“Carrie Soto is Back,” written by New York Times bestselling author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, tells the triumphant story of a women’s tennis comeback. 

The main character, Carrie Soto, nicknamed “The Battle Axe,” is a child tennis prodigy who became the best tennis player in the world in the ‘80s and is now retired. 

Carrie decides it is time to step out of retirement to defend her record of 20 Grand Slam wins against young tennis champion Nicki Chan with her father, Javier Soto coaching her. 

The story takes place in the present with flashbacks to the past, depicting her childhood and young adulthood as tennis’s No. 1 player in the world. 

“I want to be the greatest tennis player in the world,” Carrie said in the novel. 

Javier not only coaches his daughter, but also her ex-lover Bowe Huntley; a struggling tennis player who was once a star. 

Despite his history of losing matches, which result in his on-court temper-tantrums, Bowe is determined to prove that he is still a great player. 

Carrie, Bowe and Javier team up and train for The Australian Open, The French Open, Wimbledon and The U.S. Open in an attempt to win and defend their records and name. 

Reid enlightens readers on Carrie’s intense dedication to her sport and the relationship between her and the court. 

Readers follow Carrie as she works to redefine and rebuild relationships with her father, Bowe and Nicki, while also rebuilding her rocky relationship with tennis. 

“Carrie Soto is Back” explores themes of women’s sports and the treatment they receive compared to men, despite success and achievement. 

“We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men,” Reid said in the novel. 

Including Carrie’s relationships with tennis and those around her, readers explore Carrie’s inner conflict with herself through her emotions and why she cannot seem to accept failure.