Fast Girls.

 

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                                          CONTAINS SPOILERS

Acclaimed author Elise Hooper explores the gripping, real life history of female athletes, members of the first integrated women’s Olympic team, and their journeys to the 1936 summer games in Berlin, Nazi Germany. 

 
This inspiring story is based on the real lives of three little-known trailblazing women Olympians. Perfect for readers who love untold stories of amazing women, such as The Only Woman in the Room, Hidden Figures, and The Lost Girls of Paris. 

In the 1928 Olympics, Chicago’s Betty Robinson competes as a member of the first-ever women’s delegation in track and field. Destined for further glory, she returns home feted as America’s Golden Girl until a nearly-fatal airplane crash threatens to end everything.
Outside of Boston, Louise Stokes, one of the few black girls in her town, sees competing as an opportunity to overcome the limitations placed on her. Eager to prove that she has what it takes to be a champion, she risks everything to join the Olympic team. 

From Missouri, Helen Stephens, awkward, tomboyish, and poor, is considered an outcast by her schoolmates, but she dreams of escaping the hardships of her farm life through athletic success. Her aspirations appear impossible until a chance encounter changes her life.
These three athletes will join with others to defy society’s expectations of what women can achieve. As tensions bring the United States and Europe closer and closer to the brink of war, Betty, Louise, and Helen must fight for the chance to compete as the fastest women in the world amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Nazi-sponsored 1936 Olympics in Berlin. 

 

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Inspiring. Exhilarating. 

I have always loved books about sports. I have read books about running before, but neither of those was historical Fiction based. For as long as I remember, I have been fascinated by historical Fiction. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago when I fell in love with the genre more. Historical Fiction has become one of my favorite genres to read. Through most of the books, I could imagine myself in the time period, experiencing everything that the characters were facing. Fast Girls wasn’t any different; I felt as I was in the Olympics and Betty, Louise, Helen, and all the others. I have started running a few months ago, and even though I am not a sprinter or don’t run as fast yet, I know the thrill you get when you run. I cannot even begin to imagine the rush you get in the Olympics. When I came across Fast Girls at the library and found out that it took place in 1936, I couldn’t help but be curious. From the moment that I started reading the story, I was blown away. I wanted to see how far these girls would get. 

Fast Girls is another book where I’m not sure I could express my emotions. While reading about Helen, Betty, and Louise’s life and their road to the Olympics, making me want to explore running more. I don’t plan to go into the Olympics, but it sparked my interest in running more. I learned so much about running, sprinting, and relay, which I knew nothing about. I felt more about track and field before I read Fast Girls . When I came across a book as I was surfing for historical fiction books, the title captured my attention. I always wonder what’s the story behind the title. The moment that I started to read the book, it made sense and fit the book perfectly. I loved that Elise Hooper wrote the book in timeline, starting 1928 when Betty Robinson’s Olympic journey began and traveled up until Olympics 1936. I enjoyed reading Betty, Louise, and Helen’s trip to the Olympics. I wondered since their stories were told individually, if they would be brought together at some point. Each of the girls faced a lot of challenges to make it to the Olympics. 

If I were asked which of the girls was my favorite, I don’t think that I would answer. All three of the girls were my favorites in the book. Each of them is a strong woman who kept on going, despite the challenges they were facing. For instance, after the plane crash, the doctors didn’t think she walk again. Betty kept on going and even ended up competing in Olympics in 1936. I loved the bond that all the girls ended up establishing together. I loved that it was based on real-life athletes and love the additional information provided about them at the end of the book. I was fascinated by the story and ended up researching them after finishing the book. I couldn’t get enough of this book. I cannot get out of my head. Fast Girls is a story that deserves more than five stars, a story that everyone should read.