It might seem like an unusual place to start, but I will begin my review of Ace, Marvel, Spy: A Novel of Alice Marble with an observation about the author’s note. One of the primary things that Jenni L Walsh shares about her book is that Alice Marble’s own memoir was the primary source for her novel. The idea that an author can tell another person’s story better than they did in their own memoir is a bold premise. It borders on hubris—and the real question is whether Walsh manages to pull it off. (Spoiler alert! She did not.)
There are many valid reasons to reprise and dramatize a memoir. For example, a contemporary author may provide historical context that the original author may not have needed when writing for an audience living in their own time. Additionally, a rewrite might amplify a voice overlooked or dismissed in its time, giving it renewed resonance for modern readers. Dramatizing a memoir can also bridge gaps in understanding for audiences unfamiliar with the subject’s world, or to craft a more cohesive narrative arc.
In this case, I quickly developed the impression that Walsh was writing for readers who are unfamiliar with tennis. In fact, I would directly question the author’s knowledge of the sport myself. As a result, Ace, Marvel, Spy devotes copious space to explaining the background of the circumstances in Marble’s life. Unfortunately, much of that exposition is delivered through stilted dialogue that feels artificial. At times, I found myself wondering if the novel had originated as a screenplay, with characters awkwardly required to verbalize every aspect of the backstory.
To be fair, part of the problem might be that I simply know too much. Alice Marble is a figure I’ve read about extensively, and her story has already been told—repeatedly and, in many cases, quite well. In addition to Marble’s own memoir, Courting Danger, her life has been explored in The Divine Miss Marble by Robert Weintraub, which offers a compelling blend of biography and investigative journalism. Queen of the Court: The Many Lives of Tennis Legend Alice Marble is another comprehensive biography written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Madeleine Blais. For readers already familiar with these accounts, Ace, Marvel, Spy doesn’t offer anything new or revelatory. Instead, it is an awkward, dramatized repackaging that struggles to match the depth and authenticity of what came before.
It’s always a little awkward when I don’t enjoy a tennis book—especially one that aims to spotlight a figure as significant as Alice Marble. I want to cheer for any book that brings attention to her legacy, particularly in a medium that could introduce her to a wider audience. But here we are. Ace, Marvel, Spy falls flat in ways that are hard to ignore. The only mystery left, is how the author managed to garner so many glowing reviews on Amazon. It is hard for me to imagine that we all read the same book.
If you’re looking for a compelling account of Alice Marble’s extraordinary life, I recommend starting with her own memoir, Courting Danger. It reads like fiction, but it’s all real—ish, from Marbles self-interested perspective. For readers interested in a more thoroughly researched and fact-checked version of tennis history, both The Divine Miss Marble by Robert Weintraub and Queen of the Court by Madeleine Blais offer richer, more nuanced portraits without sacrificing storytelling.
The truth is, Alice Marble didn’t need anyone to dramatize her life—she was already too good to be true. Life is too short to read bad books about tennis. Marble’s story, as she told it and as others have meticulously documented, was already more than enough.
Ace, Marvel, Spy: A Novel of Alice Marble (<- Sponsored Link)
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