The Sisterhood

This book is a treat for any sports fan, but especially those young girls that have been encouraged by the strength and commitment of these tremendous athletes to make things better for the next generation. The interviews show a side to the story that not many are truly aware of. It is an honest look inside the growth and development of the game of women's soccer, including both the good and the bad sides of the times.

Such a detailed and interesting look into the development of Women's Soccer. The fight the 99ers had for their sport and to have a supportive national team and league is in equal parts amazing and frustrating to read about. Amazing for how hard these women worked and frustrating because their followers on the national team are still having to fight for equal pay. An excellent look into the sport and these important women.

Soccer fans rejoice! The Sisterhood provides an incredible look into the development of U.S. women's soccer. I enjoyed the insider perspective of the coaches and players, their struggles and triumphs as U.S. women's soccer rose to dominance on the world stage. I would recommend this books to sports fans, feminists, and anyone interested in stories of grit and determination.

This book dives into the Women's National Soccer Team and explores their founding days all the way up until the retirement of several veteran members.

As a U.S Women's Soccer fan, I was very excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint. Goldman does a great job of moving the narrative forward in a compelling way, while also going deep into many individual players and their thoughts, hopes, and motivations. I discovered a newfound respect for these soccer pioneers, reading about the various ways they were forced to fight for their team and discovering how they persevered through difficult battles in their personal lives as well. I was also dismayed to learn that the women's team was trying to fight for equal pay all the way back in the 90's, and that particular issue is still prevalent for the women's team to this day.

As for the writing, there were quite a few spelling and grammar errors in the copy of the book I read, but they didn't damper my enjoyment of the book itself. The book was also structured well, with a comprehensive epilogue that I very much enjoyed reading after getting so invested in these women and their lives.

As a lifelong women’s soccer fan, I really loved reading this. I grew up as women’s soccer was really becoming a thing in the US and remember watching the 99ers and how much of an impact it had on me. The author provides some amazing insight into specific players and off the field encounters while also walking you through game play of some of the biggest moments in USWNT history. I really loved some of the soccer history I hadn’t heard before, especially surrounding rules and equipment. And the personal touch of having stories about individual players and team connections on and off the field was something I hadn’t seen in a book like this before.

Would highly recommend to any fan of US Women’s Soccer!

I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book goes into great detail about the women who played soccer in the 1990s, shaping the game for generations to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Nebraska Press for an ARC of The Sisterhood: The 99ers and the Rise of U.S. Women's Soccer in exchange for an honest review.

As a young girl who loved playing soccer, I grew up watching and emulating the 99ers. Around that time, I read every article and book I could get my hands on, in addition to watching any interviews and TV specials I could find. Now, decades later, I was looking forward to reading a new book about this team. While I enjoyed the interviews, the overall story left much to be desired.

This book has the potential to be great, but in my opinion it needs some additional editing and polishing. The order of the story was disorganized and chaotic. It almost seemed as if several interviews were vaguely tied together from recycled sources. For example, there were chapters detailing the outcomes of tournaments, and in the middle of a game recap, an unrelated story was wedged in. Issues of racial bias, sexualization of female athletes, harassment of players by coaches, and soccer politics that affected playing time were all briefly touched on, before being shelved to discuss an outcome of a game. Then, the respective issue would be briefly touched on in a later chapter, but again only enough to scratch the surface and move on. In the chapter about Tiffeny Milbrett, there is an entire paragraph that is repeated. Transitions from chapter to chapter were rocky, with some previewing the next chapter, and others that abruptly cut off. The ending seemed abrupt as well, jumping from Foudy and Hamm's victory against US soccer regarding their post-world cup tour in 1999, to Tony DiCicco's death and celebration of life in 2017.

Overall, I liked the book, because I love the game of soccer and have personal memories of watching the 99ers play. However, I think it could be even better with some thoughtful editing and organization. I'm keeping in mind that I read an advanced reader copy prior to publication date, so hopefully some of these issues will be worked out before the official release.

"The Sisterhood" by Rob Goldman is a decent account of the beginnings of the US Women's National Team. The book begins with its creation telling both the successes, failures, trials, politics, and struggles the team had to face as they became the greatest national team in history. For the most part, it is a dry read that works best as a reference book for anyone wanting to research the team.

OK just so you know we in the UK call Soccer Football. So please accept my apologies if I revert to the English name for this sport.

I am a big fan of both women's and men's game. Have been since I was a small child. I requested this book because I was a little annoyed by the USA's goal celebration when they beat England at the world cup. So I thought this may help me understand them better. Just so you know it didn't and I'm happy enough to forgive them.

This book takes you on a journey from founding the team, the characters involved from the start to retirement. I enjoyed some of the interviews. I felt at times things that should have been discussed in more detail were often brushed aside and never mentioned again. For example I feel all players should be treated the same regardless of gender.

If you love football, especially if you are an aspiring young female player then you should give it a go. It's interesting but I feel things of importance was skimmed over. Which in my opinion was a shame. For this I give this 3.5 stars.

As a US Soccer fan I highly enjoyed this book. It’s similar to some other USWNT books but different enough to hold my attention and the author gave new information. I really appreciate nonfiction books that have specific player content and this book delivered on that! #TheSisterhood #NetGalley

I love a good soccer story. As a huge fan of the NWSL I really enjoyed this book and loved reading about some of my favorite players. As someone who watched the game in 1999 and cheered along with the rest of the country as our women’s soccer team won on Brandi Chastain’s kick it was so fun to know the behind the scenes happenings. Great read!!!

I vividly remember where I was as I watched Brandi Chastain win the Women’s World Cup in 1999 when I was a ten year old soccer player, and this book was so wonderful! It was interesting to read a more in depth account now as an adult. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!