The Munich Cowboys Cheerleaders - by Martha Hall Kelly & Kathy Murray (Paperback)

About the Book

An uplifting story of friendship and conviction in the face of adversity.

Book Synopsis

From New York Times best-selling author of Lilac Girls Martha Hall Kelly and coauthor Kathy Murray comes a novella based on Murray's true underdog story, following her time coaching a German cheerleading squad and ultimately inspiring a group of young women to reach new heights in their sport.

It's 1997, and Kathy Murray, desperate to leave her medical sales job and pursue her passion, accepts an offer to teach aerobics in Germany - as a former elite athlete, she's confident she can handle whatever comes her way. She quickly realizes, though, that her leap of faith may be more challenging than she thought, struggling with the German language and the overt racism she constantly faces as one of the only Black people in her new community. But that doesn't stop her from taking on her biggest challenge yet: coaching a cheerleading squad of disengaged teenagers with only weeks to prepare for their championship competition.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Annika Jensen is a gifted gymnast, but when she arrives in Munich, she's still haunted by the troubling memories of her previous cheer squad and has no interest in revisiting the sport. Can the Munich Cowboys Cheerleaders and their fearless new coach reignite Annika's passion and rebuild her confidence?

Told from Kathy and Annika's perspectives, The Munich Cowboys Cheerleaders: Leaving Corporate Life for An Extraordinary Coaching Journey Abroad is an uplifting story of friendship and conviction in the face of adversity.

Review Quotes

A German cheerleading tale with Ted Lasso feels

This delightful novella explores the origins of The Munich Cowboys Cheerleaders and Kathy Murray, the woman who was tasked to turn a disenchanted group of German teens into a team worthy of competition. It's a story that could have inspired the hit TV series Ted Lasso (if Ted were a real-life person and a Black woman tasked to coach a German cheerleading squad). What a gift to have Coach Murray team up with historical fiction master Martha Hall Kelly (of Lilac Girls fame) to bring us this uplifting story of friendship and conviction. I'm still smiling.

Tricia F.

Audible Editor