Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me About God and Life

In her forthright book, Richards-Ross (Run with Me), a Jamaican-American former track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist, chronicles her lifelong quest to become one of the world’s best runners and the best version of herself. The book traces her career from her first days on the track as a seven-year-old in Jamaica to breaking the American 400-meter record. The book is primarily organized chronologically, but she frames it around the four phases of her races—push, pace, position and poise—and connects each chapter to broader life lessons that can be applied off the track. Richards-Ross is refreshingly candid about deeply personal subjects that are generally considered taboo: she is open about seeing a sports psychologist to help her deal with the enormous pressure of her races, and she divulges that she had an abortion shortly before the 2008 Olympics, a decision she says “broke” her and strained her marriage to NFL player Aaron Ross. This is a refreshing behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a professional athlete that emphasizes her hard work and dedication to achieving her goals. Agent: David Larabell, CAA. (June)

Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly noted that this is the second book written by Richards-Ross.