Review by Laurina_Olowo -- The Most Unlikely Champion

[Laurina Michael Olowoniran]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Most Unlikely Champion" by Vera Koo.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Most Unlikely Champion by Vera Koo is a book about a Chinese-American woman who grew up in a traditional Chinese home, raised by her mother and ‘father’ who believed in the Chinese way of life. She got married to her sweetheart Carlos who was a pillar in her life. Carlos was always there for her and supported her all the way. He was a wonderful father to his children. But, was he without flaws?

Her mother, Stella, even with secrets kept away from Vera, was a sweet soul who believes in family. Despite her bitter experiences, Stella taught her daughter certain principles such as kindness and the importance of family; this made Vera focus on her family first before anything else, including personal achievements.

Sport shooting, like much other sport, is a male-dominated sport. Vera wasn’t taken seriously when she began, and that’s not only because she was a frail and plain-looking woman, she was way older than most women in the competition. How can she win a game with all the pain and challenges going on in her life, including conquering an inferiority complex that seems to be back after 30 years?

I enjoyed reading this book and seeing how she handled living with her in-laws where she was treated like a second class citizen, especially by her father-in-law, dealt with losses including the loss of a child, family secrets, and betrayals on different levels. She was able to survive a lethal betrayal that almost made her mad the first time by finding solace in Sport shooting. It endeared me to her character.

Reading this memoir has changed my perspective on how to act in times of pain. I was again reminded of how important it is to live intentionally. She firmly believes that “pain is often how God teaches us His most important lessons.” The book made me go back to analyze my attitude towards a challenge I was going through. I agree with her mindset that you’ve got to use pain constructively.

The book is a wonderful one, as I loved the principles portrayed. Still, I would rate The Most Unlikely Champion three out of four stars due to typographical errors and omitted words, which disrupted my enjoyment of the book a little bit. I would also have loved the chapters of the book to be arranged as the incidents happened in her life. We could be in the present then suddenly in the past and then back in the present. I had to follow the trend consciously, so I don’t get lost.

There were no profanities or sexual scenes. So, I recommend this book to those who are looking for ways to overcome difficult challenges, those who love sport shooting, and those who like to change the status quo. Anyone who would be offended about openly discussing prayer and faith in God should pass on this one.

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The Most Unlikely Champion
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[Adina Lutinger]

Vera sounds like an amazing woman, and the book sounds very interesting and inspiring. Thank you very much for your awesom review!

[Laurina Michael Olowoniran]

Vera sounds like an amazing woman, and the book sounds very interesting and inspiring. Thank you very much for your awesom review!

Vera is surely an amazing woman. I learnt a lot from her person. Thank you for commenting.

[Diana Lowery]

"Using pain constructively" is always a good mantra, but even more so during these trying times. I enjoyed your review.

[AvidBibliophile]

Guess everyone has secrets and flaws; what a challenging life that must have been for Vera. Thanks for your review!

[Linda Ozioma Adiele]

I enjoyed your review and will save this book in my library for reading.

[Kanda_theGreat]

This aint my type of read but your review is well done!

[Miraphery]

Vera did go through a lot and I loved how she responded to her challenges. It seems like an interesting one. Great review.

[fadjei]

This sounds like a great book, and Vera sounds like a fascinating person. I like how she pushed through challenges in life, and remained positive.
Thanks for the review!

[MsH2k]

Go Vera! It sounds like she lived a very interesting life. I like her mindset about living intentionally. Thanks for a great review!

[Maconstewart]

Vera did indeed have a life that was as challenging as it was fulfilling. I admire her tenacity. Thank you for the review!

[kdstrack]

Your comments about the lessons learned from Vera's story made me want to read this book. I admire her tenacity and perseverance. Your review has piqued my interest about her life story. Great review!

[Alice Heritage]

I liked the way you highlighted the part about using pain constructively. I enjoyed reading your well-written review.

[Laurina Michael Olowoniran]

"Using pain constructively" is always a good mantra, but even more so during these trying times. I enjoyed your review.

Thanks a lot for reading and commenting.

[Laurina Michael Olowoniran]

Guess everyone has secrets and flaws; what a challenging life that must have been for Vera. Thanks for your review!

It was challenging indeed but she always had a way of coming out of it better