The Miracle Season

by Kathy Bresnahan

The Miracle Season is the story of 17-year-old volleyball player Caroline Found and the inspiration for the motion picture of the same name, starring Academy Award winners Helen Hunt and William Hurt. On August 11, 2011, Caroline Line Found was tragically killed in a moped accident on her way to visit her terminally ill mother, Ellyn. Caroline's death, and that of her mother twelve days later, shocked her Iowa City community and devastated her father, Ernie Found, and siblings, Gregg and Catharine. Faced with an overwhelming grief of their own, the Iowa City West volleyball team and coach, Kathy Bresnahan, attempted to move forward, hoping for some type of normalcy to return to their fractured lives. But how do you move forward playing a game that serves as a constant reminder of your fallen leader? Anyone who has struggled to overcome life s challenges will appreciate this story of strength, faith, perseverance and love.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports

253 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I met Caroline Found, she sounds like a great girl.

[Krista Freese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently working in the library of the high school that is the setting for this story and know that even 6 1/2 years later this story is still a major part of West High's culture. It is not uncommon to see students wearing Live Like Line shirts despite the fact that no current students attended West High when Caroline Found was a student. When we got the first shipment of books I immediately grabbed a copy to read over spring break. It is clear that Coach Brez poured her heart and soul into writing this book and told this unbelievable story better than perhaps any other person could have. I can't wait to see the movie adaptation next month!

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

In many ways, I dreaded reading this book. It brought back a lot of memories of a young girl that I really didn't know but I knew her family. Beth, our youngest, was a student assistant to the West Freshman Basketball team and coached Line. She was a spitfire for sure. I only read this book in the morning because I was afraid that I would have dreams if I read it before bed.

This is the story of the 2011 West High Volleyball team. No group of high school kids should have to go through what they did but they persevered. I t also reminded me that those we have lost are always with us.

To this day, my heart goes out to Ernie, Catharine, and Gregg. I cannot imagine the tragedy you felt that summer.

3/4/18 -- Oops, I misspoke above -- Beth coached Catharine in basketball and she had Line on a 10U softball team.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I played for Bres from the time I was in junior high through high school. She has always given 100% in teaching, coaching, and everything in between. This book is an amazing tribute to her team and an inspiration to all. Loved it.

[Taylor Orth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I think that The Miracle Season is a very good book with a good message of loving life. The Miracle Season was super easy to read because it is so addicting. I definitely had an urge to keep reading and see the rest of the plot because I related to this book and made lots of connections with the main character. If there is ever a follow-up part two to this book, I would love to read it.

Plot:
Carolina Found is a star volleyball player at Iowa City West High School. The young girl was a very loved and well-known player and friend to everyone. Caroline was trying to visit her mother who was in the hospital to be treated for cancer. Caroline got into a tragic moped accident then sadly passed away before she got to see her mother. Her volleyball team, Coach Brez decided she is going to continue to lead volleyball practice and be stronger than ever. Losing Caroline on the team was a big setback but the girls are very determined to take home the second state championship in a row. Many of Caroline’s family members, friends, and teammates had to learn to heal and continue to live like Line to make her proud.

Characterization:
The Miracle Season is told through the first and third-person point of view of Coach Brez. Her character shows the struggles of her fellow friends and her volleyball players trying to heal from the passing of Carolina Found. Coach Brez is a very well known person at Iowa West High School because she is always there for people when they need to talk and could always make her students and players feel loved, and put a smile on their faces. Coach Brez and Caroline had a very strong relationship that she will hold in her heart forever and carry her memory.

The Miracle Season is carried for Caroline Found’s memory for such an amazing young woman. Her personality is very loving and humorous. The line never failed to make everyone feel like her friend. The storyline is to live like Line because she deserves to be honored and people should learn from how kind of a person she is and an amazing volleyball player from her positive attitude and work ethic.

Setting:
The Miracle Season placed in Iowa City during modern times. The setting is important to the storyline because the death of Caroline Found affected the little town so much because everyone had known her and had a strong relationship with her. The time period is significant because the issues discussed are universal concepts relatable to today's teens.

Recommendation:
I would recommend The Miracle Season to both female and male teenagers because I think they would relate to a lot of content in this book and enjoy it more. I think that this book would be a good way for people to heal if they are currently missing someone they have lost. I think that The Miracle Season would attract teenagers or middle-aged people. This book is not a hard read but is still very interesting with a good meaning behind it.

[Lauren Goeske · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERSONAL RESPONSE:

I really enjoy The Miracle Season. The author, Kathy Bresnahan, is very expressive and dramatic. She is able to word her experience in such a way that makes it easy to follow along. Her words create a picture in my head and help me to put myself in the situation. It is so insane that the team went from rock bottom to winning the state championship. They all work as a team to succeed.

PLOT:

Throughout the whole book, everyone is like a family. They all stick together, even before Caroline dies. Before she passes, the team is always so happy and everyone is so excited to go to practice. Caroline is the life of the party and makes everyone feel welcome. Caroline is on her way to visit her mom at the hospital when she crashes into a tree on a moped and dies at the crash site. It is a surprise to everyone. It is very difficult for the whole community and surrounding ones. Her death makes the process of growing as a team and becoming stronger beyond difficult. They work together and make it happen.


CHARACTERIZATION:

The characters in the book grow a huge amount. In the beginning, they are nothing special. They are just a volleyball team that is really good, and they are all close. When Caroline passes, they are the volleyball team everyone is watching. At first, they are all emotionally drained, and they are not sure how they are possibly going to get through their loss. They grew as a team and won state.
Another character is Coach Brez. She makes sure they are distracted, and that they are all getting through it. There isn't an antagonist, but overcoming Caroline's death as a team is a struggle.

SETTING:

The story happens in a small town in Iowa. This impacts the plot because the whole community is close. They all work together and support Caroline’s foundation. The time period is modern because Caroline passes away while riding a moped. It's important because it's a new way of transportation. A moped is something a modern reader can relate to, and knowing that a fatal accident can happen to anyone is important.

RECOMMENDATION:

I absolutely recommend this book. It definitely is a mature book, and the reader should be at least 13 years old so he or she can handle deep topics. Any gender will enjoy reading this book. Females might enjoy it more than males because the main characters are female. It really is a roller coaster of emotions. Once the reader starts reading, he or she will never want to stop. I normally do not like reading, but this book really pulls me in.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ali Barklow
Book Talk
Miracle Season
Author- Kathy Brenshaw

This book starts off with a volleyball team coming into a new season at Iowa City High School. The previous year they won the state championship. It was a new season with the same starters on the team. The star of the team is Caroline Found her nickname is “Line”. She is an all star setter. One thing changes throughout this book and leaves the team hanging and not the same team everyone knows of. Caroline's mom is in the hospital all throughout the season and she has cancer and doesn’t have much time to live. After the first game of the season there is a team dinner get together at Carolines barn a couple miles away from her house. Everyone goes to her barn that night, Caroline rides her moped there but her dad does not like her driving that at night but she takes it anyway and hides it so when her dad shows up he doesn’t find it. Her dad stays there for a little bit to make sure everything is going smooth. An hour after her dad left, the girls started leaving, line goes to get her moped out and lines best friend then asks her why she is driving that when she is not supposed to. Line then tells her best friend that she is going to sneak a visit with her mom up in the hospital. Her friend tells her to drive safe thinking there will be no problems. On her way to see her mom she loses control of her moped and ends up hitting a tree and as soon as the fireman and paramedics got there she was dead on scene. Her family and volleyball team lives change forever. They set up a funeral and her mom gets out of the hospital to walk herself up to the casket herself. She is so proud of herself. A couple days later, mom dies in the hospital. The dad is left alone because Caroline was the only child. The volleyball team was very sad about this and took a couple days to come back to practice. Caroline's best friend becomes the setter and all the girls believe that she can do it. They go back to the gym for practice and it is not the same anymore without Caroline being in the gym. Caroline's dad still goes to every game to support the girls. The wake for Caroline was in the gym they played in which was why it was hard to go back to practice. This book is a good read if your into true stories and love the game of volleyball. I rate this book a 10/10.

[Alysia Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I chose to review is The Miracle Season by Kathy Bresnahan. It would fall into the genre of nonfiction and sports. This book is very inspirational and teaches life lessons. It will pull some heartstrings but still have a positive outcome. I really enjoyed reading this story and would recommend it to anyone in need for a new book to read.
The Miracle Season is about a high school volleyball team that were state champions and were looking forward to winning the state title back-to-back the following season. When an unexpected passing of their star player occurs, the team is devastated. They have to push forward and learn how to connect as a whole to become great again. With the support and love from family, friends, and the whole city, they have the potential to be a bigger force than they were the year before. So will they be a threat and overcome the challenges they’re facing? Or will they be shut down by their rivals across town?
This story is mostly told from the first person point of view from Kathy Bresnahan. Some chapters will be in third person to get a different perspective and to show how others are feeling. The Miracle Season is a biography about the players on the 2011 Iowa City West volleyball team and most importantly, the story of Caroline “Line” Found’s life. This book has no limits and anyone who wants to can read it. It is not hard to connect with the story and to get attached since it is more than volleyball; it’s a written process through the stages of grief and how to overcome the waves of sadness.
Overall, The Miracle Season is an outstanding book due to it’s heartwarming feel, and the perseverance from Bresnahan and her players. It is very well written on the life Caroline lived and her inspiration on others. I could not put this book down when I first started reading it. Since it is addictive, it is a lighter read which can save time but still give the key takeaways. Now, will you embark on this journey and “Live Like Line”?

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are in the mood for a heart warming story that you will never forget, the book The Miracle Season is the right book for you. This book is about a kind, caring, energetic, goofy high school girl. Line was going to be the starting setter for her high school volleyball team. The first couple of practices were going really well and they had the confidence to become State Champions for the second year in a row. While this was going on Line’s mother was in the hospital and was very sick. This did not stop Line from doing what she loves, until one night Line was killed in a moped accident. This story effected Line’s family, Line’s high school, and Line’s volleyball team in many ways. You will not want to miss this beautiful, powerful story.

The first feature that I loved about the book, is how meaningful it was. When Line passed away the volleyball team did not give up in the end. There may had been days at the beginning of the season that were hard for all of the players. The event that changed everything was when Line’s best friend went over the intercom and told her story and everyone that she was going to be at practice and they were going to win for Line. At that point, everything changed for the volleyball team. They fought hard to win as many games that they could and this was very powerful and it proved that anything can happen. Therefore, I loved this feature of the book.

Secondly, I immediately fell in love with how they always kept the memories about line with them and they always felt that she was there. Before every game, Kelley who was Line’s best friend always brought Line’s shoes with her and placed them under her seat. This was so meaningful to her and all of the players. I also loved that Line’s father still came to support the team and that many people wore LIVE LIKE LINE t-shirts. The one thing I will never forget, is how the school always sang the song Sweet Caroline together. There are many small details that show how meaningful and powerful this book and story is.

Overall, this story brought tears to my eyes because it taught me the true way to remember someone. I will never forget how the team came together in memory of Line. Overall, I truly recommend this book to everyone, so they can experience the beautiful, powerful story. When you finish the book you will have many emotions going through your head, but they will be emotions about the amazing volleyball player called Line.

[Taylor Wendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was incredible. It had a very sentimental effect on you when you read it and I think it was very well written. This book is about a girl named Caroline (Line) Found. She is the senior varsity star setter of the West High volleyball team. Their team is the best team out there and they never lose. Her mother has cancer and is in the hospital treating it. Caroline visits her mother all the time and her mother always tells Caroline that she won't be around much longer. Caroline doesn't believe that what so ever and she tells her mom that she will be at her graduation, she will be at her wedding, and she will be the grandmother of her kids. One night, Caroline borrowed someone's moped for the night and said she would put it back tomorrow. The only other person who knew she had the moped was her best friend Kelley. They had a party that night and there was no drinking involved because that's usually what most people think crashes are from. I personally think a lot are from drinking and driving but there are also a lot caused by texting and driving. I also think that it was a very bad decision for her to take the moped and use it. After the party, she was leaving on the moped and she told Kelley that she would see her tomorrow. Caroline did not see Kelley the next day because Line got in a crash. She ran the moped right into a tree and it was not pretty. The police showed up at her house to deliver the bad news to her father. Her father then started bawling and went to the hospital to tell his wife what had happened. The news spread very quickly around town and school. The volleyball team was absolutely devastated as well as the coaches.

[Cora Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a freshman student who is currently reading the miracle season for class. The book is written by the varsity volleyball coach at Iowa city west high School, in the book she tells how the team each has a part to play on and off the court. when they lose their setter, team captain and best friend, the team must find away to pull through the loss and put the team back on top and get each other through it. The main characters are Caroline (Line) found, Kathy Bresnahan, Shelly Stumpff, Scott Sanders, Ernie found Kelley fliehler, and the rest of the Iowa city west volleyball team. My personal thoughts about this book are that it is a truly inspirational story told about loss, grief, and recovery. it shows what a true team is like and that family it not just blood. I would recommend this book for people my age because it can help teach how to help and support others and how to let them help you. it is important t0 understand that this is a real life thing that happens every day. The book is interesting because it is a true story written by someone who experienced the events first hand. If you like this author, you could also read 'The Phantom Twin' or 'Things Seen from Above'. If you have a traumatic event concerning loss of a close friend in the past, I do not recommend you read this book because it could potentially cause a resurface of past problems like anxiety or depression.

[Ann Schaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know the real story, PLEASE read this book.The movie is great, but notice that is *inspired* by the true story. There are a staggering number of differences between the screenplay and this true account written by Caroline’s volleyball coach.

Caroline “Line” played a key tole in her team’s 2010 volleyball state championship and was poised to help them repeat that feat her senior year. She was the heart of the team with her goofy personality and natural leadership skills. The team started official practices in August, and were looking good. Line’s mother was fighting aggressive cancer, but Line didn’t let that affect her always-positive attitude or her drive to win. Then, just before school started, Line was tragically killed in a moped accident. Her mother passed away ten days later. How would this affect the Found family, the volleyball team, Iowa City West High School, and the entire Cedar Valley? This is the story.

“The Miracle Season” is a fast-reading book that is written honestly by an amazing woman and legendary volleyball coach. No one else could tell this story. It is incredibly sad, yet also inspiring. Excellent, especially for volleyball fans or anyone from Eastern Iowa.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a few years into my teaching career with the Waterloo Community School District when Caroline Found was killed and high school volleyball in Iowa became more than just a sport. As an educator, it is particularly heart-breaking to read Bresnahan's account of losing one of her players and the emotional aftermath that followed.

Told chronologically (other than the prologue), The Miracle Season follows Bresnahan and her 2011-12 volleyball team as they deal with their profound grief after losing their leader and spark-plug Line. There are lots of mistakes and tears, but there are also successes and healing.

I spent most of the first half of the book in tears (note to self: stop reading sad books at work), and the second half engaged in the game of volleyball (which I played and loved--though it's changed a bit since my time in high school). The second half is not going to be as interesting for non-volleyball fans because of the sheer amount of game play included, but the emotional aspects that accompany the sports scenes should keep most readers engaged to the end.

[Natalie Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read the book called The Miracle Season by Kathy Bresnahan. It was a fanstastic novel, I loved it. the only conserne with the book is that it was all about volleyball and if you dont know or get how to play volleyball it would be hard for you to understand, and the book was be mildly difficult to grasp the consept. There is a lot of volleyball referances that many people might not understand. The part of the book that made me the most emotional is finding out that this book is a true story. It was full of heartbreaks, sadness and victories. The authour makes you feel like you were there when it all happened and you were on the team with caroline ( protagonist). I feel though as if the author does a phenomanal job at describing Carolines presence and what the rest of the team went through when she had passed. She make the story realistic and explains what really happened hence the fact thats its a true story. The part I liked the most is when the bestfriend stepped up and became setter in her honor. She was amazing at it. It was almost as if carlonie was still there with the team.
I would totally recomend this book fpr people who have volleyball experiance and knowledge of the game. I also recomend this book for people who dont know about volleyball to get a chance to learn and experience how it is to play. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 because of the fact that not everyone might understand the book and its referances to volleyball.

[Dianne Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I well remember the events that are described and know the family as our kids took piano from the same teacher. I cried thru the first half of the book; it brought back all the memories. Even though i knew the ending, the second half was still difficult. I had to take more breaks than I usually need. But it is very well written and you end with an incredible impression of Coach Bresnahan, how well she handled this and how it changed her life. The words from Ernie Found on the back of the jacket are so true! “ how one ...attempts to rebound from the worst that life has to offer is a matter of choice. Choosing isolation is doomed to failure...Choosing comradeship, sharing, weeping together, faith and love can soften the blows and the blues. My only disappointment is that the legacy of her mother did not come thru. In Iowa City we know this as Live Like Line, Love Like Ellyn.

[Carson]

From, what I have read so far in the book is that it is way different than the movie. I ended up watching the movie over last weekend and from seeing that again and then reading more of my book it has got very interesting. There were some parts in the book where they really didn't make sense in the spot it was in and so sometimes while reading it there will be parts that I reread so I know what they are trying to say. There were also parts of the book that came at the beginning of it and those parts would come at the end of the movie so that was kind of difficult to understand as well. The book added lots of other things to it like in the movie they only had one championship and in the book they had like 5 or 6. Also in the book, it said they went to a lot of tournaments when they didn't go to any in the movie they just played regular games.

[KennedyA · Rating 5 out of 5]

“'Line is, no was,' I correct myself, 'our team.'” This is a remarkable volleyball story about a coach that had lost the life and soul of her team-Caroline Found-in a tragic accident. With their friends and family supporting them, the team battles their way through the season. The team struggles with the idea of replacing Line and feel great amounts of pressure to win for her. They are reminded to play like her and not for her. The school’s hope is to win the state championship; considering their emotional state and them being without their leader, they don’t know if they can do it. Their coach, and author of this book, pushes them to work hard and stick together. This is a great autobiography that makes the reader look at life in a different way. It teaches the reader to be thankful for our loved ones, and the benefits from hard work.

[Emily]

This book was about a true story. Caroline Found, a remarkable volleyball player, student, and friend. She was very passionate about her school and volleyball. Caroline was always happy and upbeat ready to play, ready to start work in the classroom, and ready to help anyone in need. It was her senior season when her family found out that Caroline's mother had cancer. It was one night after a game that Caroline's family was throwing a party at their old barn house. After the party, Caroline decided to drive her friend's moped to the hospital to visit her mother. On her way there she lost control and hit a tree, Caroline died instantly. It set a huge backlash in the town, a couple of weeks later Caroline's mother also died from cancer.

[Claire Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caroline Found was a young, inspiring volleyball player who died. The Miracle season by Kathy Bresnahan/ Coach Brez, is a true story about the captain of the Iowa West High volleyball team, who tragically died and how the team overcame and went on to win state in honor of Caroline. In this book Caroline, “Line” was described as beloved, inspiring and the kindest person you could meet. The book does a great job at giving you the point of view from the head coach. For example at “Lines” funeral she described Caroline as the unique type of person who affected everybody she met. There are several conflicts in this book, the main one being about the problems the team faced after Caroline's death. One of the hardest things for the team was deciding on a new setter, which was "Lines" position. Nobody wanted to take that position because it belonged to Caroline. The author also did a amazing job at incorporating realistic dialogue. All the dialogue in the book was real things that were said according to Coach Brez. A specific piece of dialogue was the conversation between Kelly who was “Lines” best friend and herself about Kelly taking Caroline's position. If readers need a non-fiction motivational story this is a must read.

[Payten Leeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true story is written by the coach of a young volleyball player who was in an accident and passed away in high school. The book is about her healing as an individual, her team healing, and the community healing. It's very emotional but I enjoyed reading it still. The coach let's you get to know the girl, Caroline, and the impact she made on everyone's life. A good portion of the book is about that season with the volleyball team and how they rebuild and heal after the passing of their friend and teammate. There's a movie (based on a true story) about this that goes by the same title as the book. Also very emotional, but enjoyable. An overall great experience with this true story.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the book. The only problem is that the book is mostly about volleyball, so it can get confusing to others that don't play. But it was an emotional roller coaster, and a lot of happy, sad feelings mixed in the book. Th author did a really nice job of showing the characters feelings. She had lots of detailed words and it really made you think! Overall do read the book it is an amazing book!

[Aleena Trevino · Rating 5 out of 5]

t was a great book because the story is very intresting and meaningfull if you play volleyball.

I liked the way the characters wanted to dedicate winning for state for thier star player that they lost during the season.

The characters were intresting because you learn about because each one was different ike they each had this really intresting personallty.

i liked how the author shared this story to the world and made a movie on it the story is sad but a very good.

[Jenny Wirtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an emotional read! I heard the author Coach Brez speak at a conference this week. Her story in person was powerful, and the book just filled in the details. The life of volleyball standout Caroline Found was cut short in a tragic accident. The overwhelming grief and determination of her coaches and teammates will have you rooting for West all the way through this book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me cry so many times ... But it is also very inspiring. She is coming to my town to speak, so I am excited to hear more of the story. Having a knowledge of volleyball does make this book come alive, but the author does a nice job of explaining as she goes along. One person can truly change thousands.

[Maya Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I watched the movie and read the book and both are SUPER good! This will probably be one of my favorites! I don’t usually like to read books over agin but this one I definitely would. It’s a really inspirational book. It teaches you how to keep going no matter what. And how if u work together especially as a team you’ll be able to to get through good and bad times together!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point I'm speechless. Amazing amount of details and emotions. Jam packed with life lessons, this book is one of a kind. LOVE IT!!! If you are a volleyball player, past or present, I think it'll make more since, as I am a VB player myself,I think it'll make more since to VB players because you know how dedicated you have to be and how much time and effort you have to put into this sport.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Coach Kathy Bresnahan's account of the 2011 Iowa City West volleyball season to be a thoughtful and inspiring read. This was the season when the team lost their setter in a tragic moped accident yet still managed to win the state championship. It should speak to all readers who are interested in a book about overcoming life's obstacles.

[Margaret Kruk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not being that into volleyball, I wasn't sure how well I was going to like this book. A lot of the volleyball game nuances went right over my head. That being said, it was an amazing book that this at the heartstrings. I was almost in tears for half the book because of all the emotions that the people in the book were feeling because of the loss of two of their beloved friends.

[Turquoisejaguar · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re in to volleyball, or you want to be in to it, READ THIS BOOK!!!
It’s such a good story, wayyy better than other nonfiction books. It was funny, relatable, and I loved it. It changed my whole perspective on volleyball. Now I can’t wait to be a varsity player on a real team!
I recommend this book to any sports player, especially if they play volleyball.
Can’t wait to watch the movie!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a heartbreaking and uplifting story. I wish I would have liked the author/coach. The sadness of this tragedy and the incredible mountain of grief these girls had to climb were huge. I understand the coach was going through an unimaginable loss but I really did not care for her. Maybe the movie will portray her better than she did herself.
I struggle with rating this book. The story is a 5 but should have been maybe written by someone else with Brez not being a writer.
Watched the movie and actually despise Brez even more now! Man these people did her dirty.