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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Sugar Free by Robin D'Amato is a literary fiction novel that chronicles the life of Ginny Eastman, a girl with a passion for basketball in the 1960s. Despite her small stature and a diagnosis of juvenile diabetes, Ginny refuses to give up her dream. With no professional women's basketball leagues and her own personal struggles to face, Ginny fights to overcome societal and physical obstacles to forge her path to sporting glory. Her journey is one of resilience, determination, and self-discovery as she navigates a world that often leaves little room for women in sports. D'Amato has a keen sense of balance and social critique that lends itself to this powerful exploration of gender roles and the limitations imposed on women’s athletic dreams in the 1960s.
When we think of sports fiction and nostalgic dramas, we so often land squarely on male stereotypes and typical stories of masculine success, so when Ginny bursts out of this novel with all guns blazing in her passion for basketball, it’s a breath of fresh air that revamps the genre and shows so many new and exciting possibilities. The author’s writing style is rich and introspective as a result of this unique perspective, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in Ginny’s emotional journey as she meets obstacles head-on and they feel every moment of physical hardship and emotional triumph. Ginny’s struggle with juvenile diabetes is a brilliant and tender addition to the narrative that makes her perseverance even more inspiring. Robin D'Amato skillfully balances the themes of physical limitation and personal ambition without ever idealizing her struggle or putting her on a pedestal. She is very much a real girl with real dreams; so much so that readers will sometimes forget this is a work of fiction and want to find out where she is now in her sporting life. Overall, Sugar Free is a brilliant novel about sporting ambition and also a universal tale of resilience that I would highly recommend.
