Under the Lights
and in the Dark: Untold Stories of Women's Soccer takes an
unprecedented look inside the lives of professional soccer players
around the world – from precarious positions in underfunded teams
and leagues, to sold-out stadiums and bright lights. Award-winning
filmmaker and journalist Gwendolyn Oxenham tells the stories of the
phenoms, underdogs, and nobodies – players willing to follow the
game wherever it takes them.
Under the Lights and
in the Dark takes us inside the world of women’s soccer, following
players across the globe, from Portland Thorns star Allie Long, who
trains in an underground men’s league in New York City; to English
national Fara Williams, who hid her homelessness from her teammates
while playing for the English national team. Oxenham takes us to
Voronezh, Russia, where players battle more than just snowy pitches
in pursuing their dream of playing pro, and to a refugee camp in
Denmark, where Nadia Nadim, now a Danish international star, honed
her skills after her family fled from the Taliban.
Whether you’re a
newcomer to the sport or a die-hard fan, this is an inspiring book
about stars’ beginnings and adventures, struggles and hardship,
and, above all, the time-honored romance of the game.