"What is the opposite of rose-colored glasses, black-and-blue goggles? That is how Vanstone reflects on her punch-drunk days, sincerely yet unabashedly."

— Willamette Week

“Vanstone takes us on a romp through the chaotic origin of modern roller derby; the highs and lows, the incredible people who play this sport balancing their real and often respectable lives with the possibility of a broken nose or tailbone at each game or practice. This book is at once hilarious, meticulously reported and well-written. It'll make you want to put on a pair of skates and throw an elbow.”

— Jane McManus, former journalist with ESPN, author of The Fast Track 

“Don't Let Them Eat the Baby is a lot of things: An engaging chronicle of self-discovery, and a tour through a vibrant, messy subculture. It's about ownership and agency, about messing up and trying again, falling down and getting back up. Roller derby, with its inventiveness and inclusiveness, its sense of humor and community, might be needed more now than ever. And so are stories like this about women fighting for their space in sports — and everywhere else.”

— Emma Span, Enterprise Editor, The Athletic

“An inspirational tale of motherhood, sisterhood and what to do with a film degree when you're an adult. Vanstone’s punchy memoir is about how sometimes you need to get knocked on your ass a few times to find yourself, on and off the track.” 

— Sean Burns, WBUR, Boston

“I think the coolest thing about this reflection and revelation is that roller derby has never been about making grassroots organizing a corporate gig. Sure there has to be some structure, rules and work to create more inclusivity and equity, but the DIY, grassroots, SOUL of derby is that it is for the community by the community and will not change to be something it's not. The NBA, NFL, MLB make billions of dollars, but you can't feel their souls. The players are so far away from accessible that even if they fuck up, you can't call them on it because their managers and handlers and layers of wealth don't even hear you. Derby and its members are the key holders to the proverbial kingdom. We get to shape and adapt as we learn and grow. It's when we try to make us something we're not that shit starts to get out of whack.” 

— Jumpy McGee aka April Fournier