February 2016
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