"The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown

I've been hearing praise for Boys in the Boat for quite awhile, but I'd put off reading it. It's nonfiction (though I've found I'm getting over my nonfiction prejudice quite nicely); it's about sports; it takes place in the 1930s. Nonetheless, when I finally convinced myself to read Boys in the Boat, I was reminded that there's a good reason heroic sports stories resonate. Even when the reader knows the outcome (and the American team's 1936 Olympic gold medal is known from the beginning), we can't help but be moved by a story of struggle and ultimate definitive win. 

Brown frames the tale of the University of Washington's eight-oar crew through the lens of Joe Rantz, a determined young man mostly abandoned by his family growing up. For Rantz, rowing is motivation and validation of his worth. In the sport he finds the camaraderie and family he lacked as a child. Though Rantz centers the story, much of the book's power comes from its classic American Dream framework. The University of Washington's crew is made primarily of working-class boys; their heart and grit propel them to success against the elite, privileged crews of the East and also against Hiter's Germany.

It's a glossy view of history--Western physicality vs. Eastern elitism. American hard work vs. Nazi propaganda and tyranny. But I also don't doubt that the crew's experiences on the team were as monumental as they describe. I know many people, including myself, look back on high school and college competitions with a kind of nostalgia that can't be shattered. Compared to the real world, athletic competition is straightforward and simple.

Brown's glossy view extends to his characters, most of which fit familiar molds. Boat-builder Pocock is the archetypal "wise old man"; coach Ulbrickson is the taciturn father figure the boys need; Rantz is the scrappy, never-give-up hero. But darn is it moving anyway. I found myself on the edge of my seat during pivotal races, particularly the final gold medal match, where I wanted to scream at severely-ill Hume to just make it through!

Brown is able to make rowing, a sport that today is again considered a field of the elite, into something quintessentially American: the power of the individual harnessed for the success of the group. Against my tendency toward pessimism, I'll admit it's a beautiful tale.