Pick of the Month "The Boys in the Boat"

Boys in the Boat  

 

For my book club this past month, we were asked to read “The Boys in the Boat.” This is a book I probably would have never chosen to read because I know nothing about the sport of rowing, having said that, I do like books based on true stories and since it was the book chosen by a member of my book club, I bought it and I am glad I did.  I was instantly taken by the historical context. The Author, Daniel J. Brown, used real facts like interviews, newspaper articles, film footage, letters and journals articles to tell a historical account that reads like la novel. Sometimes I wondered if it was fiction but he claims it was all documented based on primary sources.  

 

-While the focus of this book is about the sport of rowing, the context of the current events adds a lot to the story. I learned so much about the grueling 1930’s in the United States and World War II and it greatly enhanced the sport victories. I loved how the story zoomed out from the rowing boat to include the bigger picture. 

- I think it’s tempting to glorify athletes as super-humans or as born talents, and I loved how this book made you realize that this team’s success came from grueling work and overcoming obstacles. I loved the emphasis on the boy’s character and humility. I loved how they were still presented as imperfect people that had their quirks and weaknesses. I loved the emphasis on trust and teamwork. I loved the message about the power of decent, good young men regarding defeating Hitler. I also loved some of the humor that came from some of the shenanigans you’d expect from young men. 

-Having heard about this era from grandparents, I love the descriptive language of what they must have gone through during World War II I also really liked how Germany was described too. 

-I loved the roles of the coaches (on both the Washington and Cal team). Each one had his own style and way of being effective. I adored the character of George Y. Pocock so much. His reverence for his trade and respect of rowing was truly poetic. Each chapter had words of wisdom from him. One that I like in particular said: “It is hard to make your boat go as far as you want to. The enemy of course is resistance of the water, as you have to displace the amount of water equal to the weight of men and equipment but that very water is what supports you and that very enemy is your friend. So is life: the very problems you must overcome also support you and make you stronger in overcoming them. “ 

 

This book was definitely a page turner and I highly recommend it. 

 

Con amor,

Vero