by Don DeLillo
First published 1981
Cleo Birdwell laces up her skates in the locker room of Madison Square Garden, preparing to make history as the first female player in the National Hockey League. She has earned a spot on the New York Rangers roster, but breaking the gender barrier in professional hockey means facing challenges that extend far beyond the ice. Birdwell navigates the reactions of teammates, opponents, fans, and media while trying to prove she belongs in a sport dominated by men. Each game becomes a test not just of her athletic ability but of her determination to survive in an environment where her presence challenges everything the hockey world believes about itself. Through her eyes, we see the collision between personal ambition and institutional resistance, as she fights to establish her place in a league that never expected to include her.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, sports, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, underdog
Setting: Madison Square Garden, New York
Period: 21st-century
362 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley