Awards

• Winner of A National Bestseller.
• Winner of Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction.

Overview

Originally published in 1995 to huge critical acclaim and a finalist for the NBCC Award for Nonfiction, Madeleine Blais's In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle is a modern sports writing classic. Now expanded and updated with a new epilogue, Blais's book tells the story of a season in the life of the Amherst Lady Hurricanes, a powerhouse girls' high school basketball team from a small western Massachusetts college town. The Hurricanes were a talented team with a near-perfect record, but for five straight years, when it came to the crunch of the playoffs, they somehow lacked the scrappy, hard-driving desire to go all the way. Now, led by senior guards Jen Pariseau, a three-point specialist, and Jamila Wideman, an All-American phenom, this was the year to prove themselves. It was a season to test their passion for the sport and their loyalty to each other, and a chance to discover who they really were. As an off-season of summer jobs and basketball camps turns to fall, as students arrive and the games begin, Blais charts the ups and downs of the team and paints a portrait of the wider Amherst community, which comes to revel in the athletic exploits of their girls. Finally, a women's team was getting the attention they deserve. And the Hurricanes were richly deserving; these teenage girls are fierce and funny, smart and ambitious, and they are the heart of this gripping book. In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle is a classic sports book, a timeless look at girls' athletics.

Full Product Details

9780802121455

Table of Contents

Reviews

<b>Praise for <i>In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle</i> </b> <b>A National Bestseller</b> <b>Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction</b> Beautifully written . . . A celebration of girls and athletics. <b>--<i>USA Today</i></b> Joyful . . . The reader gets a real sense of these girls and their dreams. <b>--<i>New York Times Book Review</i></b> Extraordinary. <b><i>--Baltimore Sun</i></b> Tender and upbeat . . . Wonderfully wry . . . A delight to read. <b>--<i>Philadelphia Inquirer</i></b> Flows like a novel . . . These basketball players show us what women can do when they work together as a team. <b>--<i>Atlanta Constitution</i></b> Engrossing . . . Better than the best pep talk, this book will kindle your pride in your own unique, feminine strength. <b>--<i>New Woman</i></b> A special book . . . Alternately funny, exciting and moving, the book should be enjoyed not only by girls and women who have played sports but also those who wanted to but let themselves be discouraged. <b>--<i>Publishers Weekly</i></b> A much-needed addition to sports writing for women . . . Extremely readable and compact . . . Compelling. <b>--<i>School Library Journal</i></b> A fantastic account of a high school basketball team . . . A great book. <b>--Stefan Fatsis, author of <i>A Few Seconds of Panic</i> and <i>WordFreak</i></b>

<b>Praise for <i>In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle</i> </b> <b>A National Bestseller</b> <b>Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction</b> Beautifully written . . . A celebration of girls and athletics. <b><i>USA Today</i></b> Joyful . . . The reader gets a real sense of these girls and their dreams. <b><i>New York Times Book Review</i></b> Extraordinary. <b><i>Baltimore Sun</i></b> Tender and upbeat . . . Wonderfully wry . . . A delight to read. <b><i>Philadelphia Inquirer</i></b> Flows like a novel . . . These basketball players show us what women can do when they work together as a team. <b><i>Atlanta Constitution</i></b> Engrossing . . . Better than the best pep talk, this book will kindle your pride in your own unique, feminine strength. <b><i>New Woman</i></b> A special book . . . Alternately funny, exciting and moving, the book should be enjoyed not only by girls and women who have played sports but also those who wanted to but let themselves be discouraged. <b><i>Publishers Weekly</i></b> A much-needed addition to sports writing for women . . . Extremely readable and compact . . . Compelling. <b><i>School Library Journal</i></b> A fantastic account of a high school basketball team . . . A great book. <b>Stefan Fatsis, author of <i>A Few Seconds of Panic</i> and <i>WordFreak</i></b>

Author Information

Madeleine Blais was a reporter for the Miami Herald for years before joining the faculty of the School of Journalism at the University of Massachusetts. She is the author of In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle, Uphill Walkers, and The Heart Is an Instrument, a collection of her journalism. Madeleine Blais lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available