November 2024 Winner, Contemporary Fiction, International Impact Book Awards

2024 Third Place Winner, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Firebird Awards

Ginny Eastman was six years old when her older brother, Asher, handed her a basketball, starting her athletic journey in 1966. Despite her petite stature, Ginny discovered an innate talent for bouncing and running. In a time when few girls dared to dream of playing basketball, Ginny was smitten. However, her aspirations faced an unexpected challenge when juvenile diabetes entered her life, threatening to shatter her dreams.

Undeterred by her body's betrayals, Ginny pressed on. Growing taller, though not tall, she encountered bouts of self-destructive behavior in high school. With no professional women's basketball leagues in sight, Ginny, deemed "a girl obsessed" by her father, needed a backup plan.

Sugar Free chronicles Ginny's unconventional journey through the decades. Blessed with a talent lacking a clear outlet and hindered by a medical condition, Ginny navigates creative paths to satisfy her burning desire to rule the court. Follow Ginny as she confronts the limitations imposed by her body, societal expectations, and the absence of a traditional path, determined to carve her own extraordinary legacy.