How (Not) To Be Strong

APPLE BOOKS REVIEW

In the age of tabloid press and social media—and the ever-spreading overlap between the two—it’s rare to read a celebrity memoir that isn’t just a fleshing out of the previously established facts. Against all odds, former women’s football star and current star TV presenter Alex Scott has so far managed to keep the lid on her private life as tight as the captain’s armband she once wore for Arsenal, putting her in the unique position of being able to tell her remarkable story, for the first time, on her own terms. Bucking expectations is a recurring theme in Scott’s reflections on her life so far, beginning with her difficult early years growing up in a single-parent, working-class family living in a low-income area of east London. Some of the challenges Scott faces in her extraordinary push to always be “top tier” in everything that she turns her hand to are rooted in the impact of events from her childhood still resonating through her to this day, and are in some ways the driving motivation behind her success. Eventually, the remarkable strength that Scott demonstrates in her dealings both on and off the pitch proves to be her biggest weakness, and in writing How (Not) To Be Strong, she is generous in sharing the lessons she has learned the hard way. Her personal journey is empathetic and will sadly be a relatable in places for many readers, but the difficulties are tempered by Scott’s good-natured determination to take life on and win. When she finally allows herself to take a moment and appreciate all she has achieved in the closing pages of the book, it feels more than deserved.