Cast aside by his family at an early age, abandoned and left to fend for himself in the woods of Washington State, young Joe Rantz turns to rowing as a way of escaping his past.
What follows is an extraordinary journey, as Joe and eight other working-class boys exchange the sweat and dust of life in 1930s America for the promise of glory at the heart of Hitler's Berlin. Stroke by stroke, a remarkable young man strives to regain his shattered self-regard, to dare again to trust in others - and to find his way back home. Told against the backdrop of the Great Depression, The Boys in the Boat is narrative non-fiction of the first order; a personal story full of lyricism and unexpected beauty that rises above the grand sweep of history, and captures instead the purest essence of what it means to be alive.
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Readers of Laura Hillebrand and Erik Larson will love this one. A true story of a group of young men in Depression-era America vying forthe chance to represent their country in rowing. The author juxtaposes their struggles against Hitler's preparations for the Berlin Olympics. Not only a fascinating history lesson, but also a beautiful meditation on teamship and camaraderie. - Angela (QBD)
Guest, 19/06/2017
