Lucky Girl: Lessons on Overcoming Odds and Building a Limitless Future

Bassett chronicles her trajectory from orphaned chemical fire victim to record-holding track star in her inspiring debut memoir. Adopted from a Chinese orphanage by a Michigan couple when she was eight years old, Bassett faced bullying both for being a minority and for her prosthetic leg. As a teenager, she became enamored with running, and when she made it to UCLA on a full academic scholarship, she doubled down on her dedication to the sport. After she was discouraged from training with the college team due to her disability, she decided to teach herself how to sprint and ensure “the journey ahead of her had meaning and purpose.” The training paid off: Bassett became a seven-time Paralympic gold medalist and currently holds the Paralympic 400-meter dash world record. Organized into 10 “lessons” on topics ranging from body image to loneliness that she credits with building her perseverance, the memoir doubles as an unpretentious self-help tome delivered in the tender, casual tone of a beloved older sister. Readers will be hard-pressed not to walk away hailing Bassett as a role model. Agent: Esther Fedorkevich, Fedd Agency. (Sept.)