Review of "Soccer Grannies"

 If you have ever picked up a book, discovered it was not what you expected, but it blew you away with how good it was, then you know how I felt when I read this book on some very inspiring ladies in South Africa.  Here is my review of "Soccer Grannies"

Title/Author: “Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World” by Jean Duffy

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: In many instances, a sports team will inspire others and not because of their excellent play, their championships or even the accomplishments of some of the athletes.  Sometimes just the fact that the athletes are playing their sport and enjoying themselves is enough to inspire people and this book by Jean Duffy tells of a group of women in South Africa who do just that.

Started by Rebecca (“Beka”) Ntsanwisi to get women to exercise more after the own diagnosis of colon cancer, the group of ladies aged 40 to 80+ went from an exercise group to soccer players who enjoyed the friendship, camaraderie and exercise that improved both their physical and mental health.

The author, who is a soccer player herself, found out about the Soccer Grannies through a video that a teammate shared and from there, she was determined to get them to the United States to play in a tournament.  The obstacles faced were daunting and numerous – financially, politically, and culturally. The spirt of both the author and Beka never let those problems stop them, however.  It is hard to determine what was more inspiring – the ladies who didn’t bother following patriarchal and discriminatory social norms to play soccer or the sheer joy when everything came together and the Soccer Grannies made it to Massachusetts to play in the tournament.

Duffy worked tirelessly not only to get them to the United States but also to learn more about the ladies and wrote terrific stories about many of them.  In the risk of overusing this word, it didn’t matter whose story was told, they were an inspiration to anyone who reads the book.  It should also be noted that Duffy and a few teammates made a journey to South Africa to visit the Grannies in their native land as well and while it didn’t evoke the same awe as the Grannies’ play (and celebrations) in the United States, it was clear that the women on both continents cherished their friendships and their time together.

Whether one is a soccer fan or not, this book is one that any reader will enjoy and will also learn about some of the culture of South Africa, both the good and the bad. The story of Beka and the rest of the Soccer Grannies is one that every person, athlete or not, should enjoy.

I wish to thank Rowman and Littlefield for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Soccer-Grannies-South-African-Inspire-ebook/dp/B0BTKJ76Y8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1680886924&sr=1-1