Maria Costello Queen of Bikers by Maria Costello (with Steve Pitts) |
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 Maria has finally put pen to paper with the help of Steve Pitts to tell her story and how after constant striving she has become accepted in the male dominated world of motorcycle racing. Or has she ?As she points out there are still those who feel she should be wearing little and holding a brolley rather than being seated on the bike ready to race with the best. It is hard to believe that one person tried to start a petition to stop her getting her MBE ! Anyone ho knows her, knows that Maria has done a lot of charity work behind the scenes and worked hard to help inspire women to follow their dream acting as a role model. Now a much wider audience can get to know the real Maria and not just the racing persona. In this book she reveals how she has had to battle first against her parents and then the established racing scene to be accepted as an equal. She has repeatedly proved she can run with the best, she was after all the fastest women around the TT course until last year when her five year old record was finally broken. Maria talks candidly throughout the book about both the physical and emotional hardships she has endured in order to follow her dream to race bikes. She is totally realistic and honest in realising that the world of Moto GP is beyond her, but there are goals she can achieve. I have the pleasure of knowing Maria personally and I think she has done an excellent job with this book in giving the reader then chance to know her as she is, honest and very human. As a result I think you will come to the end of the 244 page hardback liking her a lot as a normal person with grit and determination and having a real passion for motorcycling. Really in an autobiography you cannot ask for more, the reader to know and understand and like the subject, while providing a good read, so another job well done. Well worth the £18.99 of anybodies money motorcyclist or not! ISBN 978 1 906015 54 1 Available from all good bookshops or direct from the publisher Pennant Books Ltd on www.pennantbooks.com Review by Ian Kerr
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