I loved this history! It was written in an clear, structured, well-researched, engaging way, and I completely fell into the obsession that Pilon cites many of the game’s detectives (including herself) adopting. It was surprising and exciting to discover the origins of a game that is so standard, and the long history from 1904 to 1980 had so many fascinating ups and downs and intriguing characters. I was also particularly struck by Pilon’s acknowledgements, which were so good-natured and entertaining. 

I particularly enjoyed the sections that described the friendships and game nights among the early players. The dynamics were sometimes confusing (especially because everyone was named Ruth), but the devotion to the game and the subsequent devotion to publicizing the true origins of the game was entertaining and truly engaging.