I was worried the articles would pull me out of the story, but they actually provided a broader perspective which helped to put certain events in context. The story is told from the perspectives of all three women with newspaper articles sprinkled between some chapters. But despite her many local successes, nothing is certain when it comes to competing in the Olympic Games, and Helen will be forced to work harder than ever before for the chance of achieving her dreams. With the help of her extremely dedicated coach, Helen finds herself in the running for a spot on the Women’s Olympic team. Only when she’s running does she feel she has something valuable to offer the world. Her family is poor, and her tomboyish ways make her an outcast among the girls in the small Missouri town she calls home.
Helen Stephens has been searching her whole life for a place to belong. She endures acts of racism both obvious and covert, and although she sometimes considers giving up, her strength and determination eventually carry her through, even if victory doesn’t look the way she expects it to. She’s a deep thinker, desperate to find her niche in society, but she’s one of the very few African-American female athletes in her part of the country, and claiming her spot at the 1936 games won’t be easy. Now though, after months of grueling practice, she’s ready to do whatever she has to in order to bring home another gold medal.įor Louise Stokes, who grew up just outside Boston, running means freedom from her personal demons.
Unfortunately, a tragic plane crash threatened her dream of competing in the 1936 games, and it took every ounce of physical and mental fortitude she could muster to bring her to the point where competing was even a possibility. She was one of the first women to compete in the 1928 games where she won a gold medal and returned home amidst much fanfare. Hooper brought them and their struggles to life.Ĭhicago native Betty Robinson is no stranger to Olympic glory.
As one might imagine, these early Olympians didn’t have an easy time of it, and I loved the way Ms. Fast Girls: a Novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Team is a fictionalized account of three American women and their journey to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Fans of sports-centered books won’t want to miss the latest offering from author Elise Hooper.
0 kommentar(er)
