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One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together Kindle Edition

by Amy Bass (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 206 ratings
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In the tradition of Friday Night Lights and Outcasts United, One Goal tells the inspiring story of the soccer team in a town bristling with racial tension that united Somali refugees and multi-generation Mainers in their quest for state -- and ultimately national -- glory.

When thousands of Somali refugees resettled in Lewiston, Maine, a struggling, overwhelmingly white town, longtime residents grew uneasy. Then the mayor wrote a letter asking Somalis to stop coming, which became a national story. While scandal threatened to subsume the town, its high school's soccer coach integrated Somali kids onto his team, and their passion began to heal old wounds. Taking readers behind the tumult of this controversial team -- and onto the pitch where the teammates vied to become state champions and achieved a vital sense of understanding -- One Goal is a timely story about overcoming the prejudices that divide us.
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  1. Print length
    267 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Hachette Books
  5. Publication date
    February 27, 2018
  6. File size
    21171 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The perfect parable for our time."
―Jane Leavy, The Wall Street Journal

"A magnificent and significant book about soccer in the United States...at once a stark look at the lives of the Somali refugees and a serious study of why soccer matters as a link between disparate cultures and peoples....Some of the vignettes of life for these refugees are as unforgettable as any heart-stopping game."―The Globe & Mail

"Amy Bass tells a story that encompasses many of the things people love about sports, but also epitomizes many of the reasons sports matter."―Bob Costas

"In this noisy era of glib hot-takes and childish finger-pointing, it's too easy to forget that the national character--hardworking, immigrant-fueled, optimistic--was built from the bottom up. Let Amy Bass remind you. Let her take you to our frosty upper righthand corner, to Lewiston, Maine, where quiet heroes like Mike McGraw, Abdi H. and the magical Blue Devils show again just how it's done. This is not just a great story, deftly reported and unflinchingly told. It's not just a story of one obscure high school season. It's the American story, just when you feared that it might be fading fast, renewed."―S.L. Price, Sports Illustrated Senior Writer and author of PlayingThrough The Whistle: Steel, Football and an American Town

"A lively, informative, and entertaining...underdog story that skillfully blends elements of human compassion, passion for a sport, determination, and endurance with overtones of societal pressure and racism. It's an exhilarating narrative that shows how perseverance and the ability to disregard the narrow-mindedness of xenophobia can lead to victory....An edifying and adrenaline-charged tale."
―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"At a time when America seems consumed by divisiveness and hate, along comes One Goal, a beautiful and important reminder that humanity's strength is its togetherness. Yes, on the surface this is a soccer book. But Amy Bass' work is so much more. It's about overcoming odds, about embracing differences, about the triumph of will and spirit. A true gem of a book."―Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of The Bad Guys Won and Gunslinger

"A story that is not only relevant to our national discourse, but essential. This is a book about the big 'isms,' but it is most of all a book about human beings, compellingly and movingly rendered."
―Jeremy Schaap, New York Times bestselling author of Cinderella Man

"A touching work showing how different groups can come together through sports"―Library Journal, Best Books of the Year

"In this gripping account of Lewiston's journey to its first-ever high-school soccer state championship, history professor Bass vividly tells the stories of the Somalis and Lewiston, exploring the resistance and racism the refugees faced in town and on the field....a heartening example of sport's ability to bring people together...Engrossing and informative."
―Booklist

"One Goal has made me feel optimistic about the country I live in. The vibrant, colorful and courageous characters will make you smile. The coach of the Blue Devils, Mike McGraw, is the kind of man you wish your own kids could learn from- and he teaches a lot more than soccer. One Goal is about so much more than sports. It illustrates how powerful and transcendent teamwork and community can be."―Mary Carillo, analyst, NBC Sports

"Amy Bass's book transcends sports and provides encouragement in discouraging times."
―Bill Littlefield, Boston Globe, Best Books of the Year

"Wondrous....The players' humble triumphs remind us that no win is too small....One Goal illustrates how sport changed the history of a small town in Maine and connected so many people. It's a relevant tale in today's political climate, where fear and bigotry can be conquered by inclusion, understanding, and the beautiful game."―ShireenAhmed, co-host of the Burn It All Down podcast

"[A] relevant and rewarding narrative... Bass's effective portrayal of Lewiston as a microcosm of America's changing culture should be required reading."―Publishers Weekly

"We can use more books that make us feel good about being Americans. This one does that."―Lee Miller, The Boston Globe

"Bass captures the essence of this unlikely band of brothers perfectly. This isn't a story about a soccer team....More than anything, this is a story of hope. The hope that brought thousands of Africans to a remote corner of the America in search of a better life. The hope that made a city finally open its arms to the children of those immigrants. The hope that our future still might be better than our past."―Tom Caron, anchor, New England Sports Network

"One Goal is Friday Night Lights for the twenty-first century."―Brian Phillips, author of Impossible Owls

"The inspirational story of how Somali refugees and native-born white kids in Lewiston, Maine, banded together to win a state championship, helping bridge racial and cultural divides...Bass broadens the story to show how it fits into the story of immigration, racism, Islamaphobia and economic decline in rust belt American towns."―The Hollywood Reporter

About the Author

A professor of history in New York, Amy Bass lived in Lewiston, Maine for four years as a student at Bates College. Her writing has appeared in Slate, Salon, and CNN Opinion, and her work for NBC's Olympics coverage earned her an Emmy in 2012 for Outstanding Live Event Turnaround. One Goal is her fourth book.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0739WS6DW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hachette Books (February 27, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 21171 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 267 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 206 ratings

About the author

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Amy Bass

Amy Bass

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A history professor by day, Amy Bass has written about sport and race for Slate, Salon, CNN Opinion, and The Christian Century; has been seen on NBC's TODAY Show and CNN; and heard on NPR. She served as senior research supervisor for NBC Olympic Sports, winning at Emmy Award for her work at the London Olympics in 2012.

ONE GOAL is her fourth book.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
206 global ratings
So much to love about this book!
5 Stars
So much to love about this book!
This book has so many layers!! I am a big fan of soccer and thoroughly enjoyed that soccer was one layer of this book, BUT, the layers about community, acceptance, teamwork, coaching, diversity, love for others, etc are what made this book so hard to put down! After my second time reading it.... CONGRATULATIONS Amy Bass! You exceeded my expectations and met many goals with this story!I would like to see this book in homes, libraries, and classrooms. There are so many lessons to be learned for all ages. Lewiston had a lesson and story to be shared and Amy told it so well!
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Top reviews from the United States

Sean D. Elliot
5.0 out of 5 stars While it is true that I would have greatly enjoyed reading this book in one lengthy sitting
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
It has been suggested that if all I say is "I didn't want to put it down" I've said enough about this book. I beg to differ on that matter. While it is true that I would have greatly enjoyed reading this book in one lengthy sitting, there is much more to it than that. Amy Bass has spun a tale, or rather shared a story (since it's factual reporting, not fiction) which is heart-warming, and compelling, and inspiring, and informative, and educational with such grace and skill that it most certainly deserved all the accolades I've read in other places. First, and foremost, it's an inspirational sports story, the story of a comeback, a team that takes disappointment and turns it into joy. Beyond that though it is also the story of the American dream, of immigrants and a community and how they found some measure of common ground around that inspirational sports story. I was immediately drawn in to the story of coach Walsh and his team and how they navigated the challenges before them, and the community and how they rallied around the team, and battled narrow-mindedness and xenophobia because the game of soccer gave them common ground from which to build relationships. I'm sure Lewiston is not Utopia, I'm sure the immigrants to that community still face discrimination, but I'm also sure that because of the efforts, inspired by soccer, of those in the community who did not surrender to the forces of negativity around them. This is a story deeply rooted in our times that will be an important lesson for future generations.
10 people found this helpful
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William Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars High School Soccer Team Unifies Community
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2018
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I think the most important message in this book is the fact different groups of people can overcome their differences if culture, religion, and backgrounds to become good friends and neighbors. Once again, a coach is able to draw a divided community together with the high school's soccer team. The Somali community members and soccer team members went to great lengths to end up in Lewiston, Maine. Along their journey, they faced many discriminatory, prejudicial, and racist behavior, actions, and speech from the "locals" who seemed to forget their families, at one time, weren't local at all. Given what's happening in this country right now with the unbridled approval of discrimination and prejudice by the federal government, this book is a good reminder of what this country should be about, and, not to give up hope it might one day return to that path.
2 people found this helpful
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Thomas Kelley
4.0 out of 5 stars A soccer feel good story
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2019
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This story follows a high school soccer team from Lewiston Maine and their mission to win a high school state soccer title. The team is mostly made up of immigrants and of those mostly from Somalia and a dedicated coach. It follows the path on how these immigrant children and their families came to the United States and what a path it is with all the trials and tribulations these people faced just for the opportunity to get to Maine. It turned out well for Lewiston also as it was a classic mill town that at one time had a lot of French Canadians. With the mill work on the decline the town was on the decline also so it was a benefit when these immigrant started to populate Lewiston. It does follow the struggles of the town folks that were not use to having people of color and the immigrants dealing with individuals that are racist and or not friendly to people of color. The racial undertones are only one part of the story so do not let that stop you from reading this book.
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Andrew B Gluck
5.0 out of 5 stars If you like an inspirational sports story
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Oh my! Amy Bass scores with ONE GOAL. If you like an inspirational sports story, fact or fiction, (insert ROCKY or 1980 Lake Placid USA hockey) you will LOVE this book. But wait, if you are not a sports fan, or a soccer one for that matter, this story goes much further. This is a feel good story of accepting immigrants into our communities. These kids brought a community together and showed how our world is a small place, if you open you arms and hearts to others. Buy it, read it and buy more for your family and friends. Lastly, a great read for ALL ages. Teachers and parents can make it a read-aloud, middle schoolers and high schoolers will devour it. Enjoy!
4 people found this helpful
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ItsMe
5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks, Amy Bass! You made me care A ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Thanks, Amy Bass! You made me care A LOT about high school soccer in Lewiston, ME - never words I thought I’d say. With whit, charm, and the generosity and honor they so deserve, Bass tells the story of Somali refugees and how they rise above their pasts spent in camps and fleeing from war and their present lives in small town ME where they are unwelcome, to form one team with One Goal.
This book will make you want to stand up and cheer, will make you remember that one coach who made you feel special, and will make you think about how we, as Americans, treat those we accept into our borders, those other than ourselves.
4 people found this helpful
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Maddie
5.0 out of 5 stars So much to love about this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book has so many layers!! I am a big fan of soccer and thoroughly enjoyed that soccer was one layer of this book, BUT, the layers about community, acceptance, teamwork, coaching, diversity, love for others, etc are what made this book so hard to put down! After my second time reading it.... CONGRATULATIONS Amy Bass! You exceeded my expectations and met many goals with this story!
I would like to see this book in homes, libraries, and classrooms. There are so many lessons to be learned for all ages. Lewiston had a lesson and story to be shared and Amy told it so well!
Customer image
Maddie
5.0 out of 5 stars So much to love about this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2018
This book has so many layers!! I am a big fan of soccer and thoroughly enjoyed that soccer was one layer of this book, BUT, the layers about community, acceptance, teamwork, coaching, diversity, love for others, etc are what made this book so hard to put down! After my second time reading it.... CONGRATULATIONS Amy Bass! You exceeded my expectations and met many goals with this story!
I would like to see this book in homes, libraries, and classrooms. There are so many lessons to be learned for all ages. Lewiston had a lesson and story to be shared and Amy told it so well!
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2 people found this helpful
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Julie N. Tenan
3.0 out of 5 stars Simple acts yield compassion
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2019
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Yet another story of the underdog being responsible for changing a community due to a sport. Nicely done, I think I had reached my saturation point on the topic.
2 people found this helpful
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