19. The Boys In the Boat by Daniel James Brown

"Where is the spiritual value of rowing? . . . The losing of self entirely to the cooperative effort of the crew as a whole."  

George Yeoman Pocock from The Boys in the Boat

Another great book! I loved every minute of it. It reminded me of reading Seabiscuit so many years ago. They call it "Chariots of Fire with oars," and that movie is one of my FAVORITES of all time. (I have memorized almost every line!) I love how this author has combined this team's rise to the Olympic stage and personal stories, especially the story of Joe Rantz. There will be a PBS documentary about their story on August 2, and I cannot wait. The movie rights were purchased even before the book came out. So I anxiously await that! 

Here is a page that has a lecture by the author and some footage:

http://trojannavy.com/boys-in-the-boat-official-movie-trailer/

I cannot say enough good things about it. One of my favorite books of all time.

I just listened to a lecture by the author, and he was at a homeowners association meeting where one of the homeowners said that she was reading one of his books to her father who was nearing the end of his life. She asked if the author would come and visit her father. That father was Joe Rantz! After the first encounter with Joe, the author decided, then and there, that he would write a book about this incredible story!

It is a story of nine hard-working young men, their coaches, the Great Depression, and the world when Hitler rose to power and hosted the Olympic games in 1936. 

It is also a love story! Loved that part! 

It is a great story, but it is also EXCELLENT and BEAUTIFUL writing!

To add icing on top of the delicious cake: it is a story of people from the PACIFIC NORTHWEST! WOOHOO! 

Riveting. It is a must read! Bring your tissues though and enjoy every moment! 

(I have NO IDEA why I put this book on reserve. It has been around a while, but I had never heard of it.  I noticed that my church book club read it in April, and I may have seen it there. I also noticed that my library is hosting a RANDOM REVIEW on the book tomorrow! I will be there with rings on my fingers and bells on my toes. What a wonderful read!!!)