WERE GONE
by
MARJORIE HERRERA LEWIS
Genre: Historical / Biographical / Sports Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of Publication: October 2, 2018
Number of Pages: 240
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A cross between Friday Night Lights and The Atomic City Girls, When The Men Were Gone is a debut historical novel based on the true story of Tylene Wilson, a woman in 1940s Texas who, in spite of extreme opposition, became a female football coach in order to keep her students from heading off to war.
Football is the heartbeat of Brownwood, Texas. Every Friday night for as long as assistant principal Tylene Wilson can remember, the entire town has gathered in the stands, cheering their boys on. Each September brings with it the hope of a good season and a sense of unity and optimism.
Now, the war has changed everything. Most of the Brownwood men over eighteen and under forty-five are off fighting, and in a small town the possibilities are limited. Could this mean a season without football? But no one counted on Tylene, who learned the game at her daddy’s knee. She knows more about it than most men, so she does the unthinkable, convincing the school to let her take on the job of coach.
Faced with extreme opposition by the press, the community, rival coaches, and referees -- and even the players themselves -- Tylene remains resolute. And when her boys rally around her, she leads the team -- and the town -- to a Friday night and a subsequent season they will never forget.
Based on a true story, When the Men Were Gone is a powerful and vibrant novel of perseverance and personal courage.
Now, the war has changed everything. Most of the Brownwood men over eighteen and under forty-five are off fighting, and in a small town the possibilities are limited. Could this mean a season without football? But no one counted on Tylene, who learned the game at her daddy’s knee. She knows more about it than most men, so she does the unthinkable, convincing the school to let her take on the job of coach.
Faced with extreme opposition by the press, the community, rival coaches, and referees -- and even the players themselves -- Tylene remains resolute. And when her boys rally around her, she leads the team -- and the town -- to a Friday night and a subsequent season they will never forget.
Based on a true story, When the Men Were Gone is a powerful and vibrant novel of perseverance and personal courage.
PRAISE FOR WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE:
"Sublimely ties together the drama of high school football, gender politics, and the impact of war on a small town in Texas.” – Best of Books, 2018, Sports Illustrated
“A beautiful story that stays in your heart long after you finish reading.” - Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author
"Based on a true story that most people probably don’t know, readers will find plenty to love in Herrera Lewis’ debut." -- Kirkus Review
HALL WAYS REVIEW: AUDIO BOOK
REVIEW. This fictionalized story of the very real Tylene Wilson was excellent,
but the audio book narration by Eva Kaminsky was amazing. Kaminsky sounds natural, and perfectly captures
the Texas accent with just the right flair and inflections to her words. She's
a real storyteller, and her narration raises WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE to the next
level -- which is hard to do because the story is pretty darn good.
"Brownwood is that kind
of town. You share what you have. Sometimes that means sharing a dog. Other
times, it means sharing the pain."
What author Marjorie Lewis
captures is the essence of small-town Texas -- not only during the book's
setting during World War II, but in general, especially with the football is
all and the women have their place mentality that persists. Lewis describes it all and brings it vividly
to life, warts and all, and gives readers a lot to chew on beyond the main
conflict that must be resolved: is Brownwood going to have to cancel its
football season because all the men are gone?
There is so much to like in
this story: the relationship between Tylene and her husband John; the fond
reflections of a happy childhood; the sprinkling of historical facts that
enrich the story. And the story, of course. This is much more than a story
about saving a football season; it is about a woman saving the lives of a
town's high school boys who would surely enlist if there was nothing to keep
them home.
Wally's Drug Store . . .
Wally, killed in France
Hank's Appliances . . .
Hank, killed in Italy by friendly fire during a training exercise
Cramer's Bakery . . .
Cramer, a prisoner of war
What's always humming in the
background is the impact the war has had on the town and its people. Every time
a plane flies overhead, it's the sound of death as yet another fallen soldier
is coming home. There are some poignant
pieces of writing that make the reader/listener stop and take a ragged breath
and remember that there are no winners in war.
Not only was Tylene's story
new to me, but I learned other bits of history. I hadn't realized that Camp
Bowie housed thousands of American soldiers AND German POWs, for example. And references to other events and people
beyond the war -- the Zephyr tornado, the Galveston Giant, and Ma Ferguson --
had me looking up information to refresh my memory. All these fine details gave
authenticity and perfectly contextualized WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE.
My only complaint is with
the ending. Yes, readers know how the main plot conflict was resolved: we know
who wins the big game, etc., and this may be enough for some readers/listeners.
But what about Tylene? Did she continue to coach the team? Did the town ever
fully accept her as the coach -- or even thank her for what she did? Given the
book was a fictionalized biography, I wish the author had shared the results of
her research. An epilogue or author's note to tell us the facts of the rest of
Tylene's story would have made this book perfect, but as I said before, it came
pretty darn close to perfection.
I obviously heard about this book
from Lone Star Book Blog Tours, but I purchased the audio copy on my own, with
no strings attached to write a review from anyone but myself. My review is my honest opinion -- the only
kind I give.
While writing When the Men Were Gone, she became inspired to try her hand at coaching football herself and was added to the Texas Wesleyan University football coaching staff in December 2016. Marjorie has degrees from Arizona State University, The University of Texas in Arlington, Southern New Hampshire University, and certificates from Southern Methodist University, and Cornell University. She is married and has two grown daughters and one son-in-law.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE SIGNED COPIES OF WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE
June 18-28, 2019
CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
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6/18/19
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Author Video &
BONUS Review
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Hall Ways Blog
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6/18/19
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BONUS Review
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6/19/19
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Review
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6/19/19
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Review
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6/20/19
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Excerpt
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6/21/19
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Author Interview
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6/21/19
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Excerpt
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6/22/19
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Review
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6/23/19
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Review
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6/23/19
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Scrapbook Page
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6/24/19
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Playlist & BONUS
Review
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6/25/19
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Review
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6/25/19
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Guest Post
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6/26/19
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Review
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6/27/19
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Review
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