In 2025, I wrote my first book, Legends of Women’s Figure Skating, published by Abbeville Press:
With their flying spins and graceful leaps over the ice, figure skaters exemplify what it means to be an athlete and an artist. Legends of Women’s Figure Skating features short biographies of 28 of the greatest women figure skaters of all time, from pioneers like Sonja Henie and Carol Heiss; to the American legends of the ’90s, such as Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan; to the rising stars of today, like Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu. Filled with colorful photos, fascinating stories, and key stats, this book will inspire both passionate fans and aspiring figure skaters.
Order a Copy
Events
Sunday, February 15, 2026
2-3:30 pm
at the Vanderbilt University Bookstore
2501 West End Ave., Nashville, TN
Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026
10:30 am
at the made makerspace, in partnership with the novel neighbor bookstore
5127 delmar blvd., st. louis, mo
Media
The Most Dramatic Sport at the Olympics: A figure skating preview with the lore you need to know
Maura joins host Mary Mahoney on the Landline Podcast, where she calls guests to connect today’s celebrity culture, internet trends, TV, music, and movies to the histories that explain why it all feels so familiar. In their episode, Mary and Maura talk about the lore surrounding today's figure skaters, the politics baked into every aspect of the sport, and why—spoiler alert—Michelle Kwan should have won the gold medal.
TWIS Interview
Maura joins hosts Daphne and Gina of the weekly figure skating news podcast, This Week in Skating, to talk about choosing the 28 skaters in her book, what she hopes readers take away, and their excitement for the Olympic season.
Reviews
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I was so excited to receive my copy of "Legends of Women's Skating" by Maura Sullivan Hill. The book contains profiles of 28 of the best women figure skaters of all time. Maura included a combination of legends, like Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill, to a number of skaters, like 2025 World Champion Alysa Liu, two-time U.S. Champion Amber Glenn and 2024 World silver medalist Isabeau Levito, all poised to make the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy. There are also skaters who represented countries other than the U.S., like Carolina Kostner of Italy and Yuna Kim of Korea. Having grown up as a fan of figure skating in the 90's and a recreational skater, and then later becoming a figure skating journalist with the Figure Skaters Online website and This Week in Skating podcast, I'm well-versed on all these names. However, reading Maura's book, I learned something new about all of the skaters featured in the book. I also enjoyed reading that though these skaters featured in the book are from different eras within the sport, many were inspired by the ones who came before them. The photos that accompanied the profiles are stunning. I also liked that the book included a glossary of terms that, while are part of the vocabulary of figure skaters, coaches, officials and fans, may not be as familiar to those new to figure skating.
I shared this book with my mom, a figure skating fan and a U.S. Figure Skating volunteer, who also agreed that Maura included pertinent and interesting facts about the skaters, and that she also learned about some skaters that she was unfamiliar with.
We both agree that this is an ideal book for both the hardcore figure skating fans who have been following figure skating for years to the casual fans who enjoy watching figure skating at the Olympics. This is also the perfect gift for any young skater who has dreams and ambitions to be like any of these 28 champions in this book.
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Maura Sullivan Hill's "Legends of Women's Figure Skating" is a very accessible introduction to 28 women who helped shape the sport. The short biographies are clear and engaging - making this a very approachable book for young adult readers.
It is wonderful to see pioneering skaters of colour such as Mabel Fairbanks and Surya Bonaly featured. Their inclusion underscores how important representation and visibility is in a sport with such a rich but complex history. Each profile comes with a photograph, which adds a nice visual touch.
"Legends of Women's Figure Skating" does exactly what it sets out to do: introduce an impressive lineup of women who have shaped the sport to young readers, and spark curiosity for them to learn more.