Dust Bowl Girls
A true story about a team of Oklahoma farm girls led by a tough, visionary coach who — against all odds — became inspirational heroes and pioneers for female athletes today.
Algonquin Books, January 2017
At the height of the Great Depression, Sam Babb, the charismatic basketball coach of tiny Oklahoma Presbyterian College, began dreaming. Like so many others, he wanted a reason to have hope. Traveling from farm to farm, he recruited talented, hardworking young women and offered them a chance at a better life: a free college education if they would come play for his basketball team, the Cardinals.
Despite their fears of leaving home and the sacrifices that would be faced by their families, the women followed Babb and his dream. He shaped the Cardinals into a formidable team, and something extraordinary began to happen: with passion for the game and heartfelt loyalty to one another and their coach, they won every game. The team’s improbable journey leads to an epic showdown with the prevailing national champions, helmed by the legendary Babe Didrikson.
DUST BOWL GIRLS captures a moment in American history when female athletes faced incredible scrutiny, and when a struggling nation most needed inspiration and hope. Through sacrifice, determination, teamwork, and heart, this unlikely group led by a resourceful coach beat the odds, achieving much more than a championship season.
“A thrilling, cinematic story. I loved every minute I spent with the bold, daring women of the Cardinals basketball team, whose remarkable journey to victory is the stuff of American legend.”
— Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy
“Now playing its 20th season, the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) is among America’s most successful women’s professional sports leagues. Yet, the struggling basketball league has only turned a profit in recent years, still working hard to put fans in the stands. In this book first-time author Reeder introduces readers to Sam Babb, a remarkable man who saw past the Depression-era thinking that sports were less “ladylike” and even considered physically inappropriate for women. Babb scoured the Oklahoma farmlands looking for young women who would accept his offer of a college education; in return, he molded them into a team that exceeded all expectations. Equal parts social history and sports legend come to life, Reeder’s meticulous research and play-by-play game accounts are a fitting tribute to Coach Babb and the trailblazing athletes he inspired. Of special interest for students of women’s studies and a strong contender for a film adaptation. VERDICT With high appeal to sports fans and historians, this hidden gem of a story deserves a place in all public library collections.”
— Library Journal starred review