Coming Home (Adapted for Young Adults)

By: Brittney Griner, Michelle Burford

Narrated by: Andia Winslow

From basketball icon Brittney Griner comes a captivating memoir about her journey from early athletic stardom to her page-turning account of how she persevered in a Russian prison—now adapted for young adults.

On February 17, 2022, Brittney Griner arrived in Moscow ready to play for a Russian women’s basketball team. Instead, a security checkpoint became her gateway to hell and she was arrested for mistakenly carrying a small amount of an illegal substance in Russia. Brittney’s world was violently upended in a crisis that would capture the interest of an entire nation.

Brittney shares this harrowing story of courage and strength, while recalling her teenage years where she found meaning and empowerment in sports, and overcoming her own struggles with her sexual identity. Her principles of fortitude and courage are ever evident as she goes on to recount her feelings of isolation while navigating a foreign legal system, her emotional and physical anguish as the first American woman ever to endure a Russian penal colony, the chilling prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, and her remarkable rise from hostage to global spokesperson on behalf of other detained Americans.

Young readers will identify with Brittney's story of overcoming insurmountable odds, finding strength within herself, and navigating the ups and downs of coming of age as a queer Black woman. Coming Home is both a story of survival and a testament to love—the bonds that brought Brittney home to her family, and ultimately, to herself.

Critic reviews

★ "Fans of basketball and Griner will enjoy this memoir; the themes of ­racism, body image, and LGBTQIA+ rights will appeal to a larger audience." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A chronicle of rebounding against unthinkable odds; Griner’s voice and faith ring clear in this story of survival." —Kirkus Reviews

"Young adult readers will be able to understand Griner's actions with greater context through her informal yet powerful language....her inspiring introspection and steadfast determination to bring attention to wrongful detention sheds a light on the darker side of international politics." —Booklist