Forward: A Memoir

by Abby Wambach

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Lucid and wrenching...Forward puts [Wambach's] achievement in context with painful and beautiful candor." —NPR

"Forward is the powerful story of an athlete who has inspired girls all over the world to believe in themselves."  —Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, New York Times Bestselling author of Lean In 

“This is the best memoir I’ve read by an athlete since Andre Agassi’s Open.”  —Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take

Abby Wambach has always pushed the limits of what is possible. At age seven she was put on the boys’ soccer team. At age thirty-five she would become the highest goal scorer—male or female—in the history of soccer, capturing the nation’s heart with her team’s 2015 World Cup Championship. Called an inspiration and “badass” by President Obama, Abby has become a fierce advocate for women’s rights and equal opportunity, pushing to translate the success of her team to the real world.

As she reveals in this searching memoir, Abby’s professional success often masked her inner struggle to reconcile the various parts of herself: ferocious competitor, daughter, leader, wife. With stunning candor, Abby shares her inspiring and often brutal journey from girl in Rochester, New York, to world-class athlete. Far more than a sports memoir, Forward is gripping tale of resilience and redemption—and a reminder that heroism is, above all, about embracing life’s challenges with fearlessness and heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062467003
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/13/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	75,817
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Abby Wambach is an American soccer player, coach, two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion, and the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year. A six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, Wambach has been a regular on the U.S. women’s national soccer team since 2003, earning her first cap in 2001. She is the highest all-time scorer for the national team and holds the world record for international goals for both female and male soccer players, with 184 goals.

Karen Abbott is the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City, American Rose, and, most recently, Liar Temptress Soldier Spy, named one of the best books of 2014 by Library Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, Amazon, and Flavorwire, and optioned by Sony for a miniseries. A native of Philadelphia, she now lives in New York City, where she's at work on her next book. 

Table of Contents

1 Fraud 1

2 Tomboy 7

3 Rebel 15

4 Teammate 29

5 Lesbian 37

6 Rookie 47

7 Manic 53

8 Depressive 61

9 Captain 67

10 Leader 77

11 Apprentice 93

12 Head Case 99

13 G.O.A.T. 105

14 Romantic 111

15 Hero 117

16 Wife 129

17 Gambler 137

18 Champion 145

19 Advocate 159

20 Control Freak 171

21 Addict 183

22 Failure 201

23 Human 215

Epilogue 225

Acknowledgments 229

About the Author 231

Editorial Reviews

Abby Wambach is an American hero whose grit and heart has paved the way for the next generation of women and girls.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

This is the best memoir I’ve read by an athlete since Andre Agassi’s Open. It’s a candid, moving account of the thrills and toils of achieving greatness-and then sustaining it. I could not put it down, and you will not want it to end.

Adam Grant

Lucid and wrenching...Forward puts [Wambach’s] achievement in context with painful and beautiful candor.

NPR

Brave and revealing…more than any athlete I have read about, Wambach is open about the touches and glances and courtships and breakups in her private life.

George Vecsey

Inspirational…harrowing.

The Guardian

Candid, thoughtful…while the sports stories are included, this is not a book celebrating on-field triumphs: it’s a book about one woman’s journey to put her remarkable talents into context and accept herself.

Booklist

Raw, vulnerable and courageous… rarely do professional athletes open that door all the way.

Curve Magazine

Required reading

AFTERELLEN

Forward is the powerful story of an athlete who has inspired girls all over the world to believe in themselves...Abby is deeply honest about her professional and life challenges - and she shows us by example how to overcome problems and live a happier, braver life.

Sheryl Sandberg

Forward is the powerful story of an athlete who has inspired girls all over the world to believe in themselves...Abby is deeply honest about her professional and life challenges - and she shows us by example how to overcome problems and live a happier, braver life.

Sherly Sandberg

11/01/2016
Athletes are said to live two lives: their sporting careers, which come with a built-in expiration date, and everything afterward. Wambach (b. 1980) is now at the end of her first "life," having retired in 2015 as one of the most successful and beloved soccer players of all time. Among her achievements are Olympic gold medals, a Women's World Cup championship, and numerous international records. Wambach is currently navigating the in-between time, finding purpose in working for equality and motivating young people. This memoir chronicles her battles with gender discrimination, homophobia, alcohol and substance abuse, and the difficulty of maintaining balance between her public and private lives. A deeply honest, moment-by-moment description of her 2016 arrest is especially jolting. Wambach's conversational style and unique story make this an appealing choice for older students and sports fans; a YA edition was published as a companion title. VERDICT One of the most accomplished athletes of her generation tells her story with honesty and heart. A relevant choice for any modern sports collection.—Janet Davis, Darien P.L., CT

Library Journal

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