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A review by deirdrelistens2books
All in: An Autobiography by Billie Jean King
5.0
I had kind of a slow start with this book because as a nontennis fan, some of the details of tennis games and rules go over my head, but I probably finished the final 70% of this in a day and a half because Billie Jean King has lived a life worthy of a mini series.
I knew next to nothing about her—I’m ashamed to say—before this book, but Obama rightfully chose her as the first female athlete to receive the presidential medal of freedom. This is a book about an athlete who was the “first” in many aspects of her life and faced a lot of adversity — some of which female athletes still face, other which she—as the first—braced herself to make better for those who followed.
But she has a really captivating story about fighting for women’s pay equity — she was the first athlete to win $100,000 in a tournament. She was a public figure “outed” for having an abortion and often for her sexual orientation. The “battle of the sexes” section of the book was really interesting. She was closeted until she was in her fifties until she went to Refrew in Philadelphia to treat an eating disorder, and there she had many other aha moments in her life. Hearing about Renfrew resonated with me because I had been there to visit a family member years ago — and she had all the details down.
But she had amazing success as a young woman, but her life wasn’t perfect and she had much to reconcile with in her adulthood. But a great memoir with sports, family, relationships, extortion, activism, and much more. I didn’t really think I would like it as much as I did, but it’s one that I can see staying with me.
I knew next to nothing about her—I’m ashamed to say—before this book, but Obama rightfully chose her as the first female athlete to receive the presidential medal of freedom. This is a book about an athlete who was the “first” in many aspects of her life and faced a lot of adversity — some of which female athletes still face, other which she—as the first—braced herself to make better for those who followed.
But she has a really captivating story about fighting for women’s pay equity — she was the first athlete to win $100,000 in a tournament. She was a public figure “outed” for having an abortion and often for her sexual orientation. The “battle of the sexes” section of the book was really interesting. She was closeted until she was in her fifties until she went to Refrew in Philadelphia to treat an eating disorder, and there she had many other aha moments in her life. Hearing about Renfrew resonated with me because I had been there to visit a family member years ago — and she had all the details down.
But she had amazing success as a young woman, but her life wasn’t perfect and she had much to reconcile with in her adulthood. But a great memoir with sports, family, relationships, extortion, activism, and much more. I didn’t really think I would like it as much as I did, but it’s one that I can see staying with me.