We Will Rise, Steve Beaven
We Will Rise, Steve Beaven
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We Will Rise
A True Story of Tragedy and Resurrection in the American Heartland

Author: Steve Beaven

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Unabridged: 7 hr 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/01/2020

Synopsis

The inspiring true story of the tragic loss and triumphant resurrection of a basketball team and its coach at the heart of a small Indiana town.By 1977 the University of Evansville’s Purple Aces basketball team had won five small-college national championships. With a charismatic young coach and a freshman phenom, this small Indiana city hoped to see its team shine in the national spotlight. Then, on a foggy night, after just four games, the plane carrying the team and its coach crashed after takeoff, killing everyone on board.The tragedy seemed insurmountable, a devastating blow to the identity of a fading factory town. But, with the support of a city in mourning, ambitious new coach Dick Walters promised to rebuild the cherished institution. Assembling a team of castoffs, walk-ons, and overachievers, Walters restored the legacy of the team and its fans. Against all odds, his young men made history.A tribute to those who were lost, and to those who carried on, We Will Rise is the rich and powerful story of an underdog team and its fans and the spirit of a resilient community.

About Steve Beaven

Steve Beaven is an Evansville native and a former staff writer at the Oregonian. His work has appeared in the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and two sons.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Vonda on February 28, 2020

A wonderful telling of the entire team that went down on a plane in 1977, all dying including the young high energy coach that had driven them to 5 championships,working on a 6th. The story tells the grief the entire town experienced, how a sport brought a town together. It tells about each families......more

Goodreads review by Richard on December 14, 2019

I eagerly anticipated reading Steve Beaven's "We Will Rise: A True Story of Tragedy and Resurrection in the American Heartland," a book that remembers the December 13, 1977 plane crash that took the lives of the entire University of Evansville basketball team along with coaches, boosters, and everyo......more

Goodreads review by Mandi on April 14, 2020

4.5 - only occasionally did I get confused about who was who, but wow, was this captivating! I think you have to be a bit of a sports enthusiast to love it, but it was so great. I cried way too many times. 😭......more

Goodreads review by William Gary Narron on December 18, 2019

Boring and meaningless It reads like an infinite number of old newspaper stories. No human interest, no story line, no emotion, no passion. The author seems not to care why should I.......more

Goodreads review by Steve on November 13, 2019

As exceptional story of a college and community overcoming devastation and rebuilding a basketball program that was the heart of the town. Beaven lets the story unfold in all its heartache and triumph without any unnecessary theatrics.......more

Quotes

“This story of [the] Evansville men’s basketball team’s rebirth after the 1977 plane crash is tragic and inspiring.” —Sports Illustrated“The best stories about sports are about life, too…Beaven, who grew up in Evansville, crafts a beautiful story.” —Washington Post“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

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