Pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport in America. Ilana Long, author of Pickleballers, a debut romantic comedy set in Seattle, noted that as many as 50 million individuals are expected to play the sport in 2024.
The game, which Long calls multigenerational, serves as the backdrop for a story about a young woman who, on the rebound of a breakup, finds solace and redemption on the pickleball court.
Long, who said the sport gave her life during the pandemic, says she's met folks on the pickleball court she'd never have run into otherwise.
The pickleballer in Long's book is a newbie to the sport looking to recover from life’s swings and misses. Meg Bloomberg is in a pickle: What to do now that boyfriend Vance has left?
She finds hope on the ferry between Seattle and Bainbridge Island. That's where she meets Ethan Fine. The relationship gets off to an inauspicious start when his seatbelt locks up in her car. But Meg rises to the occasion to cut him loose.
"Maybe this was the new Meg Bloomberg. Bouncing on a strange man's lap, wielding a knife, and talking like a crustacean in a Disney movie," noted Long.
Fine, described as "a charismatic environmental consultant," is a resident of Bainbridge Island. Things look promising until Meg discovers that Ethan is sabotaging her home court. She decides the match is over. Or is it?



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About Ilana Long
Ilana Long first heard about pickleball when her sporty friend confessed that she was addicted to a game that was “like ping-pong but standing on the table.” Shortly after, Long joined the pickleball craze despite her utter lack of hand-eye… More about Ilana Long