Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women's Olympic Team

Although fictionalization, this novel paints a fascinating picture of what early female athletes went though. The blatant sexism and racism are disturbing but important to be aware of. While reading the book I often stopped to Google individuals mentioned because I was genuinely interested in what became of them.

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This captivating story describes the rise of the American track and field stars of the 1936 Women's Olympic team. It was beautifully written and the characters were deeply developed. I felt for each and every woman as she struggled to become the fastest runner and find a way to finance her trip to the Olympics while still balancing her education and family life with it. Since this book is a recently written book, this story covers struggles with being lesbian and race-related topics, which probably would not have been treated the same way in a book if it had been written in 1936. However, it is a difficult thing to write about the past without using today's perspective. This was a quick read and an easy and enjoyable way to learn about the 1936 Olympics. Loved it!

FAST GIRLS was for me a fast read because I raced through the book in twenty-four hours. It was that much fun and that compelling! Author Elise Hooper selected three young women who qualified as runners for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and then traced their histories from childhood to reveal who they were and what challenges they had to overcome as women in order to get to the Olympics. Betty Robinson, of Chicago, came from a family with money--at least until 1929-- and she had emerged from the 1928 Olympics with a gold medal, but that's only the beginning of her story. Louise Stokes, from the Boston area, was black and had her own set of battles to fight. Helen Stephens, a poor farming girl from Missouri, had the misfortune to be tall, awkward, and a tad masculine--and have more feelings toward other women than men. These women lived in very different worlds until they met at the Olympics! Especially enchanting was the fact that these record-breakers were real! Loved this book! Americ

A book that keeps you on the edge of your seat! While we enjoy watching the Olympics, few consider what it takes to win! All the struggles, politics, prejudice and work makes one wonder, "Is it worth it?" This book gives you a close, inside look into the lives of women who knew what it was like in the troubling times of World War II and when it was thought women should not be athletes. A "cannot put down book."

Very well written and informative, interesting detail about Hitler!I look forward to reading more of her work! Well done!

Great factual based but fictional story focusing on three of the women Olympians of the 1936 team. We follow the lives of Betty, Helen, and Louise, who happens to be not only a woman but a black woman, through the struggles of being a female athlete in a time when it was truly frowned upon and discouraged. The stories are personal and compelling. Great read!

This book does a good job of depicting the challenges faced by female athletes and their resilience in the 1920s and 1930s. I was disappointed with the unequal treatment of the womens' sexuality. Helen Stephens is defined by her sexuality where the topic is highly romanticized and sanitized with the other two characters. And the author falls back on the stereotype of lesbians being attracted to nearly every woman they encounter.

A fascinating srory about some of the first female track Olympians. If you love the Olympics, you'll find this well worth reading.These women had to cope with the patronising attitudes of those who believed athletics damaged women phyaically and psychologically, racism, poverty and a host of other issues. One even faced claims that she was not all she seemed to be. Add to that the fact that the Games themselves took place against the backdrop of the spectre of Hitler and Nazi Germany, and you have a book to tempt any Olympics fan. Well.worth a read, and at over 500 pages, worth the price. Lots of history, too.

This is a very readable novel based on the true story of a number women who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It is a fascinating insight into the prejudice they faced as women and how they overcame it. The story flows very well and keeps you wanting to read more. Very good

Engrossing and equally shocking. Highly recommend. Who knew what these athletes went through and the Berlin Olympics made me think about how appalling it must have been.

Jumped around a bit but very interesting story

Somewhat confusing initially with all the character jumping around and different time periods but clears up in the last third.