Join us for a discussion of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Olympics (2013, nonfiction) by Daniel James Brown (404 pages, 4.4/5 on Goodreads). Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Reader's Favorite History or Biography.

For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.

It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest.

Copies of the book will be distributed at the previous meeting and, afterward, are available by visiting the front desk at Woodbourne Library. The title is available in Regular Print, Large Print, CD Book, eBook, and eAudiobook.  No registration is necessary, but participants are encouraged to read the book prior to attending the discussion.