Our January book club selection is Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. After writing all day, I sat down after dinner with my first electronic book and read for five hours. It's the story of the Washington State crew team that won the gold medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The book thus far has told the story of one of the crewmen, Joe Rantz, who overcame extraordinary odds to first get to the university and then become a member of the team in the midst of the Great Depression. The backdrop, of course, is all the historical events of the period. The crash, the Dust Bowl, the rainiest month in Seattle's history, the rise of Hitler. It reminds me of Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time, about the Dust Bowl. Absolutely gripping.
I was tempted to skip reading it because of the time it takes away from writing and editing, but I'm very glad I tackled the book today. Plus, reading excellent writing makes me work to improve my own book. I put aside the student leader chapter until I collect the questionnaires and do a few more interviews. Instead, I started on the one day hike. I had originally written that chapter in 2010, then did a major revision in 2012 and have not revisited it since. It's too mechanical, so today I worked at the rhythm, adding humorous anecdotes and cutting extraneous words.
Boys in the Boat is full of specific details on the construction of the shell (boat), stroke rates, positions, competitions, but it's incredibly engaging. I have never been interested in crew, but this author made me care about the men on the team, the challenges of their lives and sport, and the horrible conditions people endured during the Great Depression. All in all, the time has been very well spent.
We spoke with our two older sons this weekend. Both were bursting with happy news, great satisfaction and pride. It makes me incredibly happy to know they have moved beyond the survival stage of their lives and into a time of personal and professional success and joy.
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