Evening Book Group: The Boys in the Boat

The SBPL Evening Book Group meets in the Community Room on the 4th Thursday of every month. Enjoy a stimulating conversation about books and exchange perspectives about characters and plot while getting to know your neighbors. Join us in April as we talk about The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel Brown.

For fans of Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit and Unbroken, the dramatic story of the American rowing team that stunned the world at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics. Daniel Brown's robust book tells the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys formed a team that would transform the sport of rowing. Drawing on the boys' own diaries and journals, their photos and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime reach for the Olympics, Brown tells the story of their victories over elite rival teams from the eastern United States and England, and finally of their quest for gold in Berlin, 1936.

The emotional heart of the story is, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but their trust in each other makes them a victorious team.

A story from the time of the Great Depression, The Boys in the Boat is about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times. It will appeal to readers of Erik Larson, Timothy Egan, Lynne Cox, James Bradley, and Jon Krakauer.

This book is available to borrow from the library in multiple formats. Book group reserve copies will be available one month ahead of the discussion. This discussion will be in person.

Email sbplprograms@southburlingtonvt.gov or call 802-846-4140 if you have questions or would like to be added to the email list for this group.