''Sport and bodies and ambition, motherhood and womanhood and obsession: Emily Adrian's The Second Season masterfully gets you inside the particular thrill of sport whether it was ever capable of thrilling you before, and, deftly and warmly, pulls off the extraordinary feat of forcing you to root for a complicated, unapologetically ambitious fortysomething woman who also happens to be a mom. I loved this novel for its alacrity and its humanity and its humor, its attention to the body, and its willingness to let its characters pursue impossible-seeming dreams.'' —Lynn Steger Strong, author of Want

''Women with ambition, especially in sports, are often told: ‘Be quiet. Shrink. Don't dream too big.’ Emily Adrian's The Second Season squashes any notion of that. It shines in its portrayal of a woman protagonist who will not dim her light. This book is brilliant, engrossing and should be read by every person, basketball fan or not. My only wish is that Adrian had written this when I was a young girl, because it would have made me feel seen, encouraged, and understood.'' —Mirin Fader, staff writer for The Ringer and author of Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP

''To borrow a sports idiom, Emily Adrian really stuffs the stat sheet here. She writes as engagingly and insightfully about basketball and broadcasting as she does about work, love, friendship, ambition, motherhood, aging, and the power and frailty of the body. Smart, tough, passionate Ruth Devon is a winning protagonist, and her poignant story is both suspenseful and meditative. The Second Season is a terrific sports novel, yes, but it's also just a terrific novel.''—Chris Bachelder, author of The Throwback Special

“...immensely readable, keenly accurate in its depiction of life inside the show-business beast, and a frankly welcome look at this world from a non-male-centered perspective.” —The Athletic

''Those who have been waiting for a sports book with heart will devour the novel. The fresh story is enhanced by Adrian’s smooth, absorbing writing. A perfect pick for book clubs.'' —Booklist

''Four years ago, in an essay published right here at The Millions, I asked why there hasn’t been a Great American Basketball Novel yet. Well, there is now: The Second Season...Adrian writes with a knowledge and passion for the game, but fandom is not a prerequisite for falling in love with this brilliant, warm, and funny book.'' —The Millions

''The spare, bold latest from Adrian follows a sportswriter as she reckons with middle age... Even the sports-averse will be caught up in the drama.'' —Publishers Weekly

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