I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories of Betty Robinson, Louise Sykes, and Helen Stephens in their pursuits to overcome obstacles to participate in the 1936 Olympics in Hitler’s Germany. I had a high school teacher-mentor who wrote about her experience of being in the stands of the 1936 Olympics.
Elise Hooper presents riveting stories of these three women. The book is an important addition in historical fictions of women gaining the right to participate in the Olympics during this time period. Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As this was an Olympic year, I was eager to pick up a historical fiction centered around the Summer Olympics. I knew nothing about any of the women whose stories were told which I thought made Fast Girls a real gem of a find.

The book starts out in 1928, when women’s track and field first became an Olympic event. Betty Robinson, one of the three stories in the book, was present and she was a catalyst for girls and women across the United States to start dreaming of their turn, including Missouri farm girl, Helen, thinking herself an unwanted freak, and Louise Stokes, who grows up under the dreadful load of bigotry as a black girl living just outside of Boston.

All three women have a hard road to the Olympics in their different ways. Their stories nearly broke my heart at all they had to face from the bigotry mentioned above to shattered legs that were never to walk again to childhood rape. And, always finances for all of them during Depression Era America leading up to WWII.

Fast Girls took its time weaving a story for each girl who become women over the years leading up to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The author focused on their partly fictional stories, but didn’t leave them in isolation of what was going on in the country and the world of the time. They come from three different walks of life and that was portrayed rather well. Diversity was well-represented in these three- a woman with a disability, a woman of color, and a woman who preferred women (and these parts of the story were not fictional).

But, as fascinating as their lives were, I confess I really started to sit up and take notice when the story moved to Germany. What a frightful time! The American Olympic Committee barely passed the vote not to boycott, but then cut funds to the teams right after the trials because there was little money (Depression). Then the athletes were being pressured to boycott. They all decided that it would be better to win and win big than to stay away. But, while there, faced with the Nazi uniforms, troops everywhere, scared citizens, Swastikas, and other intimidation tactics that were all distractions and stressful. Yes, it got pretty exciting.

The story was about women athletes and there was some focus on their events, but it doesn’t delve deep into the training side or really into the races themselves. The spotlight is definitely on them as people and drew out their early stories and ended right at the point of the Olympics with a brief summation after for their later years and helpful explanations of what had been fiction and what was true.

All in all, it was a perfect read for what I wanted. A little long and lagging in places, but I can easily recommend it to those looking for sports history, Olympic theme, and/or women’s history stories.

Such a great book on a subject I knew nothing about. I love learning about new topics especially about women in the past and the challenges they faced. The book focuses on 3 female athletes, members of the first integrated women’s Olympic team, and their journeys to the 1936 summer games in Berlin, Nazi Germany. Remarkable characters and attention to detail will keep you quickly turning page after page. I recommend this book to all historical fiction fans and anyone that enjoys a well written, well researched novel on strong women and the challenges they faced during this very tense time in American history.

When someone thinks of the 1936 Olympics, most people will associate it with Jesse Owens set against a tense political landscape. They wouldn’t be wrong – he won 4 gold medals and became a legend. But beyond that women were still fighting for acceptance as athletes as many felt that a woman’s place was at home or believed in the myth that too much exercise would hinder a woman’s ability to have children. Fast Girls is a historical fiction novel that follows 3 women who participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

The story starts several years prior, in 1928, where Betty Robinson is a competitor in athletics (track and field). Prior to 1928 women did not compete in track and field events and even then there were only 5 events they could enter. But back at home there were other girls that were being inspired by this such as Helen Stephens and Louise Stokes.

Through the years leading up to 1936 we follow each of their stories, but also learn and become engaged with a few other women athletes, such as Tidye Pickett who was the first African American woman to not only go to the Olympics, but be able to compete. We follow their struggles to train and be coached, gender discrimination, racial discrimination and personal trials – all leading up to the 1936 games, where religious discrimination was evident as well in Germany.

Due to WWII, the Olympics were not held again until 1948. Several of the girls who might have gone onto compete again in 1940 were not able. At the end there is an Afterword giving the reader details on each of the girls featured or mentioned in the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishes for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

I would rate it closer to 3.5 stars. This was a long one. I believe it clocks in at over 500 pages. I struggled in the beginning with keeping the numerous girls straight in my head but things got better as I closed in on the half way mark. Things greatly sped up towards the end and it felt a little rushed once we arrived in Germany.

Overall though, I really did enjoy this unique novel. I appreciate the author providing some biographical information at the end regarding the women featured, and I’ve been inspired to learn more about them on my own.

Racial tensions, gender inequality, Olympic dreams, poverty, rape, aviation, Jesse Owens and Babe Didrikson all in one book.... sounds like a little much, but in this book, it works! I thoroughly enjoyed this work of historical fiction and can’t wait to research further the real life women introduced me to, most of whom I’d never heard of before reading Fast Girls.

I received an ARC in exchange for my review, but my opinions are my own.

"Someday they won't be able to stop us girls."

Fast Girls follows three women who become part of the American Olympic team in 1936. Obviously a subject I know very little about because partway through the book, I thought some parts were too outlandish to be believed. After a little bit of googling, I realized that all the parts I doubted were completely real! #truthisstrangerthanfiction

If you love stories of women overcoming incredible odds, having goals in life that are not limited to marriage, coming of age in the late 1920s and early 1930s, or are missing watching the actual Olympics, this one is for you!

Thanks to Book Club Girls, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is about the start of women competing in the track events in the Olympics. It deals with the problems the women had and especially the black women. The book starts with the 1928 Olympics and concludes with the 1936 Olympics. The 1936 Olympics were held in Nazi Germany. The writing is engaging. There is afterward about the womens' lives after the Olympics.

When we think of the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, it is the great Jessie Owens who springs to mind. However, the lesser known, yet equally fascinating story of the Women’s Olympic team is what Elise Hooper writes about in her new novel. Tracing the lives of three amazing women, Betty Robinson, Louise Stokes and Helen Stephens, this is the story of women’s Olympic track and field from the 1928 games in Amsterdam, followed by the 1932 events in Los Angeles, and culminating in the drama that unfolded in Hitler’s Germany at the 1936 games.
Betty Robinson is the presses sweetheart at the 1928 Olympics and wins a gold medal but suffers a horrendous set back after a plane crash before the 1932 games. Told she may never walk again; she fights back against great odds to make it to Germany in 1936. Louise Stokes is a young black woman in Massachusetts, whose talent is discovered by the high school track coach at her school. Going to bat for her, he manages to get her the training she needs to qualify for the games in LA. There she and another black female runner face discrimination and are not allowed to compete. Still she perseveres to qualify for Germany. Finally, Helen Stephens, is a poor farm girl from rural Missouri, who also is discovered by her local track coach. She is the newcomer to the 1936 team.
The novel alternates between these three women and their inspiring stories. Fighting against the extreme sexism and racism of the time, they never-the-less are able to fight for their right to participate along side the male athletics. Their achievements are made all the more amazing because of the myriad of obstacles put in their way. Told again and again that they should be home looking for husbands and having babies, they achievement are all the more impressive.
Excellently researched and deftly written, this was a joy to read. Truly an inspirational tale and one that will be popular with book clubs. I highly recommend this one for fans of athletics, women’s fiction, biographical fiction, historical fiction or those interested in the history of the Olympics. A very apt story for our present time as well.

A compelling look at three extraordinary female athletes, Betty Robinson, Louise Stokes, and Helen Stephens, who fought against sexism, racism, and life’s every day struggles to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics on the United States women’s track team. Author Elise Cooper brings the reader along for the emotional and inspiring journeys that these women experience as they prepare for and compete in the Olympics, at a time when female athletes received little support or recognition. An afterword provides the reader with the opportunity to find out more information about the female athletes featured in the novel, including explaining ways in which the author fictionalized some aspects of their lives. Sports, history, and three strong women who defy the odds to make history. There’s something for every reader in this fascinating novel! A great summer read that will have you rooting for three women in history who are finally getting some much deserved recognition for their accomplishments.

I love the Olympics and I love books that blend history into fiction, so there was a lot I liked about this book. Each character had her own distinct personality and I felt like I got to know each of them. Some parts dragged a bit but over all I enjoyed it.

Though this book says it's about the 1936 Olympic team, it also covers the Olympics in 1928 and 1932. I didn't mind. Some of the athletes were at more than one Olympic Games, and the running parts of the book (competing especially, but even training) were my favorite parts. At times I found the book suspenseful, even a couple of times away from the track.

The author did a good job showing the disparity in how athletes were treated based on whether they were male or female, white or black, and connected or without connections. The injustice was maddening at times, and yet the author ended the book at a moment and in a way that provided satisfaction.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Club Girls for this early read.

Fast Girls by Elise Hooper
Source: NetGalley and Wm. Morrow Paperbacks
Rating: 4/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: Fast Girls is a sweeping saga of young women, talented young women fighting for their place in the world against the most serious of obstacles. From race to gender, the women of Fast Girls are beacons of inspiration; women who overcame everything to pave the way for future generations. Outside of the obvious (in case it isn’t – the accomplishments of the athletes) the thing I found encouraging about this book was the number of people willing to help these women achieve their goals. From the coaches to the families to the citizens of their hometowns, these women created a spirit that was felt and honored by so many. Of course, this book isn’t all about the spirit of goodness and athleticism. There are also many dark elements to this book and to these women’s lives all of which absolutely had an impact on their work and ability to compete. Though I truly and sincerely hated it for the impacted women, I appreciated the author including the ugly truths and really reflecting for the reader the reality of what these women faced, overcame, and accomplished. A fine historical fiction.

P.S. Be sure to turn the pages all the way to the end as the author has included what historical information there is pertaining to each of the featured women in the book. It is fascinating reading and led me to some additional Googling!

Thought-provoking, outstanding book.
Throughout history, communities have suffered through oppression. This book takes us on a journey on how these girls and young women survived and triumphed in the face of oppression, discouragement, injury, and bigotry.
Set in an era when girls were taught that they were best suited to be wives and mothers, where advanced education of young women was not encouraged, where your place in society was determined by the color of your skin, and where girls should be cultivating talents like sewing the playing the piano, Fast Girls traces the journey of female Olympic athletes from 1928 to 1936.
Each one of these women has an obstacle to overcome to make it to the Olympic team. What they have in common is that they're women. There are also factors of race, injury, parental disapproval, and economic circumstances.
Each of the women portrayed in the book faces her challenges, and perseveres in her goal of running at the Olympics. Each has a coach or a mentor who stands by her and believes in her talents.
In reading this book, I reflected on how far we've come as a society with respect to women's rights, gender identity, and race relations, and how far we still have to go.
Thanks to #Netgalley for the advanced copy. #FastGirls

Fast Girls is the story of three women who want to be on the 1936 Olympic team. Betty Robinson, Helen Stephens, and Louise Stokes faced adversity and obstacles on their quest to be at the Nazi sponsored Games in Berlin.

Elise Hooper does an amazing job writing the story of these three incredible women! She draws the reader into the story immediately. Thank you for writing the story of strong women!

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am so happy I got the opportunity to read this book thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me this amazing opportunity. This book right here is a GEM!

The author and her style of writing made me feel like I was right there with these girls going for their dreams, and defying all odds.

Women competing in anything at those times was something that was not very much encouraged, and these young women did it!

I loved the style of writing, giving amazing details on each and every single one of their loves and the other people and young girls they had inspired along the way.

I wish they make this into a movie it will be AMAZING! This book will be a best seller in NO TIME!

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 all three women from the beginning of the book and their 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 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.

There is a lot to like about this historical fiction novel Fast Girls by Elise Hooper. We have learned so much about the epic showdown in 1936 between Hitler's Nazi Germany Olympic team and our team: especially the great Jesse Owens. But it never occurred to me- what about the women? In fact, to my shame, I have never wondered much about early female Olympians and what they went through in order to become Olympians, I really enjoyed this part of the book. Hooper chooses a few women to profile from our great 1936 Olympic teams. But she doesn't just profile this Olympics. She begins with the women training for the 1928 Olympics. I guess I should've anticipated the prejudice and misogyny the women faced. but it still angered and outraged me. Married women, women who have had children, or even women who already raced in the 1928 Olympics and medaled were told "Oh you're too delicate" by the head of the IOC. A woman can give birth, but she's too delicate to run around a track? And then add in the racism against our Black athletes and you can see the Black women had to work even harder than their White counterparts. My main issue with the book is that the women never seemed like more than characters to me- I think maybe she profiled so many that I couldn't connect with any. Overall, it is a really interesting and important topic. But I never fully clicked with the characters themselves. However, I learned a lot about women racing and training in this era. If you love history, sports, or the Olympics- this might be a great read for you! 3.75 stars.

1936 Women's Olympic Track team historical fiction! This book was so interesting and well-researched, yet easy to read and so very enjoyable. I truly loved the characters and their journeys to the Olympics. The details made the story come to life. I found myself viscerally reacting to the action. It was great. I totally recommend it to readers of women's fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction lovers alike!

I truly enjoyed this historical account of the first women Olympic track and field athletes. The novel centers around three very different women and their background stories. The time period is pre WW II from the late 1920’s to 1936. Various social issues are addressed including views towards women’s roles, racism, homosexuality and of course the Anti semitism of Nazi Germany. Very inspiring and interesting read about three heroines previously unknown to me. These were courageous and determined young women who opened the door for future females in the previously male dominated world of sports. If I had any complaint, it would be that the story ended somewhat abruptly although there was an afterword detailing the main characters’ later years. This is really not so much a criticism as a disappointment in the story ending when I wanted to continue to learn more about these intriguing women.