Book Review: ‘A Woman in a Man’s World’

In this book review from the Online Book Club, AAliyaash writes that Vera Koo, author of “The Most Unlikely Champion,” is undoubtedly a “woman in a man’s world.” Find out why in the review.

The Most Unlikely Champion is a beautiful memoir written about Vera Koo who was a national and world title holder in action pistol shooting. This book reflects all her struggles and achievements, which have been put together beautifully with proper timelines. With a Chinese background Vera explains the conservative nature of China back in the early seventy’s. She constantly speaks about stigma that surrounded her choice of passion and all the obstacles she faced in pursuing it.

Vera is a determined person and has a strong mindset about her goals. She does not set unrealistic goals but rather plans them in a very systematic way. She knew she was entering a male dominated sport and did not find the need to prove anyone but herself. She speaks about the importance of having the right mentor and the right equipment. Vera joined pistol shooting after having a family. Much portion of the book describes how her family life affected her passion. She deals with major losses during her life. There is one loss that she deals with particularly, which changes her life altogether. This part of the book is explained beautifully and will move anyone who reads it. Although she suffers, she picks herself up for the sake of her family. Vera is a very outgoing person and so is her husband. She has a lot of respect and compassion for her husband. Her husband is very supportive and always prompts Vera to go after her dreams. She also explains how the turmoil of her relationship affects her tournaments, stating that if one is not emotionally focused, a win would not make them happy.

Vera is a strong soul and a brave woman. At the age of 66 after injuring herself, she does not want to give up. She recovers and pulls herself up. A major part of this book is about how she balances her personal life and her work life. She faces troubles with both sides, but she navigates through these issues effectively. Vera always has faith on God, but in time she realized that she needed to have faith in herself.

Read the original review here.