Allison’s Book Report - “Carrie Soto is Back” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I can count the number of sports books I have read in my life on one hand, scratch that - make it one finger. However, that one sports-related book is so good I have to share it. This Book Report is coming from someone who doesn’t have a single sporty bone in her body, and it contains a lot of gushing about one of my favorite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid. TJR (as we crazy Instagram fangirls call her) is the author of my all-time favorite book, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” and I will spend my dying breaths telling someone about how much I love it. She is also the author of a whole collection of amazing stories, including this week’s book, “Carrie Soto is Back.”

Carrie Soto has always been determined to win at any cost. By the time she retires from her winning tennis career, she is the best player the world has ever seen, shattering every record and claiming twenty Grand Slam titles. Carrie sacrificed nearly everything to be the best since age two when her dad, Javier, a former tennis champ, began coaching her. Six years after her retirement, Carrie sits in the stands at the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by uber-talented young newcomer Nicki Chan. At thirty-seven years old, Carrie is practically a dinosaur in the tennis world. Still, she makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by Javier one last year to reclaim her record. Her reputation as a “Battle-Axe” doesn’t make it easy, and her body doesn’t move as fast as it once did, but despite all of her challenges, Carrie Soto is back for one epic final season.

I am not very sporty and have never even touched a tennis racquet or watched a tennis match - so I was a little wary of reading a tennis book. Surprisingly, I found myself on the edge of my seat even during the tennis scenes - and always rooting for Carrie in her career comeback and her (reluctant) journey of self-discovery. “Carrie Soto is Back” reads like you’re watching a movie, and the 90s timeline is fun. This is more than just a book about tennis. It is a book about determination and passion, a really beautiful father/daughter love story, and another Grand Slam for Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I am so glad that I stepped outside of my box with this book. I suggest you pick up “Carrie Soto is Back” or any of TJR’s amazing books, pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader, and let’s chat about it!