The Black Widow: A Memoir

Summary

A CANDID AND MOVING AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY “THE BLACK WIDOW” OF BILLIARDS.

Jeanette Lee was 18 years old when she walked into a New York City pool hall and became enamored by the elegant geometry of the game. Before long, she was an unmistakable figure on the international competition circuit, dressed head-to-toe in black, stalking the billiards table, and gazing down her cue as if tracking her prey.

In this new memoir, the woman nicknamed “The Black Widow” opens up about her legendary career and the rich, unpredictable life she’s woven around it. Lee details her upbringing in a Korean American household in Brooklyn, her single-minded drive to reach the pinnacle of her sport, and her unlikely entry into the realm of mainstream celebrity in an era where female athletes rarely got their share of the limelight.

Lee also reflects on her lifelong struggle with scoliosis, which necessitated over 20 operations during her playing career; her public battle with Stage 4 ovarian cancer; and the communities that gave her strength throughout. Written with warmth and candor, this is the definitive story of a true icon.

“For as long as I’ve known my friend Jeanette Lee, she has been just a tower of inspiration and power to all that she meets. From her amazing skill on the billiard table to the kindness of her soul, I am so grateful for what she’s done. Not only in billiards, but for women all over the world.”—Nancy Lieberman, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer