The Boys (and Girls!) in the Boat

Congratulations to the US Women's Rowing team which took gold in the coxed eight rowing event.  I never realized what a grueling sport rowing was until I read The Boys in the Boat.  Now, PBS is airing a special about the 1936 Olympic team featured in the book.  You can watch it here.
Below is what I wrote about this New York Times bestseller when I first read it:

The Boys in the Boat

I finally finished reading The Boys in the Boat.  It took me so long that I felt like I was in the boat with them!
Honestly, I wasn't crazy about this book to begin with, but who wants to quit on a book about perseverance?  So, I stuck with it and in the end, I'm glad.  It is truly amazing that these boys with the odds stacked so far against them could achieve greatness, or to paraphrase the book, touch the divine.  It also gave me a whole new appreciation for the sport of rowing.  Even though I have a niece and a nephew who row crew, and even though a regatta is truly a thing of beauty, I just never knew all of the pain that went into making something so difficult  look so graceful and effortless.  I also loved the references to other sports figures of the time, like Joe Louis and Seabiscuit.
If you are interested in sports history, or just a classic tale of humility, teamwork and determination you might give this book a try.

Happy reading,
Christine

Happy reading,
Christine