The Cardturner could be a hobby in the making

I was drawn to this book because when my family's friends got together I was the kid that didn't hang out with the other kids (even though I liked them), I was the one in the kitchen with the adults and if I was lucky I got to play a few hands of euchre.  When I was older I played spades and hearts, too.  What I liked about this story was the way Alton learned about his Uncle's life as the story progressed and began to see him as a person instead of just his old uncle that he didn't know very well.  Kind of the same way I used to listen to my parents and their friends talk over cards and learned about their histories.  The strategy of the game was fun, too.  I haven't played bridge, but I find that the techniques are similar to some of these other card games I've played and reading this book made bridge understandable enough to where I'd like to try a game sometime.