Good Reads & Views

Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian by Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides
Nonfiction

Truth is stranger than fiction? Yes. This surprising and startlingly honest memoir / biography mash-up tells the stunning true story of Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin. The blend of introspective first-person narrative and analytical third-person viewpoint creates a complex and intriguing picture of Ervin, whose life story is nearly unbelievable. After winning a gold medal in swimming in the 2000 Olympics, Ervin vanished from the swimming world, eventually falling into homelessness, drugs, and various high risk behaviors that threatened his life. Then, miraculously, after returning to swimming in 2011, he qualified for the 2012 Olympic team. A fascinating portrait of a philosopher / athlete who lays his troubles bare. 

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
Nonfiction

This inspiring, fast-paced, true story is the best book I read all year. Bursting with details about the sport of rowing and life during the Great Depression, this narrative places us right there in the (very narrow) boat with the nine men who overcame enormous odds to win the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. But first, these young, working-class men from the University of Washington had to out-row the elite East Coast American teams. A magnificent feel-good story that focuses on its larger-than-life characters: the hulking oarsmen; the tiny coxswain who commanded the boat; the quiet, brilliant philosopher who perfected boatbuilding; and the coaches who assembled and inspired one of the world’s most perfect teams.

 

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery
Nonfiction

It sounds almost too amazing to be true. In 1955, the first woman to through-hike the Appalachian Trail alone was a 67-year-old who took no tent, map, or sleeping bag with her on the journey. And she wore Keds. Emma Gatewood was a remarkably tough woman. This engaging true story weaves together the narrative of Gatewood’s legendary hikes with the painful, secret story of her earlier years in an abusive marriage. Gatewood said the most surprising thing about her hikes was the publicity. Sixty years later, it continues with this inspiring account of a woman who said, “I get faster as I get older.”