You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Tylene Wilson was born and bred in Texas, a football fan through and through. More than that, she fully understood the game and the players thanks to her father's lessons. Tylene is now the assistant principle in Brownwood, TX, the year is 1944 and most of the men have gone to war, including some of her students and their football coach. Tylene knows the importance of football for the boys and the town; with the threat of the football season being cancelled, she is determined to find a worthy coach for her boys. After scouring the town, she finds that the best football coach may be herself. Although the decision to take on coaching the football team was a tough on Tylene, it is even more difficult for those around her to accept that a woman will be coaching football.
When the Men Were Gone is a heartfelt story of a real woman in our history, Tylene Wilson. Though her actions may not have helped to win the war, she showed immense bravery and compassion as she stepped up to do a job that not many believed she could do while protecting the male students from leaving for war too early and reinvigorating her small town. Tylene's story is so genuinely portrayed using many facts from her life told to the author by Tylene's grand-niece. Sharing the connection of being a female football coach, author Marjorie Herrara Lewis was easily able to relate with what Tylene must have been feeling as she navigated through a job that only men had previously done. I am not really a football fan, however Tylene's passion for the game and her students carried me through the story as well as the author's understanding of the game and ability to describe what is happening. I could feel Tylene's need to keep the boys safe over her need to prove herself as a coach among the men. Her personal story was touching and I could see how she saw all of the football team as her own sons. I was surprised at just how much opposition she faced when she decided to take on coaching, but even more surprised at how much support she received as well.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
When the Men Were Gone is a heartfelt story of a real woman in our history, Tylene Wilson. Though her actions may not have helped to win the war, she showed immense bravery and compassion as she stepped up to do a job that not many believed she could do while protecting the male students from leaving for war too early and reinvigorating her small town. Tylene's story is so genuinely portrayed using many facts from her life told to the author by Tylene's grand-niece. Sharing the connection of being a female football coach, author Marjorie Herrara Lewis was easily able to relate with what Tylene must have been feeling as she navigated through a job that only men had previously done. I am not really a football fan, however Tylene's passion for the game and her students carried me through the story as well as the author's understanding of the game and ability to describe what is happening. I could feel Tylene's need to keep the boys safe over her need to prove herself as a coach among the men. Her personal story was touching and I could see how she saw all of the football team as her own sons. I was surprised at just how much opposition she faced when she decided to take on coaching, but even more surprised at how much support she received as well.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
emotional
slow-paced
The premise was interesting, and this book had a lot of potential. I feel like with another strong edit this could have been a lot better - but still not my cup of tea. One of my favourite movies when I was younger was Rudy, and one of my favourite movies now is Indian Horse - stories on the surface about sport, but really about people and their stories.
A lot of people are surprised when they hear that one of my focuses in undergraduate was sport history - I'm not a sporty person, but there are a lot of things about history that you can learn through the lens of sport that just helps focus conversation and make things more accessible to people who don't care about history the way you do. I had hoped for that with this book, but it didn't really deliver it for me.
I thought that the whole thing was really surface level. There was a lot of talk about grief, but it fell into the trap that people ask writers to avoid when they say "show don't tell." A lot of people were grieving, but you were told they were grieving, but you didn't get much of a chance to see it. I thought that the prejudices came across as caricatured. I also thought that if we were not constantly reminded in so many words that people were at war, it was really easy to forget.
Overall, a lot of promise. I think with some solid edits to the writing style, this would have been a way better book - probably still not more than a three star without a major overhaul of characters (like giving the heroine some flaws, a flaw, half a flaw?).
A lot of people are surprised when they hear that one of my focuses in undergraduate was sport history - I'm not a sporty person, but there are a lot of things about history that you can learn through the lens of sport that just helps focus conversation and make things more accessible to people who don't care about history the way you do. I had hoped for that with this book, but it didn't really deliver it for me.
I thought that the whole thing was really surface level. There was a lot of talk about grief, but it fell into the trap that people ask writers to avoid when they say "show don't tell." A lot of people were grieving, but you were told they were grieving, but you didn't get much of a chance to see it. I thought that the prejudices came across as caricatured. I also thought that if we were not constantly reminded in so many words that people were at war, it was really easy to forget.
Overall, a lot of promise. I think with some solid edits to the writing style, this would have been a way better book - probably still not more than a three star without a major overhaul of characters (like giving the heroine some flaws, a flaw, half a flaw?).
slow-paced
This quick reading book based on a true story tells the story of Tylene Wilson, an assistant principal in a small Texas town, who is determined to give the town a football season even though all the men are off fighting World War II. She loves her town and knows football so what could possibly be the problem. One of my favorite reads of the year. A must for readers of historical fiction and for readers that enjoy books about strong women.
Thanks to William Morrow for providing an arc for my honest review.
Thanks to William Morrow for providing an arc for my honest review.
I very much enjoyed this. A good, inspiring, simple, and true story.
In Texas, football is a big deal and watch out for the die-hard fans! This biographical novel is based on the life of Tylene Wilson, an educator that took on the duties of coaching the football team when there was no one else to do it because the men had either been drafted or volunteered to fight in WWII. If someone didn't step forward to coach the boys, they might as well enlist in the military right then and miss out on the rest of their childhood. I was intrigued because I had not heard of Tylene Wilson before, and not that I should have since I am not from the Brownwood area or a football fanatic, and wondered how the author came to hear about this woman to write a story about her life during this time. I stumbled across this D Magazine article that gave the author the basis for writing this story - it pays to talk to people because you hear the most interesting stories.
This book isn't long and it primarily spans a 2-3 week period of time. There are flashes to the past to give us more information about characters and how Tylene became the woman she was during that time. While this is a fictional story, I found it very inspiring because it is based on fact and because it reflects another way women stepped up during WWII to help out on the home front. The town citizens still had to deal with the war, losing family members, and fearing for the future but all was ok on Friday nights when they could watch the local football team play the game. It was a respite from the sadness or anxiousness they might be feeling about the war.
I didn't envy Tylene and what she endured trying to prove she could coach these boys when no one else could be found. Yes, she had the technical skills and she was able to relate to the boys on a different level but it wasn't an easy road. Sexism was definitely at play from the other coaches in the conference, some of the men in town, and even some of the male students. One has to realize we are talking about the early 40s and this really wasn't unusual.
The last part of the book focuses on the first football game of the season and for those pages, my heart was in my throat as I sat there on pins and needles wondering how the game was going to turn out. Winning or losing didn't really matter, it was bringing these boys together as a team and helping them realize that each one was important and they each needed to give their all and trust each other.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"There's something special about Texas football . . . I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a Texas sunset only to see a goalpost cut through the yellow and red splashed across the sky."
"Sometimes in life, we find ourselves in situations we never anticipated, and we end up asking ourselves exactly what you just asked: Why me? But you know what, Moose? The boys need to play football and they can't do it without you."
"The hardships shadow us forever, Moose. How we respond - now, that's what tells us who we are."
I loved this book and it reminded me so much of Twelve Mighty Orphans by Jim Dent. If you like stories about football and teams that overcame trials and tribulations, you need to read these two books you won't be disappointed!
This book isn't long and it primarily spans a 2-3 week period of time. There are flashes to the past to give us more information about characters and how Tylene became the woman she was during that time. While this is a fictional story, I found it very inspiring because it is based on fact and because it reflects another way women stepped up during WWII to help out on the home front. The town citizens still had to deal with the war, losing family members, and fearing for the future but all was ok on Friday nights when they could watch the local football team play the game. It was a respite from the sadness or anxiousness they might be feeling about the war.
I didn't envy Tylene and what she endured trying to prove she could coach these boys when no one else could be found. Yes, she had the technical skills and she was able to relate to the boys on a different level but it wasn't an easy road. Sexism was definitely at play from the other coaches in the conference, some of the men in town, and even some of the male students. One has to realize we are talking about the early 40s and this really wasn't unusual.
The last part of the book focuses on the first football game of the season and for those pages, my heart was in my throat as I sat there on pins and needles wondering how the game was going to turn out. Winning or losing didn't really matter, it was bringing these boys together as a team and helping them realize that each one was important and they each needed to give their all and trust each other.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"There's something special about Texas football . . . I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a Texas sunset only to see a goalpost cut through the yellow and red splashed across the sky."
"Sometimes in life, we find ourselves in situations we never anticipated, and we end up asking ourselves exactly what you just asked: Why me? But you know what, Moose? The boys need to play football and they can't do it without you."
"The hardships shadow us forever, Moose. How we respond - now, that's what tells us who we are."
I loved this book and it reminded me so much of Twelve Mighty Orphans by Jim Dent. If you like stories about football and teams that overcame trials and tribulations, you need to read these two books you won't be disappointed!
It was a bit slow, but needed to develop the characters.
I bet the some of the same problems would occur today if a woman tried to coach a football team.
I bet the some of the same problems would occur today if a woman tried to coach a football team.
I enjoyed this book. I read it as part of a work project. It's a fast read.
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No