Karen
Part life story, part inspirational memoir, BLOOM is life from Mary Fowler's point of view. And it's been quite the ride for such a young, talented woman. Parts of this book are distressing to read about - the overt racism particularly whilst playing in France, her self-doubt and anxiety. Then there are the insights into the joy of playing for the Matilda's and the close relationships with the team that seem to fuel so much of the success of the team. I love watching them play - win or lose - they seem like a supportive and close group when looked at from the distance of a TV screen.
The book is also a bit of a guide to how Fowler has improved her own mental health - through journaling, meditation and really working hard on it. The chapters are short, and mostly end with a series of meditative questions or points to think about, and there are photos sprinkled throughout that show a happy and supportive family life, as well as a series of photos of friends and playing times. And a growing romance with a sports person (I have to admit I've no idea who he is - but then up until the Matilda's current iteration you'd have had to drag me kicking screaming and raging to any form of football), but he seems incredibly supportive and they are obviously very close....
A very quick read, there's more than enough in this memoir to give you an idea of who Mary Fowler is and where she came from, the battles it's taken to get her to this point in her life, and the way that she handles pressure to be useful, without being overly intrusive.
In that it was actually refreshingly different - not your average sporting memoir at all, but then Fowler, and the Matilda's in general, are not your average team.
Part life story, part inspirational memoir, BLOOM is life from Mary Fowler's point of view. And it's been quite the ride for such a young, talented woman. Parts of this book are distressing to read about - the overt racism particularly whilst playing in France, her self-doubt and anxiety. Then there are the insights into the joy of playing for the Matilda's and the close relationships with the team that seem to fuel so much of the success of the team. I love watching them play - win or lose - they seem like a supportive and close group when looked at from the distance of a TV screen.
The book is also a bit of a guide to how Fowler has improved her own mental health - through journaling, meditation and really working hard on it. The chapters are short, and mostly end with a series of meditative questions or points to think about, and there are photos sprinkled throughout that show a happy and supportive family life, as well as a series of photos of friends and playing times. And a growing romance with a sports person (I have to admit I've no idea who he is - but then up until the Matilda's current iteration you'd have had to drag me kicking screaming and raging to any form of football), but he seems incredibly supportive and they are obviously very close....
A very quick read, there's more than enough in this memoir to give you an idea of who Mary Fowler is and where she came from, the battles it's taken to get her to this point in her life, and the way that she handles pressure to be useful, without being overly intrusive.
In that it was actually refreshingly different - not your average sporting memoir at all, but then Fowler, and the Matilda's in general, are not your average team.