I did it after finishing Tara Westover’s Educated and Jeannette Walls’ Glass Castles. I surprised myself by thoroughly enjoying this memoir, despite being a sixty-something, straight woman who knew absolutely nothing about roller derby (although my nephew’s wife plays – and boy do I now have a whole new respect for her).Ī great memoir always compels me to Google the author to find out more about them. Told with unflinching honesty and a giant dose of wonder, Brace for Impact is a tender, inspiring memoir about the everyday heroism of pursuing a life less ordinary, and the deeply human need to be at peace with who you are. Rendered inactive, forced to be still, Gabe realizes she needs to heal her emotional wounds as much as her physical ones she must confront her fear and self-diminishment in order to feel truly alive. She soon finds community and a sense of belonging, reveling in the tattoos, glitter, and campiness.īut when Gabe suffers a catastrophic injury, she can no longer ignore the parallels between the physicality of roller derby and the unresolved trauma of her upbringing. Gabe instantly falls in love with the sport’s roughness, intensity, and open embrace of people who are literally and figuratively scarred. With no prior experience, she joins Arch Rival, one of the top-ranked roller derby leagues in the world.

Louis, she is determined to put the baggage of her childhood behind her. A competitive swimmer, she turned to perfectionism and self-control to create a sense of safety, only to develop an eating disorder and constantly second-guess her instincts.

Brace for impact gabe montesanti