Just some thoughts:
1. I don't think the reporter who did the review is just taking things "at face value". He seems to be overly familiar with Cain, maybe even a family friend.
2. I grew up in a small upscale town in Connecticut. The bullying and snobbery from parents and kids was awful. I am glad to be out of there, and would never raise my kids there. I just looked up Bronxville. It has double the median income and half the population of my hometown. Yikes. Also, Bronxville is home to a lot of NYC celebrities and elite. Mika Brezinski of MSNBC had a daughter who was teammates with Cain...
3. That being said, Mary Cain is ALSO Bronxville elite. I do plan to read the book and it'll be interesting to see how far she acknowledges her and her own family's privilege and complicity. It's easy to say you were bullied. But why? Were you yourself, humble, inclusive, and kind? Or did you think that being the fastest runner as a freshman meant you could talk down to others, exclude them or usurp senior captains? This behavior does happen, and I'm not saying she was guilty of it, but while we make assumptions about girls and girls teams, its important to remember that phenoms like Katelyn Tuohy were beloved by their teams...
4. This post is going to make me sound like a Mary basher and I am actually not. I have a lot of respect for Mary. I think she made a huge difference in the sport. I think she WAS abused by Salazar, but not everything she has described was abuse, especially the way other NOP members treated her. Basically, I think that 1. Mary was a victim of terrible treatment from Salazar and probably Bronxville coaches and 2. She was also a little entitled herself.
5. I don't think that a Bronxville coach being a "legend" means much. You can be have results on paper and not have a clue how to protect your athletes.
6. I hate to say it but Mary's parents did not act wisely. They let her leave the team in her sophomore year, and then get coached by Salazar believing it was divine intervention. For parents who don't know much about running, they placed too much importance on it and Salazar from the beginning. They could have insisted she maintain her eligibility and attend a college of her choosing. They didn't do that and let Salazar run the show.