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Solo: A Memoir of Hope Audiobook
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(3.03) - 585 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
"My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all. We are hardwired to expect the next interruption or disappearance or broken promise."
Hope Solo is the face of the modern female athlete. She is fearless, outspoken, and the best in the world at what she does: protecting the goal of the U.S. women's soccer team. Her outsized talent has led her to the pinnacle of her sport—the Olympics and the World Cup—and made her into an international celebrity who is just as likely to appear on ABC's Dancing with the Stars as she is on the covers of Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, and Vogue. But her journey—which began in Richland, Washington, where she was raised by her strong-willed mother on the scorched earth of defunct nuclear testing sites—is similarly haunted by the fallout of her family history. Her father, a philanderer and con man, was convicted of embezzlement when Solo was an infant. She lost touch with him as he drifted out of prison and into homelessness. By the time they reunited, years later, in the parking lot of a grocery store, she was an All-American goalkeeper at the University of Washington and already a budding prospect for the U.S. national team. He was living in the woods.
Despite harboring serious doubts even about the provenance of her father's last name (and her own), Solo embraces him as fiercely as she pursues her dreams of being a world-class soccer player. When those dreams are threatened by her standing within the national team, as when she was famously benched in the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup after four shutouts and spoke her piece publicly, we see a woman of uncompromising independence and hard-won perseverance navigate the petty backlash against her. For the first time, she tells her version of that controversial episode, and offers with it a full understanding of her hard-scrabble life.
Moving, sometimes shocking, Solo is a portrait of an athlete finding redemption. This is the Hope Solo whom few have ever glimpsed.
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"I loved this book. Hope tells her story with honesty and sheds light on what happens behind the scenes in professional sports. She tells her story starting in childhood and ending after her season of dancing with the stars. This one of the best memoirs I have read and will defiantly be re-reading it."
— Rachel (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Featured twice on the cover of Sports Illustrated and a TV regular, Solo may have made her name as the independent-minded goalkeeper for the US women’s national soccer team, but she’s much more.”
— Library Journal -
“[An] unflinching account…through heartache, setbacks, and career-threatening injuries, Solo demonstrates not only a fierce determination to overcome, but also the grace of a true champion…A readable, inspiring memoir about staying true to dreams and principles in a world that too often forces personal compromise.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
Solo Listener Reviews
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" I love reading biographies (memoirs) of famous people, especially athletes. Hope Solo's story is fascinating and I enjoyed reading it very much. I could never recommend it, though, because of all the language. "
— Krystal, 2/9/2014 -
" brilliant, that is all. "
— Katie, 2/4/2014 -
" I really liked it. She is blunt, and if you like women's soccer you will appreciate some of the behind the scenes stuff. "
— Judy, 1/31/2014 -
" It really shows the true sense of why she acts out the way she does sometimes as shown in the media. But just like everything else, you cannot judge a book by its cover. "
— Andrea, 1/15/2014 -
" I have been interested in women's soccer for a long time and intrigued by this goalkeep. While there is a little whining involved at least I got one side of the story. "
— Mary, 1/15/2014 -
" I don't like to chose athletes as role models however, Hope is definitely that. She is a wonderful example of what hard work and dedication can bring. As well as an example of overcoming hardships. I will definitely have my girls read this book. "
— Marisela, 12/25/2013 -
" wonderfully written book that openly shares the struggles (and positives) Hope went through to get the top and become the best goalkeeper. Also shares an amazing insight of what its like to be in the game verses being a fan! "
— Katie, 12/6/2013 -
" While not a bad story for fans of women's soccer, it was a very easy read. However, I'm really interested in reading other player's memoirs who were involved with the 2007 "incident." "
— Erin, 10/27/2013 -
" I was ambivalent about reading this because I care more about the sport of soccer than about the gossip and politics off the pitch. I appreciate Hope's honesty, and this was certainly a pageturner. However, there's always more than one side to every story, and this is only Hope Solo's version. "
— Kristina, 10/14/2013 -
" One of my favorite books of the year. Refreshingly honest, Solo captured the intense/difficult/rewarding aspect of playing team sports at a very high level. "
— Sarah, 10/8/2013 -
" I like to read about people and thanks to my son I am now reading about soccer players, "
— Marti, 9/23/2013 -
" wow...great story so far, not done yet. I see parallels from my childhood with Hope's childhood. "
— Steve, 9/1/2013 -
" Really good read. Uses the "F" word more than necessary but other than that a good read. I would have liked to have learned more about her preparation leading up to the 2012 games but what do you do. "
— Lanell, 7/12/2013 -
" I literally read this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. It's eyeopening about the previous World Cup and her struggles in her early years. "
— Charlie, 6/12/2013 -
" Really good book if you are interested in women's sports especially women's soccer. "
— Rhodag, 5/24/2013 -
" She seems insufferable. "
— Mahlor, 4/2/2013 -
" Really great way to see the world from the Point of view of the best goal keeper in the world. On the field it seems as though everything is peachy but the amount of trials and road blocks this woman had to jump over is inspiring. "
— Kyla, 3/29/2013
About Hope Solo
Hope Solo, one of the most charismatic athletes in America, is widely regarded as the best women’s goalkeeper in the world. An Olympic gold medalist, she has been a member of the US national soccer team since 2000 and has appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. At the 2011 World Cup, FIFA awarded her the Adidas Golden Glove as the tournament’s top goalkeeper. A prominent spokeswoman for Gatorade and Nike, she also has starred on the hit reality show Dancing with the Stars. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
About Christina Delaine
Christina Delaine is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and accomplished stage actress. Her theater credits include Jewtopia, the longest-running comedy in Off-Broadway history, and the title role in Antigone at both Portland Center Stage and Kentucky Repertory Theatre. She holds a BA degree from Dartmouth College and an MFA in acting from Brown University.