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No Stopping Us Now
“A timeless and triumphant story of courage in the face of opposition.” —Foreword Reviews (starred review)
It’s 1974. Title IX has passed two years ago, but Louisa’s high school still refuses to fund an all girls basketball team. After hearing Gloria Steinem speak, Louisa learns an important lesson: “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” Now what can she do but stand up and fight back?
When Louisa asks her principal to start a girls team, she’s soon viciously targeted by male coaches at her school, lied to by the school board, and dismissed as “out of line” as she fights for a fair chance to be an athlete. No Stopping Us Now is a story about finding one’s own voice through the joys of sports, love, and the power of sisterhood. Based on the author's true story, it is a compelling examination of the courage it takes to stand up for what’s right. Historical young-adult LGBTQ fiction perfect for the 50th anniversary of Title IX in June 2022.
It’s 1974. Title IX has passed two years ago, but Louisa’s high school still refuses to fund an all girls basketball team. After hearing Gloria Steinem speak, Louisa learns an important lesson: “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” Now what can she do but stand up and fight back?
When Louisa asks her principal to start a girls team, she’s soon viciously targeted by male coaches at her school, lied to by the school board, and dismissed as “out of line” as she fights for a fair chance to be an athlete. No Stopping Us Now is a story about finding one’s own voice through the joys of sports, love, and the power of sisterhood. Based on the author's true story, it is a compelling examination of the courage it takes to stand up for what’s right. Historical young-adult LGBTQ fiction perfect for the 50th anniversary of Title IX in June 2022.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2022
9 people are currently reading
1721 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Jane Bledsoe
87 books130 followersPreorder Lucy's new novel, TELL THE REST, about love, rage, and redemption, at https://amzn.to/3QRyHXD. The New York Times says Lucy Jane Bledsoe's novel, A THIN BRIGHT LINE, "triumphs." Ms. Magazine calls her novel, THE EVOLUTION OF LOVE, "fabulous feminist fiction." Her 2018 collection of stories, LAVA FALLS, won the Devil's Kitchen Fiction Award. Bledsoe played basketball in both high school and college. As a social justice activist, she's passionate about working for voting rights.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 21, 2022
We are so grateful to have been sent an advanced copy of this important and great book!
My 6th grade daughter was searching for a historical fiction book for a school project. She loves basketball and struggled to find a selection that interested her that was relevant. She found No Stopping Us Now online and was THRILLED when the publisher agreed to send her an advanced copy so she could have in time for her assignment. She devoured the text and it was clear she really enjoyed reading it! I've started reading it myself and as a woman born in 1974, I am enjoying reading it and recalling my own experience as an athlete growing up during this same Title Nine era.
Here's what my daughter had to say about it:
Massachusetts
12 year old
I liked No Stopping Us Now because it was great for learning about Title Nine. Also I loved how the book had so much basketball in it and the main character really loved basketball. I love how Louisa stands up for herself and her team. I love reading this book and you will love it too!
My 6th grade daughter was searching for a historical fiction book for a school project. She loves basketball and struggled to find a selection that interested her that was relevant. She found No Stopping Us Now online and was THRILLED when the publisher agreed to send her an advanced copy so she could have in time for her assignment. She devoured the text and it was clear she really enjoyed reading it! I've started reading it myself and as a woman born in 1974, I am enjoying reading it and recalling my own experience as an athlete growing up during this same Title Nine era.
Here's what my daughter had to say about it:
Massachusetts
12 year old
I liked No Stopping Us Now because it was great for learning about Title Nine. Also I loved how the book had so much basketball in it and the main character really loved basketball. I love how Louisa stands up for herself and her team. I love reading this book and you will love it too!
February 17, 2022
I received an advance copy of this book from LibraryThing and I have really enjoyed it.
Louisa loves basketball and plays with her own startup team in Portland Oregon in 1974. But unlike the boy's team, they have no coach, no uniforms,no transportation to games. The girls only get access to the gym in early morning before classes. They have only five on their team and you get to know each one's personality and problems.
The main character, Louisa meets Gloria Steinman at a meeting and learns about Title IX which bans discrimination against gender. I wish that we had Title IX when I was in high school in the 1960s. I could have taken shop instead of sewing and been told that I could something else than a nurse or teacher. We would not have to have special permission from the principal to wear slacks instead of dresses and skirt in sub zero weather!
Louisa, asks her principal to start an official girl's team, presents her idea to the school board. Th.y lie to hera and the male coaches put her down, and do not show respect for her. Louisa knows that it would easy to give up but their treatment of her only makes her more determined.
This is an inspiring story of a girl who would not give up her dream
Louisa loves basketball and plays with her own startup team in Portland Oregon in 1974. But unlike the boy's team, they have no coach, no uniforms,no transportation to games. The girls only get access to the gym in early morning before classes. They have only five on their team and you get to know each one's personality and problems.
The main character, Louisa meets Gloria Steinman at a meeting and learns about Title IX which bans discrimination against gender. I wish that we had Title IX when I was in high school in the 1960s. I could have taken shop instead of sewing and been told that I could something else than a nurse or teacher. We would not have to have special permission from the principal to wear slacks instead of dresses and skirt in sub zero weather!
Louisa, asks her principal to start an official girl's team, presents her idea to the school board. Th.y lie to hera and the male coaches put her down, and do not show respect for her. Louisa knows that it would easy to give up but their treatment of her only makes her more determined.
This is an inspiring story of a girl who would not give up her dream
January 29, 2022
I received an advanced reader copy of this! It was fantastic!
Easily, my favorite thing about this book was the main character, Louisa. I loved figuring out the whole story with her. Who would stand with her, who believed in her, would she have the courage, everything! She was a relatable, likable character. I could relate to her for her love of her sport. Her drive and passion was something I've experienced. Being a girl in sports, too. Though, it was definitely a much bigger struggle for her, obviously, which was incredibly interesting to watch unfold. Seeing the challenges she faced in sports and her world and how she worked so hard to change was fantastic. It made me realize how recent all of this happened. This was only 1974.. The struggle for (women's) equal rights, was always taught to me as if it was SO long ago, when in actuality it wasn't so long ago. I was definitely thinking about myself in her shoes. Louisa's fight was inspiring and drew me in the entire time. The story wasn't too drawn out, pretty fast and packs a punch!
I would most definitely recommend!
Easily, my favorite thing about this book was the main character, Louisa. I loved figuring out the whole story with her. Who would stand with her, who believed in her, would she have the courage, everything! She was a relatable, likable character. I could relate to her for her love of her sport. Her drive and passion was something I've experienced. Being a girl in sports, too. Though, it was definitely a much bigger struggle for her, obviously, which was incredibly interesting to watch unfold. Seeing the challenges she faced in sports and her world and how she worked so hard to change was fantastic. It made me realize how recent all of this happened. This was only 1974.. The struggle for (women's) equal rights, was always taught to me as if it was SO long ago, when in actuality it wasn't so long ago. I was definitely thinking about myself in her shoes. Louisa's fight was inspiring and drew me in the entire time. The story wasn't too drawn out, pretty fast and packs a punch!
I would most definitely recommend!
February 18, 2022
Title IX was passed two years ago in 1972, but Louisa’s high school still only has golf and tennis available for girls. Louisa really wants a basketball team that is funded through the school. After hearing Gloria Steinem speak at an event, Louisa knows she’s got to be the one to get the girls team going.
But after speaking with her principal about making a girls basketball team, Louisa is soon targeted by male coaches at her school telling her to back down, lied to by the school board, dismissed as being a “bra burner”, and misquoted by the newspapers. On top of all of this, Louisa may be finding love, or love(s), her best friend suddenly becomes MIA, and her grandpa’s dementia is getting worse. Based on the author’s true story, No Stopping Us Now shows what it means to have the courage to stand up for what is right.
I don’t usually do sports books, as I’ve never really been passionately into sports. But I really liked the story for this and had no idea what Title IX was so I wanted to learn. And boy did I learn a lot from this book. Mostly about women’s sports, like how crazy different the rules used to be for women’s basketball and what Title IX was and how long it took some cities and states to adhere to it… it’s all crazy. It is a sports book for sure, but it was also way more than that.
I loved Louisa as the main character and narrator of this story. She was a strong willed girl with so much drive and passion that I was rooting for her from the beginning. The relationship with her grandfather was also super cute and adorable and reminded me of my grandmother who also has dementia and comes and goes.
There is love in this story, but it’s really not the main focus at all, and it kind of makes me love Louisa even more for it. I’m also glad for the storyline with Carly, Louisa’s best friend, and what she goes through and how Louisa, even though she feels like she was left behind/forgotten, doesn’t give up on Carly.
This historical sports novel based on true events of the authors is a great read for basketball lovers and non-basketball lovers alike. It’s about standing up for what is right and having the courage to possibly be standing alone. I highly recommend this book to everyone who would like to know more about sports history as well.
*Thank you Three Rooms Press and LibraryThing for the advanced readers' copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
But after speaking with her principal about making a girls basketball team, Louisa is soon targeted by male coaches at her school telling her to back down, lied to by the school board, dismissed as being a “bra burner”, and misquoted by the newspapers. On top of all of this, Louisa may be finding love, or love(s), her best friend suddenly becomes MIA, and her grandpa’s dementia is getting worse. Based on the author’s true story, No Stopping Us Now shows what it means to have the courage to stand up for what is right.
I don’t usually do sports books, as I’ve never really been passionately into sports. But I really liked the story for this and had no idea what Title IX was so I wanted to learn. And boy did I learn a lot from this book. Mostly about women’s sports, like how crazy different the rules used to be for women’s basketball and what Title IX was and how long it took some cities and states to adhere to it… it’s all crazy. It is a sports book for sure, but it was also way more than that.
I loved Louisa as the main character and narrator of this story. She was a strong willed girl with so much drive and passion that I was rooting for her from the beginning. The relationship with her grandfather was also super cute and adorable and reminded me of my grandmother who also has dementia and comes and goes.
There is love in this story, but it’s really not the main focus at all, and it kind of makes me love Louisa even more for it. I’m also glad for the storyline with Carly, Louisa’s best friend, and what she goes through and how Louisa, even though she feels like she was left behind/forgotten, doesn’t give up on Carly.
This historical sports novel based on true events of the authors is a great read for basketball lovers and non-basketball lovers alike. It’s about standing up for what is right and having the courage to possibly be standing alone. I highly recommend this book to everyone who would like to know more about sports history as well.
*Thank you Three Rooms Press and LibraryThing for the advanced readers' copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
February 23, 2022
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is everything young adult fiction should be - characters and plot that feel real and don't try to coddle the reader along the way. I saw a lot of my teenage self in Louisa; I, too, was basketball-obsessed, still trying to figure out my own feelings about sexuality and love, and I couldn't help but root for Louisa throughout. The peripheral characters are all very distinct, and Bledsoe seemed to perfect the art of making each one unique without distracting the reader from the larger storyline at play considering the sheer amount of characters for such a short book.
I'll admit I requested this one for the historical context. Basketball may have been the most important thing in my life for a time, but I didn't really give a passing thought to Title IX or how recently it had actually been implemented in practice when I was playing in the mid-2000s. As an adult now, it seems all the more important to be able to look back and appreciate what real-life Louisas have done for the rest of us, and Bledsoe does a fantastic job of doing just that.
I'd recommend this book to any school athlete, any former school athlete, or readers interested in historical fiction with a feminist lens. It's a great representation of the genre, and I'm grateful to have been able to read it and cheer Louisa on from the sidelines.
This book is everything young adult fiction should be - characters and plot that feel real and don't try to coddle the reader along the way. I saw a lot of my teenage self in Louisa; I, too, was basketball-obsessed, still trying to figure out my own feelings about sexuality and love, and I couldn't help but root for Louisa throughout. The peripheral characters are all very distinct, and Bledsoe seemed to perfect the art of making each one unique without distracting the reader from the larger storyline at play considering the sheer amount of characters for such a short book.
I'll admit I requested this one for the historical context. Basketball may have been the most important thing in my life for a time, but I didn't really give a passing thought to Title IX or how recently it had actually been implemented in practice when I was playing in the mid-2000s. As an adult now, it seems all the more important to be able to look back and appreciate what real-life Louisas have done for the rest of us, and Bledsoe does a fantastic job of doing just that.
I'd recommend this book to any school athlete, any former school athlete, or readers interested in historical fiction with a feminist lens. It's a great representation of the genre, and I'm grateful to have been able to read it and cheer Louisa on from the sidelines.
March 19, 2022
Louisa loves basketball, she grew up playing with her brothers. All she wants is to play competitively. Unfortunately, for her, her school doesn't have a girls basketball program. When Louisa speaks out, she's forced to overcome a whole new set of hurdles to make it happen.
While based on a true story, this story felt unique to me since it's not a time period that shows up a lot in historical fiction. The novel read a bit too much like a true story at the beginning, almost like it was just stating facts. However, as the story progressed it shifted more to Louisa's internal struggles which were easy to relate to and we could see her grow throughout.
Overall, this strikes a perfect balance of teaching readers about the struggles of the past and reminding readers that the barriers to equality that are faced today are not insurmountable.
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
While based on a true story, this story felt unique to me since it's not a time period that shows up a lot in historical fiction. The novel read a bit too much like a true story at the beginning, almost like it was just stating facts. However, as the story progressed it shifted more to Louisa's internal struggles which were easy to relate to and we could see her grow throughout.
Overall, this strikes a perfect balance of teaching readers about the struggles of the past and reminding readers that the barriers to equality that are faced today are not insurmountable.
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2022
I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this novel by one of my favorite writers. I could not stop reading it, stayed up until 2 am pulling for Louisa and her team mates. It's a loving portrait of young women in a time of transition. Captures the period perfectly and the relationship between Louisa and her friends, and her relationship with her grandfather, are simple and touching. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cheer. Get your hands on this book when it comes out in April!
January 21, 2022
It may be 2022, but Luisa’s struggles feel not only utterly relatable, but remarkably present day. Bledsoe paints this story of not-so-long ago historical fiction, and the realities of coming-of-age, misogyny, and even caregiving with incredible heart and depth. Whether you’re a basketballer or not, the book zips by at just under 250 pages. The novel is a delight to read as a 30-something — I only wish it had been available when I was 17!
January 28, 2022
I was a huge fan of this book!
Our tendency is to fear the unknown. Even with today’s social issues, big changes scare us, especially when we have no embedded algorithm to predict how it may end up. Our tendency is to stay in the past because it convinces us we are protecting ourselves or our close ones. We want our future to be mapped out. Yet, real protection is knowing that our past experiences have prepared us for our unclear future. Louisa inspires us to take that plunge, and to believe in our strength. Her future is unpredictable, but Louisa realizes that what she has done has prepared her for this moment, she has all the tools she needs. And while there may be many against her, it just takes those few invaluable supporters to move you to taking the plunge. Beginning anything--a task, a game, a movement--is half the deed. If we do not embrace change like Louisa did we will never progress, we will never adapt, and worse of all, never begin. The truth is, with every beginning, we forget that our past is always there to welcome us back, if the unknown we have plunged into is too intimidating. But what is most special, and what “No Stopping Us Now,” has shown me, is most often we find not only strength in our unknown, but eventually comfort and harmony. All we need is to take the plunge and begin.
Our tendency is to fear the unknown. Even with today’s social issues, big changes scare us, especially when we have no embedded algorithm to predict how it may end up. Our tendency is to stay in the past because it convinces us we are protecting ourselves or our close ones. We want our future to be mapped out. Yet, real protection is knowing that our past experiences have prepared us for our unclear future. Louisa inspires us to take that plunge, and to believe in our strength. Her future is unpredictable, but Louisa realizes that what she has done has prepared her for this moment, she has all the tools she needs. And while there may be many against her, it just takes those few invaluable supporters to move you to taking the plunge. Beginning anything--a task, a game, a movement--is half the deed. If we do not embrace change like Louisa did we will never progress, we will never adapt, and worse of all, never begin. The truth is, with every beginning, we forget that our past is always there to welcome us back, if the unknown we have plunged into is too intimidating. But what is most special, and what “No Stopping Us Now,” has shown me, is most often we find not only strength in our unknown, but eventually comfort and harmony. All we need is to take the plunge and begin.
May 4, 2022
Louisa, who loves basketball with a passion that made me feel as if I did too, only wants a fair shot. She and her friends (a great group of girls) want school support for their team, not just fair but legally required by Title IX. They meet a lot of resistance and also find some unexpected allies. Along the way, they're figuring out who they are, how they fit into the world, who they love (and who they don't care for), and what they can and can't expect from everyone from the media to the school board. It's based on a true story, and it feels very real.
I loved this. Loved the clear, gripping writing, all the great friendships (and complicated romantic relationships), the realistic look at family troubles, and the sense of what it means for Louisa to find her own power (I totally identified with her, which says something about this book, since I have always disliked being in any situation where someone threw a ball at me...but reading this, I finally get what it would be like to love sports).
I skipped everything else I should have been doing and read it right through in a day. I'm a Lucy Jane Bledsoe fan already from books like Lava Falls and The Evolution of Love, but this just makes me want to read everything she writes.
I loved this. Loved the clear, gripping writing, all the great friendships (and complicated romantic relationships), the realistic look at family troubles, and the sense of what it means for Louisa to find her own power (I totally identified with her, which says something about this book, since I have always disliked being in any situation where someone threw a ball at me...but reading this, I finally get what it would be like to love sports).
I skipped everything else I should have been doing and read it right through in a day. I'm a Lucy Jane Bledsoe fan already from books like Lava Falls and The Evolution of Love, but this just makes me want to read everything she writes.
March 29, 2022
It’s 1974 and Louisa is a junior at Woodrow Wilson High School in Portland, Oregon. The Title 9 legislation has been law for three years, but there’s no girl’s basketball for Portland public high schools. Lucy has pulled together four other girls for a rec league team and talked the principal into allowing them to practice in the school gym before classes start when no one else is using it. They have no coach, no uniforms, drive or take the bus to their games, and don’t know how to make their situation better until Louisa is invited to be a student rep to a Gloria Steinham speech and catches a vision about how to be a change-maker.
I graduated from high school in 1968 and was living in Portland in 1974, so I relished the authenticity with which the author described the setting, the popular music, the resistance to girl’s sports, racism, gender roles of the time, and the way a friend’s pregnancy is handled by family and friends. Characters have depth and Louisa’s journey to understand what romance means to her is thoughtful and nuanced. EARC from Edelweiss.
I graduated from high school in 1968 and was living in Portland in 1974, so I relished the authenticity with which the author described the setting, the popular music, the resistance to girl’s sports, racism, gender roles of the time, and the way a friend’s pregnancy is handled by family and friends. Characters have depth and Louisa’s journey to understand what romance means to her is thoughtful and nuanced. EARC from Edelweiss.
October 20, 2021
Lucky me - I got to read an advance copy of No Stopping Us Now. Bledsoe carries us into the inner turmoil of teenagers as they try to cope not only with normal social and hormonal pressures but with injustices and betrayals by adults around them.
It's tempting to say that No Stopping Us Now transports us back to the intense battles teen girls faced in the early years of Title IX, which it dies, except that similar battles still rage on today. This timeless story is a must-read for adolescents trying to find themselves and their powerful voices both personally and politically. It’s a beautifully written page-turner for readers of all ages!
It's tempting to say that No Stopping Us Now transports us back to the intense battles teen girls faced in the early years of Title IX, which it dies, except that similar battles still rage on today. This timeless story is a must-read for adolescents trying to find themselves and their powerful voices both personally and politically. It’s a beautifully written page-turner for readers of all ages!
February 13, 2022
I am very lucky to have received an advanced copy from LibraryThing! This story takes place in Oregon in the 1970s. Louisa is a forward-thinking girl at a time where many people were closed-minded. Louisa loves basketball and finds it unfair (understandably) that the boys have any sport they wish to play available to them and the girls don’t. She voices her concern amidst everyone not taking her seriously.
I enjoyed this book, and I routed for Louisa the entire way. She is an inspiration to even today’s youth, as girls and women are still fighting to be seen as equals.
I enjoyed this book, and I routed for Louisa the entire way. She is an inspiration to even today’s youth, as girls and women are still fighting to be seen as equals.
February 4, 2022
Louisa is coming of age in the 1970s. She loves basketball and her grandfather. When Gloria Steinem visits her high school firing up a passion for equal rights and Title IX, Louisa and her teammates take action. This author pens a journey of discovery, teen angst, perseverance and pure grit. Based on true events, this was an enjoyable YA novel. Thanks Three Rooms Press and Goodreads for the advanced readers copy.
April 4, 2022
No Stopping Us Now has inspired me to look at this new perspective of the inequality towards young women in sports. I loved how no matter all the struggles Louisa went through she never gave up and that’s what really stood out for me. It helped me understand that you can be the change in this world no matter all the obstacles you need to be truthful and honest to yourself and fight for what’s right.
February 24, 2023
This was wonderful!! I'd heard hardly anything about this book before starting it, so I didn't really have any expectations, but now I wish I'd read it sooner! And knowing that this is based on the author's life makes it even more special. Also, if you liked the Julie American Girl books growing up, this is a must-read.
CW: sexism, homophobia, racism, grandparent dementia and death, threatening behavior by teachers, unplanned pregnancy and referenced subsequent abortion, discussion of unsafe abortions and resulting deaths, implied disordered eating
CW: sexism, homophobia, racism, grandparent dementia and death, threatening behavior by teachers, unplanned pregnancy and referenced subsequent abortion, discussion of unsafe abortions and resulting deaths, implied disordered eating
May 31, 2022
I was already a fan of Bledsoe’s writing, having read all the books about Antarctica. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy a book about basketball and Title IX, but I read this book it two sittings. It is engaging, suspenseful, and exciting. A gripping story of a young woman’s evolution from a basketball enthusiast to an activist to created change in Portland, Oregon. It is a thrill to read this novel based on an actual story.
February 12, 2023
A heart felt story true to the author’s experiences. Realistic for the 70’s. And the struggle for girls equality in sports and life covered well. However, word of caution, the way some of the life experiences are talked about may send the wrong message to teenagers.
January 6, 2024
I‘m tired of being benched!
As a female basketball player and referee I have difficulties to even put into words how amazing this book is! It was absolutely worth every minute und euro I spent on it. I read it almost a year ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about it until this day because I have never felt so seen and understood in my entire life.
The story takes place in 1974 but our society still doesn’t take women‘s basketball (and women’s sport in general) seriously in 2023, unfortunately. I‘m just as tired as Louisa of having to explain to men why women should have the opportunity to develop their sport which men already had decades ago. I‘m tired of these men saying women‘s basketball is generally just really bad when they never even watched a wnba or euroleague women’s game and don‘t understand that it‘s people like them who make it hard for women to have the chance to improve their skills, for example by denying women access to appropriate practice times in gyms (this did not just happen to Louisa). And even if we as women take the worst practice hours possible and face all obstacles, we are made fun of. Yes, there are men who support women’s basketball as well, but there are by far not enough of them.
I could write a whole essay about this book and women‘s basketball in general but what I mostly want to say is thank you. Thank you Lucy Jane Bledsoe for sharing this story with the world. I promise you, Louisa‘s fight is not over!
(As this review was written from someone whose mother tongue is not English, I hope any grammar mistakes I might have made will be excused.)
As a female basketball player and referee I have difficulties to even put into words how amazing this book is! It was absolutely worth every minute und euro I spent on it. I read it almost a year ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about it until this day because I have never felt so seen and understood in my entire life.
The story takes place in 1974 but our society still doesn’t take women‘s basketball (and women’s sport in general) seriously in 2023, unfortunately. I‘m just as tired as Louisa of having to explain to men why women should have the opportunity to develop their sport which men already had decades ago. I‘m tired of these men saying women‘s basketball is generally just really bad when they never even watched a wnba or euroleague women’s game and don‘t understand that it‘s people like them who make it hard for women to have the chance to improve their skills, for example by denying women access to appropriate practice times in gyms (this did not just happen to Louisa). And even if we as women take the worst practice hours possible and face all obstacles, we are made fun of. Yes, there are men who support women’s basketball as well, but there are by far not enough of them.
I could write a whole essay about this book and women‘s basketball in general but what I mostly want to say is thank you. Thank you Lucy Jane Bledsoe for sharing this story with the world. I promise you, Louisa‘s fight is not over!
(As this review was written from someone whose mother tongue is not English, I hope any grammar mistakes I might have made will be excused.)
July 19, 2022
Inspiring page-turner of a feminist high school tale
This is a story we need to remember: A young woman makes the simple request that her school system enforce Title IX and provide equal opportunities in sports for girls and boys and gets ferocious blowback from almost all the adults at the high school. To see in that era the resistance to this modest idea and the assumption that only boys’ sports were important helps us understand the resistance to much feminist social change – and the inevitable softening and acceptance. We also see the reality that social change comes from individuals speaking up and others joining with them, so that change is doable, even in our current discouraging era.
Bledsoe has an experienced writer’s ability to tell a universal story of the deserving underdog through the compelling personal experience of Luisa, a young woman who just wants to play basketball and doesn’t understand why the adults can’t make it happen. We experience Luisa’s high school years—quirky friends, confusing sexual attractions to both boys and girls, joyful basketball moments, startling friend connections and disappointments, unpredictable adult opposition and support—as if we are there. A page-turner, we feel Luisa’s personal obstacles as deeply as the political ones and although both look insurmountable, we are rooting for her to succeed every step of the way. An immensely satisfying book.
This is a story we need to remember: A young woman makes the simple request that her school system enforce Title IX and provide equal opportunities in sports for girls and boys and gets ferocious blowback from almost all the adults at the high school. To see in that era the resistance to this modest idea and the assumption that only boys’ sports were important helps us understand the resistance to much feminist social change – and the inevitable softening and acceptance. We also see the reality that social change comes from individuals speaking up and others joining with them, so that change is doable, even in our current discouraging era.
Bledsoe has an experienced writer’s ability to tell a universal story of the deserving underdog through the compelling personal experience of Luisa, a young woman who just wants to play basketball and doesn’t understand why the adults can’t make it happen. We experience Luisa’s high school years—quirky friends, confusing sexual attractions to both boys and girls, joyful basketball moments, startling friend connections and disappointments, unpredictable adult opposition and support—as if we are there. A page-turner, we feel Luisa’s personal obstacles as deeply as the political ones and although both look insurmountable, we are rooting for her to succeed every step of the way. An immensely satisfying book.
December 25, 2022
Writing wasn't anything special, but a good story.
December 8, 2022
Good. Very feminist and on target for Rise. I have mixed feelings about it essentially being memoir but fictionalized and that only being mentioned in the author's note at the very end. Also very tired of books with grandparents who have dementia but that’s whatever.
January 28, 2022
It was great fun to read this history-making story. I was close to but unaware of most of it because I graduated from Wilson High School in 1974, missing out on the girls’ team's state championship the next year. Still, it conjured up a lot of fond and authentic memories of high school - the garish fashions and feverish teenage passions. The guessing game of who inspired the student, administrator and faculty characters was part of the book's fun for me, but you don’t have to know the real people to enjoy this book. It's weird to think we're now older than the oldest people on the faculty at the time, old enough to easily have grandchildren in high school. It's great that girls can now play basketball and even go pro thanks to pioneers like Lucy. And awesome to have this book to remind us how far we've come, how it was a courageous struggle to get here and how entertaining it is to read about.
November 16, 2022
This is a wonderful and empowering YA novel about the origins of Title IX and the brave young women who made it possible for high school girls to participate in school-supported sports programs on an equal footing--and with equal funding--to the boys. The author has written with prodigious skill and emotional authenticity, drawing on her own experiences in the 1970s. Brought tears to my eyes at one point that had nothing to do with sports and everything to do with love and families. Should be required reading for boys and girls in high schools everywhere!
May 30, 2022
A wonderful YA novel, based on the author's own experience in high school almost 50 years ago, when she had to advocate for a girl's basketball team. In spite of the recent passage of Title 9, mandating equal resources for girls and boys sports, Louisa's attempts to play are met with derision and threats from the male coaches and teachers. An encounter with Gloria Steinem and other older feminists encourage her and her teammates to persist, as they navigate the usual trails and tribulations of the final year of high school. Their eventual triumph is predictable perhaps, but the plot unfolds at a satisfying pace in this uplifting tale. An educational and poignant tribute to a pioneering generation of female athletes.
May 2, 2022
While I liked the idea of this book - and it's based upon the author's own experience - I have a love/hate reading relationship with coming of age books. So often in a teenager's world, personal relationships are so angsty that it annoys me (though I understand it, but my tolerance for it has lessened over time). If I subtracted most of the relationship sections of this book, then I enjoyed the book a lot more. Louisa's fight for a girl's basketball team and Louisa's love for her grandfather I found well done and enjoyable to read. The rest - eh. I'm glad that I read this book as Ms. Bledsoe's story was interesting and I found her fictionalized fight for playing her sport also interesting.
June 13, 2024
Important content that many don’t know about — we have come so far to finally arrive at this age of Angel Reese and Caitlyn Clark! The writing is YA, so I was impatient with it sometimes, wanting more depth. Again, though, this book is so important!
December 14, 2023
Good true story, but not "literature."
June 28, 2024
Quick read about Title 9 fight in Portland in mid-1970’s and getting a women’s basketball team/league started.
June 4, 2022
This is one of those books that I wish I could have had as a teenager. To be fair though, it's all the more poignant and timely now as I rediscover the hobbies and passions gender segregation took away from me.
No Stopping Us Now is a fantastically written and deeply personal account of what it's like to fight for your passion against a system that will stop at next to nothing to keep you where it wants you to be. Funny how it's the people in power who supposedly know what's good for you.
It's real weird to read about someone's teen years that took place about 35 years before your own and find so many things to be the exact same. Down to the aggressive creepy coach.
Still, even though it's a tough topic, it isn't your usual trauma dump or learned helplessness fest. Instead we get to see how nuanced and interesting characters (based on real people) navigated their teen years and figured out how to be true to themselves in spite of the obstacles.
What's more, as an LGBT+ coming of age story, it doesn't actually read like one. If you've been queer for longer than 5 minutes, you'll know how overly saturated the market is with the same tropey retelling of a realisation and coming out story... This ain't it and that's why I love it. Instead, it's about a person who has a (gasp) personality, goals, passions and worries beyond the typical not being straight or not fitting in while being wracked with thirst. That's so damn refreshing.
I didn't have a 'sisterhood' in my teen years, even though it was the 00s in an allegedly progressive country. I'm pretty sure that even if I stood at chance at having it, my internalised misogyny wouldn't allow me to appreciate it.
It's damn nice to be able to read about it now.
It isn't often that I'll label a book feminist, but this book is very much a feminist book and uniquely so. A hopeful representation of gritty hard work and its triumphs is exactly what we need more of.
If our history and triumphs are suppressed or taken from us, we have to figure out how to fight for ourselves all over again. Starting from 0 with every generation. If all of our literature is trauma dumping or helplessness porn, then we have to find our fighting spirit with every generation too.
No Stopping Us Now is a fantastically written and deeply personal account of what it's like to fight for your passion against a system that will stop at next to nothing to keep you where it wants you to be. Funny how it's the people in power who supposedly know what's good for you.
It's real weird to read about someone's teen years that took place about 35 years before your own and find so many things to be the exact same. Down to the aggressive creepy coach.
Still, even though it's a tough topic, it isn't your usual trauma dump or learned helplessness fest. Instead we get to see how nuanced and interesting characters (based on real people) navigated their teen years and figured out how to be true to themselves in spite of the obstacles.
What's more, as an LGBT+ coming of age story, it doesn't actually read like one. If you've been queer for longer than 5 minutes, you'll know how overly saturated the market is with the same tropey retelling of a realisation and coming out story... This ain't it and that's why I love it. Instead, it's about a person who has a (gasp) personality, goals, passions and worries beyond the typical not being straight or not fitting in while being wracked with thirst. That's so damn refreshing.
I didn't have a 'sisterhood' in my teen years, even though it was the 00s in an allegedly progressive country. I'm pretty sure that even if I stood at chance at having it, my internalised misogyny wouldn't allow me to appreciate it.
It's damn nice to be able to read about it now.
It isn't often that I'll label a book feminist, but this book is very much a feminist book and uniquely so. A hopeful representation of gritty hard work and its triumphs is exactly what we need more of.
If our history and triumphs are suppressed or taken from us, we have to figure out how to fight for ourselves all over again. Starting from 0 with every generation. If all of our literature is trauma dumping or helplessness porn, then we have to find our fighting spirit with every generation too.
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