Carol

The Boys in the Boat [Book Review] #WhatsOnYourBookshelfChallenge #BookBlogger #Blogger #BookX #booksky #narrativenonfiction #nonficnov25 #FridayFavorite #Nonfiction

The Boys in the Boat is a riveting account of overcoming hardship, competition, rowing, teamwork, trust, and friendship.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (cover) Image: a sunset or sunrise shot of a crew team on a still body of water

Genre/Categories/Setting: Nonfiction, Olympics, Rowing, Competitive Sports, US History, United States, Germany

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

I started to write a post about Christmas reads and then I realized I REALLY jumped the gun in September and already published a similar post in which I review my fav Christmas read of the year and list others you might enjoy. I’ve also written this post in November: 5 Books With Christmas Settings. Since I have used up all my Christmas titles, I’m offering a review of one of my recent 5 Star reads today.

The Boys in the Boat has been on my TBR for YEARS (well, a decade)! When I heard about the new movie release (December), I thought “now is the time.” Plus, my husband and I frequently search out audiobooks that we can buddy read. Although neither of us has rowed competitively or participated in the Olympics, we have noticed the high reviews for Boys in the Boat and we love narrative nonfiction.

Spoiler: We LOVED it for so many reasons!

My Summary:

The Boys in the Boat is the dramatic, heartfelt, and compelling story of the University of Washington’s 1936 boat crew and their quest for Olympic Gold. It’s a story of a shared dream, defeating elite East Coast rivals, teamwork, beating the odds, striving for perfection, passion, struggle, underdogs, accomplishment, finding your “swing,” a determined coach, and a poetic (and quotable) boat builder. And, of course, Hitler’s Olympics.

Watch the movie trailer here.

1936 men's Olympic rowing crew
1936 Crew (photo cred)

My Thoughts:

Audio Format

I believe the audio format might make a huge difference in your reading experience for this book. It’s narrated/performed by Edward Herrmann (most recently cast as Lorelai’s father on Gilmore Girls!). A talented actor and voice performer, Herrmann’s delivery is perfection here. This was a wonderful listening experience with my husband and we missed our evenings with this story as soon as we finished.

More Than Rowing

The author describes the 1930s era in a most comprehensive way. He includes vivid descriptions of life and hard economic times during the Depression and Dust Bowl including coast-to-coast train travel and a cruise ship. We learn how students put themselves through school without access to student loans or generational wealth.

Heart of the Narrative

Although several boys on the team are mentioned, the author’s focus is on one particular boy and his family. This boy, Joe Rantz, is the heart of the narrative. We follow him from the times he is abandoned by his family as a youngster through his competitive rowing and college years. Joe is resilient, resourceful, humble, hardworking, and determined. He manages to support himself as a teenager and eventually scrape together enough money to attend college. The neglect and abandonment Joe experiences growing up and his dire financial situation cause him to feel like an outsider and affect his ability to trust. When he meets the love of his life, he begins to experience a healthy and loving relationship for the first time. Joe is looking for more than a winning team. He craves comradery, friendship, loyalty, and teammates he can trust.

Themes

Thoughtful and heartfelt themes include healing from a less-than-ideal childhood, friendship, trust, family loyalty despite betrayal, the ups and downs of success, leadership, competition, privilege, unrelenting determination, courage, and the heart of underdogs. This true story is inspirational in a multitude of ways.

Highly Recommended

The Boys in the Boat is a story of competitive sport, history, and healing. Knowing that the boys in the boat eventually win gold does not detract from the compelling, nail-biting, (at times) suspenseful, and emotional story. The Olympic final race is exquisitely written and narrated.

Back stories and historical details might appear to slow down the story at points but trust me, every detail weaves together to create a comprehensive view of the US in the 1930s and a well-crafted work of narrative nonfiction. My husband and I enthusiastically recommend the audiobook for an enjoyable reading experience.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (cover) Image: a crew rows a boat at sunset or sunrise on a calm and still body of water

More Information Here

My Rating: 5 Stars

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Meet the Author of The Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown

Author of Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown

Daniel James Brown grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Diablo Valley College, the University of California at Berkeley, and UCLA. He taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford before becoming a technical writer and editor. He now writes narrative nonfiction books full-time. His primary interest as a writer is in bringing compelling historical events to life vividly and accurately.

He and his wife live in the country outside of Seattle, Washington, with an assortment of cats, dogs, chickens, and honeybees. When he isn’t writing, he is likely to be birding, gardening, fly fishing, reading American history, or chasing bears away from the beehives.

QOTD:

Have you read this memorable story?
Do you plan to see the movie in December?

 I’m linking up with Deb @ Deb’s World, Sue @ Women Living Well After 50, Donna @ Retirement Reflections, and Jo @ And Anyways… for the December installment of #WhatsOnYourBookShelfChallenge.

Whats On Your Bookshelf Challenge

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.” ~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.” ~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.” ~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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40 comments

  2. Excellent review, Carol. You have definitely convinced me to listen to this one. I added it to my shelf last week when I read your post about new nonfiction on your shelf. Now to see if my library has the audio. It’s wonderful that you and your husband were able to enjoy this one together.

    Reply

  3. Sounds like a great read and one that would be excellent to listen to on a long car ride! So great to finally get a book off your TBR that has been there for a while and to be able to enjoy it with your husband. My husband and I will probably see the movie at some point.

    Reply

  8. Hi Carol, this is a very timely review because I’m searching for some good audiobooks to listen to on our road trip north for the holidays and this sounds perfect! Thanks so much for joining us for #WOYBS with your wonderful reviews 🙂 We’ll be back next year to continue to share the love of reading.

    Reply

      • We loved listening to this book as we drove north Carol and really appreciate your timely recommendation. I’m linking to your post in my first WOYBS post for 2024 due out 19 January. I see it’s now a movie too so can’t wait to see it!

  10. Listened to this a few years ago with my husband when we were on a long road trip. Excellent! 5 stars from both of us.

    Reply

  18. […] The Boys in the Boat is the dramatic, heartfelt, and compelling story of the University of Washington’s 1936 boat crew and their quest for Olympic Gold. It’s a story of a shared dream, defeating elite East Coast rivals, teamwork, beating the odds, striving for perfection, passion, struggle, underdogs, accomplishment, finding your “swing,” and a determined coach. And, of course, Hitler’s Olympics. Find my full review of The Boys in the Boat book here. […]

    Reply

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