"My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all. We are hardwired to expect the next interruption or disappearance or broken promise." Hope Solo is the face of the modern female athlete. She is fearless, outspoken, and the best in the world at what she does: protecting the goal of the U.S. women's soccer team. Her outsized talent has led her to the pinnacle of her sport—the Olympics and the World Cup—and made her into an international celebrity who is just as likely to appear on ABC's Dancing with the Stars as she is on the covers of Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, and Vogue. But her journey—which began in Richland, Washington, where she was raised by her strong-willed mother on the scorched earth of defunct nuclear testing sites—is similarly haunted by the fallout of her family history. Her father, a philanderer and con man, was convicted of embezzlement when Solo was an infant. She lost touch with him as he drifted out of prison and into homelessness. By the time they reunited, years later, in the parking lot of a grocery store, she was an All-American goalkeeper at the University of Washington and already a budding prospect for the U.S. national team. He was living in the woods. Despite harboring serious doubts even about the provenance of her father's last name (and her own), Solo embraces him as fiercely as she pursues her dreams of being a world-class soccer player. When those dreams are threatened by her standing within the national team, as when she was famously benched in the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup after four shutouts and spoke her piece publicly, we see a woman of uncompromising independence and hard-won perseverance navigate the petty backlash against her. For the first time, she tells her version of that controversial episode, and offers with it a full understanding of her hard-scrabble life. Moving, sometimes shocking, Solo is a portrait of an athlete finding redemption. This is the Hope Solo whom few have ever glimpsed. Signed poster inside.

Meet Hope Solo—Soccer Sensation In this young readers' edition of Hope Solo's exciting life story, adapted from Solo: A Memoir of Hope, the Olympic gold medalist and starting goalkeeper for the U.S. women's national soccer team gives readers behind-the-scenes details of her life on and off the field. Solo offers a fearless female role model for the next generation, driven to succeed on her own terms. Young fans will truly be inspired by Hope's repeated triumphs over adversity. Her relentless spirit has molded her into the person she is today—one of the most charismatic athletes in America. A huge player in the Summer 2012 Olympic Games, Hope shares her inside story in her own words, for soccer fans of all ages! Look inside Signed poster and exclusive all-new Q&A with Hope Solo!

The World Cup champion and double Olympic gold medalist shares her story in her own words! In this young readers' edition of Hope Solo's exciting life story, adapted from Solo: A Memoir of Hope, the former starting goalkeeper for the U.S. women's national soccer team gives readers behind-the-scenes details of her life on and off the field. Solo offers a fearless female role model for the next generation, driven to succeed on her own terms. Young fans will truly be inspired by Hope's repeated triumphs over adversity. Her relentless spirit has molded her into the person she is today—one of the most charismatic athletes in America. Includes an exclusive Q&A with Hope!

As parents face the difficult reality of a broken home, a sense of being completely overwhelmed can shut down the perspective they need to find restoration. Parents need to know that they can choose to define this season of their lives, instead of becoming defined by circumstances. They can deliberately look toward God and come to a deeper understanding of His true nature, power, and intimate care. As this former Christian music industry executive shares his story of divorce, his seven years as a single father, and his transition to a second marriage and a blended family, he also offers readers some hard-learned lessons and insights on being an effective, empathetic, and empowered single parent, answering crucial questions such as: How do I find peace when everything around me is chaos? How do I manage meeting needs when I have nothing to give? How and where do I begin again? The author addresses the fears and exhaustion of single parenting, while revealing the keys to gaining strength and courage for each day. He also shares how he found his “solo” relationship with his heavenly Father through his “solo” parenting season. Readers will learn five helpful habits and practical healing principles they can immediately apply in this season of life.

ABOUT THE BOOK Hope Solo is arguably the best goalkeeper in women’s soccer today. And even though her sporting talent, by itself, has made her internationally famous, she is also increasingly gaining celebrity status for her appearances on television on numerous entertainment shows, as well as her adventurous magazine photo shoots. But let’s for a moment stick to sport, where she made her name. If a women’s soccer manager were asked to select the USA women’s national soccer team, the first name on their team sheet would most likely be Hope Solo, arguably the best player the women’s game has ever seen. MEET THE AUTHOR Abdul Montaqim is a journalist, based in London, and has been working in the media since 1989. Among the more well known titles he has written for are The Guardian newspaper, Time Out magazine and the International Business Times website. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Hope Amelia Solo was born on July 30, 1981, in the small city of Richland, in Benton County, which is in the US state of Washington. Richland has an estimated total population of below 50,000. And perhaps because of its relatively limited size, Hope had more opportunities to excel in her chosen activities. But it must be said that even in a city 10 times the size of Richland, she still would have stood out. It’s just that cities like Richland, with their small populations can sometimes act as incubators for talents such as Solo’s. It’s a fact that towns where a talented group of children grow up playing a particular sport often produce a higher number of excellent players in that sport. It’s something to do with dedication, healthy competition and a relatively closed, conducive environment. Buy a copy to keep reading!

Neal Petersen was born physically disabled and impoverished in apartheid-era South Africa, but was introduced to healing and equality in the waters surrounding Cape Town. Journey of a Hope Merchant recounts the epic journey that took this misfit kid from a racially segregated, working class neighborhood to the prestigious world of solo yacht racing.