Abby Wambach, World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and longtime U.S. Women’s soccer team captain, delivers an inspiring middle grade memoir for young readers, FORWARD: MY STORY. Soccer star Wambach details her life and her recent jump into the limelight, in her own words, speaking from the heart.
From growing up as the youngest of seven in upstate New York to scoring more international goals than any other player in soccer history (184 goals, 77 of which were headers!), she has remained a passionate player and a champion, not only in soccer, but for women’s rights and equal opportunity. It’s a story of passion, of finding her identity, of failure and success. And of course, it’s a story about soccer, and it boils down to one question: with everything that life throws at you, how do you keep moving the ball forward?
- An Inspiring Story of Resilience: Learn how Abby came back from a devastating, career-threatening injury to lead her team, proving that setbacks are just setups for a comeback.
- Leadership On and Off the Field: Discover the lessons Abby learned as captain of the U.S. Women's National Team, from celebrating successes to navigating tough conversations and standing up for what's right.
- A Role Model for Young Athletes: Follow the journey of a girl who went from being the youngest of seven kids to the highest goal scorer in the history of international soccer—male or female.
- Finding Your Voice: An honest and open memoir about discovering who you are, embracing your identity, and having the courage to speak your truth, even when it's hard.
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.
