This weekend’s leisure reading was When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera
Lewis. Lately, there has been a great increase in the number of works about
little-known women who changed history in both big and small ways. I enjoy
reading about these historical figures and learning their stories.
This tremendous story of courage and perseverance features
Tylene Wilson who became a high school football coach during World War II. She
learned the game of football from her father when she was a little girl and had
a lifelong love of the sport. In 1944, she was Assistant Principal of a high
school in Brownwood, Texas. When the coach leaves to fight in the war, there is
no one left to lead the team. Tylene tries to find a male, any male, to coach
but none are willing.
The general feeling is that the season should be
cancelled, but Tylene knows that football is the only thing standing between
the seniors and signing up early for the fight. She knows that they will most
likely need to go to war, but she wants to give them one last year before they
have to face that battle. Desperate, she takes it upon herself to coach, facing
a great deal of opposition in the process.
The author, who was deeply inspired by Tylene’s story, has
been a beat writer for the Dallas Cowboys as well as a member of the Texas
Wesleyan University football coaching staff.
This is a short book, perfect for enjoying in a weekend (I
love those kinds of books!). If you enjoy football or inspirational stories of
courageous women, you’ll enjoy When the Men
Were Gone.
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