An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Biographies & Memoirs
This story of [the] Evansville mens basketball teams rebirth after the 1977 plane crash is tragic and inspiring. Sports Illustrated
The best stories about sports are about life, tooBeaven, who grew up in Evansville, crafts a beautiful story. Washington Post
This is a story of community resilience and a tribute not only to those who were lost but those who carried on. Courier & Press
We Will Rise is a heartwarming story of the spirit of this team, its fans, and a resilient community. Brooklyn Digest
Such was the rallying cry that propelled one of the most stirring comeback stories in recent history, a story being remembered and retold this season thanks to a new book. In We Will Rise: A True Story of Tragedy and Resurrection in the American Heartland, journalist and Evansville, Indiana, native Steve Beaven recounts the disaster that befell the University of Evansville mens basketball team in 1977: a plane crash that killed players and their coach and devastated a basketball-crazy community that took great pride in their Purple Aces. USA Today
This story exemplifies the resilience of the American heartland, where God-fearing people bear unspeakable pain and tragedy with grace and depth most of us cannot comprehend. The heart of Evansville beats like a basketball on hardwood with every word. You can almost hear the squeaking of high-top sneakers on the floor, the ear-splitting chirp of whistles and the quiet, gut-wrenching sobs of those who grieve. We Will Rise joins the pantheon of great sports books for one simple reason: it has very little to do with sports. Steve Eubanks, New York Times bestselling author of All American: Two Young Men, the 2001 Army-Navy Game and the War They Fought in Iraq
Riveting and very personalSteven Beaven has written the last word on the tragic crash of the University of Evansville basketball team. More, though, he celebrates the rebirth rise of the program after the devastating events of that winter day in 1977. A must-read. Bob Kravitz, senior staff writer for The Athletic and former columnist for The Indianapolis Star
We Will Rise is an ode to spirit, to hope, to somehow carrying on after the greatest of heartbreaks. Steve Beavens masterful work is a true must-read. Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author and former senior writer for Sports Illustrated
Growing up in Indiana, I heard the stories about the crash that destroyed the young team at the heart of We Will Rise. But I learned so much more reading this book. Steve Beaven honors the players and coaches who lost their lives and tells the stories of their families trying to move forward in the face of unthinkable grief. Here is the best of what sports can mean to a community. Brad Stevens, head coach of the Boston Celtics
