By Yunhan L., Grade 7
This book tells the story of Joe Rantz. It serves as an account of his youth in the middle of the Great Depression, especially when he was rowing at the University of Washington.
In the book, we learn about the hardships he endured and the challenges he had to overcome in order to row with his teammates, and, more importantly, trust his teammates, at the Olympics of 1936 in Hitler's Germany. It follows Joe through 3 years of hard collegiate rowing, of being discriminated because of how poor he was, and of him bonding with the members of the crew that would eventually row together at the Olympics.
The focus, however, is not really on the Nazis; Joe and his teammates are blissfuly unaware of the persecution of races deemed 'inferior' by the Nazis, although the book does delve into the attempts of Leni Riefanstahl, maker of propaganda films highlighting the Aryan race at the Olympics. The focus is on Joe's story, how he was abandoned as a child and rose through hard work and perseverance to become whole again through rowing. It paints a picture of a time long gone, of men and women who have since passed on: their struggles, their triumphs, their journeys. It tells of the boys rowing.
It had a melancholy, reflective epilogue. It had funny descriptions of events that happened, in a tongue in cheek, wry way. It drew me in. Through the 500 or so pages, I was never bored: the descriptions of the various regattas were especially suspenseful. And above all, it gave me a deeper appreciation of hard work and teamwork and trust. I recommend it to fans of narrative nonfiction or sports stories.
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