The small town of Brownwood is located smack dab in the middle of
Texas and, like many other Texas towns, people love their football
games. It is ingrained in their souls. There is no place people would
rather be on a fall Friday evening than to sit in the stands and cheer on
their team. Yet while people could sit on the Bownwood stands in
September 1944, there is no team to watch. Brownwood High School
could not find a suitable coach for the team and has let rocks and
weeds cover their football field. What else can they do?
Even more disappointed than the high school football team is their
assistant principal, Mrs. Tylene Wilson. With little to get excited about
in their hometown, Tylene knows the boys would attempt to lie about
their age and enlist. With too many unwanted telegrams arriving in their
small town and the planes returning their dead soldiers and sons, she
wants nothing more than to give that extra year of fun and protection to
the senior boys. What can she do?
WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE is
the exciting debut novel by Marjorie Herrera Lewis. With her impressive
background as a sportswriter and university football coach, Lewis gives
a very authentic voice in this highly captivating novel based on the
experiences of Tylene Wilson, a female football coach in Texas during
WWII.
WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE is
sure to be a winner with anyone who relishes an inspiring story and
football fans are sure to love it even more. With her strong character
development and authentic sense of the time and place, Lewis instantly
pulls you into Tylene's life and how she grew to know so much about
football. Tylene is a strong woman and her motivation is always her
concern over her students. Despite being shocked by the heckling, the
stereotyping, and the obstacles put in her way, she becomes even more
determined in her quest to give the senior students that final year of
football before they enlist in the war effort and potential end up dying
in far away lands or in the south Pacific. Tylene makes thoughtful and
tough decisions for what she believes is best for her students.
From the moment I started reading WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE, I literally could not bear
to put the book down! I read it while making supper and then had to put
everything else on hold until I finished this very engrossing story of a
truly amazing woman. WHEN THE MEN
WERE GONE is not a perfect novel, but it is a very readable and
exciting story where you just have to read on to find out what Tylene
would do next.
I am sure WHEN THE MEN WERE
GONE would be an awesome movie as it is so powerfully and
vividly told. You can easily visualize Tylene running around on the field
in her dress and pearls directing the boys. So, find out what really
happens WHEN THE MEN WERE
GONE! You will be glad you did!
In Marjorie Herrera Lewis’s debut historical novel the inspiring true story of high school teacher Tylene Wilson—a woman who surprises everyone as she breaks with tradition to become the first high school football coach in Texas—comes to life. 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 18 and under 45 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.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy