Author: Andra Douglas

ISBN: 978-1-7335-835-0-3

Andra Douglas, author of Black & Blue, is also an artist. (2019, inside back cover) She grew up in Florida and is a graduate of Florida State University and Pratt Institute. Douglas was an executive at Time Warner (Vice President and Creative Director) before founding Fins Up. She owns the New York Sharks professional women’s football team. She created the Foundation for Female Athletes and the Grid Iron Foundation which is a not-for-profit that provides support to at-risk teens.  Andra lives in New York with her parrot named Pie and enjoys creating art from her rooftop studio in Greenwich Village. To learn more about her or her causes please visit her website.

Let me first disclose that I am not a football fan. From the first page I was enthralled about how this story would unfold. It was an inspiring and sometimes humbling tale about not one woman, but many women, who have made the choice to journey into the sports that were dominated by men and succeeded. Bravo to them!

The book begins with a young girl, Christine, who happened to be in love with sports especially the game of football. She came from a family of three girls and her sisters were the prim and proper sort while she ventured toward the tomboy genre. She worked hard to be accepted by the neighborhood boys and be able to play neighborhood games of football with them. In the prologue she says about football “…I realized, that made me whole and it was my lover…”. 

Toady is Christine’s nickname. Instead of picking Camellias with her cousins and sisters she would much rather be tossing a football across a baron field. She grew up in Florida and her entire family loved Florida State University (FSU) so it is devised that she and all her sisters will also attend FSU. FSU has a strong football team and it is very competitive within their region. Toady loves to watch them and the professional teams play on television. She dreams about that being her one day. 

Christine learns to fish and hunt from her father. He loves taking her along since the other girls dislike that sort of fun. This is their bonding time. She loves it too. Her father belongs to a hunting and fishing camp where the men oftentimes bring their sons. Her father brings her. 

It is not easy being a girl and wanting a stake in the sports that have been dominated by males and men. Christine does not give in or give up. Eventually, the boys think she is pretty cool because she can play respectable football. This gives her hope, but is hope enough to keep her going?

As time moves onward and Christine progresses through grammer school, then high school, and college and out into the world. She takes a job in New York City for a number of reasons. It is far away from the comforts of her home in Florida, but she preservers. She begins playing flag football for a team and loves it. The women on the team make her realize that she actually longs for more. Can she achieve it?

Flag football has evolved into a semi-professional women’s football circuit. Christine believes this is her calling and decides to buy the New York Sharks. The men putting this deal together are found to be rather unscrupulous, but she gains momentum and stick to it. That plan goes awry, but she manages to get into a legit league. The team sees ups and downs, players come and players go. Some of the core team remain faithful through this process and see the transformation from amateur to pro. Christine works hard to keep things together. How will her team fare?

I really enjoyed reading this book and whether or not you like football you may too.