In a culture that screams ‘reach your highs’ or ‘go big or go home’ mantras, author Josie Shapiro brings a sporting narrative steeped in reality, but also Mickey’s character rebuilds with tenacity to find a calm new strength.
Treat yourself when it comes to debut authors – the appeal of the unknown and the story to unfold. Where have their ideas come from and what personal life experiences will they bring to their writing? Auckland based author Josie Shapiro is one to trust and her new fiction book comes from her own dark battles in her chosen sport.
At five-foot in stature, Mickey Bloom should not be an athlete, but at seven years old she discovers that she can run and when the endorphins kick in, her feet lift and she feels like she’s flying… that is all she needs. Full of self-doubt and locked in a battle with dyslexia that isolates her, Mickey turns to running long distances and this satisfies her, giving her a sense of power and control.
Long distance running freed her from feeling overlooked, undermined and lost and she found a drivenness in her sport. A sport that threw obstacles her way but it was also the sport that broke her too and all the metaphors of ‘Life is a marathon not a sprint’ are explored in Shapiro’s book.
Set in West Coast Taranaki and Auckland, this debut novel puts into sharp focus the commitments from young sportswomen and the snares that entrap them. The early starts, the drive to push their bodies to limits and beyond. There’s a fine line between skill, dedication and a tip into the darker side. This is an important book that would appeal to young adult readers too.
Dealing with the dangerous obsession of sport, poor management and the different challenges for women in sport, author Josie Shapiro shares an urgent message.
When all your hopes and all that you have shaped yourself to be are on shifting ground what do you build your life on? Where do you start to rebuild?
Allen and Unwin NZ
ISBN 9781991006448