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The Girls Who Beat the Odds: Stories of Women Who Changed the Course of Sports History
The untold and unheralded stories of women in sports history, forgotten no longer…
So many women in sports history have been overlooked. Their strength and perseverance dismissed or forgotten. Even the most well-known women athletes don't garner the same attention as their men counterparts.
Despite this, new generations are engaging with and supporting women athletes, both as individual stars and on teams. Men's sports continues to dominate in terms of media coverage and airtime, but the momentum for women's sports is here, and it's growing. Women today, as skilled as they are in their own right, stand on the shoulders of the giants who built the game, brought the pain, stayed the course, and gave it their all.
This collection, from renowned speaker, author, and retired U.S. Army Major General Mari K. Eder highlights all of these women, covering incredible American athletes from the 1900s to the modern era.
The Girls Who Beat the Odds is a showcase of just how far women's sports has come in the past hundred years―while honoring those who had the courage and fortitude to come first.
So many women in sports history have been overlooked. Their strength and perseverance dismissed or forgotten. Even the most well-known women athletes don't garner the same attention as their men counterparts.
Despite this, new generations are engaging with and supporting women athletes, both as individual stars and on teams. Men's sports continues to dominate in terms of media coverage and airtime, but the momentum for women's sports is here, and it's growing. Women today, as skilled as they are in their own right, stand on the shoulders of the giants who built the game, brought the pain, stayed the course, and gave it their all.
This collection, from renowned speaker, author, and retired U.S. Army Major General Mari K. Eder highlights all of these women, covering incredible American athletes from the 1900s to the modern era.
The Girls Who Beat the Odds is a showcase of just how far women's sports has come in the past hundred years―while honoring those who had the courage and fortitude to come first.
- GenresHistorySportsNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
Published September 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 21, 2026
What a wonderful book about the history of sports women and all of the sports that they participated in. I really enjoyed this book and I am not a big sports fan. Sports
July 26, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced copy of the book.
3/5 stars
Plot: Non-fiction following several female athletes that were trailblazers in their sports.
Impression: This was a very well researched book. I had heard of most of these athletes but the background information was interesting. The tone of the book was inconsistent- at times sounding like a dissertation and at others, almost juvenile. It made it a little less enjoyable for me. Overall, great information on some incredible female athletes.
Trigger Warning: none
Star System: 5 star reads are books I can’t put down and/or make me cry. This is a book that will stick with me for either the topic, writing style, or emotional impact.
4 star books are unique or interesting and perhaps teach me something new. A feel good read is usually 4 stars.
3 star reads are good, solid books. I’m not necessarily learning or feeling anything new.
2 star books have some plot holes or timeline issues. These are the books that just aren’t believable.
1 star books are typically offensive
3/5 stars
Plot: Non-fiction following several female athletes that were trailblazers in their sports.
Impression: This was a very well researched book. I had heard of most of these athletes but the background information was interesting. The tone of the book was inconsistent- at times sounding like a dissertation and at others, almost juvenile. It made it a little less enjoyable for me. Overall, great information on some incredible female athletes.
Trigger Warning: none
Star System: 5 star reads are books I can’t put down and/or make me cry. This is a book that will stick with me for either the topic, writing style, or emotional impact.
4 star books are unique or interesting and perhaps teach me something new. A feel good read is usually 4 stars.
3 star reads are good, solid books. I’m not necessarily learning or feeling anything new.
2 star books have some plot holes or timeline issues. These are the books that just aren’t believable.
1 star books are typically offensive
October 5, 2026
3.5⭐️ The first half was so inspiring and interesting, with a nice structure of highlighting each athlete in her own chapter. I'm not familiar with women's sports history and liked that I could grasp all the facts.
I found myself losing focus when the chapters started becoming theme-based and the context felt more tangled—some athletes and events were circled back to while others were briefly mentioned, all covering between the 1920s to the present. Maybe this part was more for enthusiasts.
I would recommend this to an athletic teen or young adult who needs strong, motivational women to look up to.
Thank you, Sourcebooks, for my NetGalley ARC!
I found myself losing focus when the chapters started becoming theme-based and the context felt more tangled—some athletes and events were circled back to while others were briefly mentioned, all covering between the 1920s to the present. Maybe this part was more for enthusiasts.
I would recommend this to an athletic teen or young adult who needs strong, motivational women to look up to.
Thank you, Sourcebooks, for my NetGalley ARC!
September 30, 2026
A really interesting book that explores women who excelled at various sports and whose name may or may not have been forgotten by time. Eder covers a number of different sports including tennis, diving, skating, and more. She also weaves in the history of the sport, sometimes telling how it was invented or why it became popular.
The storytelling is a bit factual at times rather than weaving a story but I enjoyed learning about a number of different women who paved the way for other women to join the sports.
The storytelling is a bit factual at times rather than weaving a story but I enjoyed learning about a number of different women who paved the way for other women to join the sports.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I recognized so few of these women ... good to have their contributions celebrated.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews