The Boys in the Boat

On Thursday, September 10^th, the Fixed on Fiction book group met to discuss this year’s non-fiction selection- The Boys in the Boat: nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. Here is a summary of Boys in the Boat courtesy of Goodreads:

Daniel James Brown’s robust book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936. The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled  by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in each other that makes them a victorious team. They remind the country of what can be done when everyone quite literally pulls together—a perfect melding of commitment, determination, and optimism. Drawing on the boys’ own diaries and journals, their photos and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, The Boys in the Boat is an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate story of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit really meant. It will appeal to readers of Erik Larson, Timothy Egan, James Bradley, and David Halberstam's The Amateurs.

The Boys in the Boat was very well received by our group- every single attendee gave it a thumbs up vote. Here are some of the initial comments readers made while explaining their votes:

• A very exciting read. Not boring Non-Fiction at all.
• This was Non-Fiction that read like Fiction.
• I loved it. I’m always a bit concerned when I read Non-Fiction but I enjoyed this. I loved that Brown intertwined current events of that period.
• I also loved the juxtaposition of what was happening in America vs. what was happening in Germany at that time.
• This reminded me of The Devil in the White City.
• Yes, and it also reminded me of Unbroken. I loved the parts about boat building but I have an interest in wood working.

Note- a few readers also referenced In the Garden of Beasts and Dead Wake.

On rowing and teamwork-

• I was fascinated by the elite status of rowing. I also found the east coast –west coast rivalry very interesting.
• Rowing is really about people coming together mentally. But I think you also have to accept that there are good days and there are bad days.
• Wasn’t it amazing how the whole team just clicked? But George really made them realize that they had to work together. This is in no way an individual sport- it’s all about the team.
• I found the descriptions of the various seat assignments on the boat quite interesting. It’s extraordinary the amount of trust those boys had in the coxswain.

On Joe, his family, and life in the 1930’s-

• I couldn’t get over Joe’s family. Thula telling Joe to “never come back” was pretty unbelievable (we paused here to talk about the desperate times of that period and how extreme poverty can force people to act in desperate measures).
• I loved Joyce. I loved that she was angry at Joe’s family on his behalf.
• Joe was inspirational. It was amazing that he was able to forgive his father and extraordinary that he worked so hard to stay in school.
• I certainly didn’t realize how primitive the west was in the 30’s…I was fascinated by the descriptions of the Dust Bowl and all the extreme weather the boys encountered.
• Wasn’t it interesting that Joe (and all of the boys!) appeared to go on to be extremely successful? I loved that nearly all of them became engineers and used those skills during World War II.

These are just a few of the comments made during our meeting. We also spent some time discussing the Nazi propaganda, how the Olympic committee was corrupt/political, and how extraordinary it was that Washington came together to raise funds for the boys’ trip. If you would like to share additional thoughts on The Boys in the Boat, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.