Fast Girls
Hooper’s latest novel (and my guess soon immediate best seller) dives into the lives of three talented and driven American female runners, Betty, Louis and Helen. The book is historical fiction, but the narrative is based on the members of the first integrated U.S. Olympic team, and their journey to the 1936 Olympics in Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Each woman had to work hard and struggle to stand out and be accepted in the heavily dominated world of men’s sports…Not to mention handling the constant sexism and racism.
The reader follows each woman’s powerful journey and growth in the world of track and field. All three women had to fight hard (in various ways) in order to even get to the Olympics. They endured, sacrificed quite a bit and persevered through many hardships. What they went through and accomplished truly helped shape the athletic world we women live in today. You will find yourself cheering and rooting for these strong women from the beginning of the book through heir individual storylines, and then as they come together as a group for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
I really cannot say enough wonderful things about this book and Hooper’s writing. This extraordinary novel was both fast paced and had me racing through the journey of these amazing female athletes. I fell in love Betty, Louis and Helen’s strength, gritty attitudes and team work. Furthermore, I was drawn into the story through their sacrifices and everything they endured in order to make their mark and find success in a “man’s world.” I even found these strong women motivating me to continue the pursuit of my own dreams.
Hooper also kept the pace of the book flowing and meshed together by interspersing real news articles into the story along with a climate of suspense, twists and turns. Each character was brought to vivid life right before my eyes in each chapter, which kept me glued to each page.
You could tell Hooper’s research was thorough and extremely detailed. She didn’t keep to just the world of sexism in sports. Instead, she dove into the harsh realities during this time period for women and women of color. I had no idea a married woman could not teach high school unless it was a Home Economics class, and in the world of running, it was thought that a woman should not become athletic because it would damage her health. Seriously!?!
As a bonus, there is an afterward in the book that dives even more into Betty, Louis and Helen’s world and how they shaped not just their world but the future world. I’m so thankful that Hooper came forward with this amazing tale that really needed to be told. This is a slice of history I knew nothing about. I still cannot get over the extreme opposition to women competing in the Olympics. Also, I had no clue that Betty Robinson was the first female to compete in the Olympics for track and field, and I will forever be grateful to her for all she sacrificed and endured to make it possible for women in the U.S. to grow in the world of competitive athletic.
If you enjoyed reading Unbroken, Boys in the Boat, or even the movie A League of Their Own you will truly love and appreciate this novel.Also, this book would make for an engaging book club read, so pick this book up now!
Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
