User:Demellozach2/The Boys in the Boat

Background
Daniel James Brown grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English at the University of California at Berkeley.

The Boys in the Boat is a true story based on the struggles and sacrifices made by the University Washington rowing team to compete at the highest possible level, the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Joseph Sutton-Holcomb from The Seattle Times mentions that Brown got the idea to write this book when his neighbor Judy Williams walked into his home in Redmond,Washington. She said that her grandfather on hospice, Joe Rantz, was a fan of his works and wanted to have a conversation with the author. That encounter with Judy ignited a conversation with Joe Rantz about life during the Great Depression, which led to an in-depth chat about his time as a rower at the University of Washington. Growing up, Joe felt ostracized by his father and stepmother and was seen as disposable, which correlates to how many people during that time felt. The Depression brought about so much uncertainty, and people felt as if they did not have any control over their own lives.

In an interview with Joseph Sutton-Holcomb from The Seattle Times, Brown emphasized that the reason he spent so much time on the build up to this important race is because he thought “it's much more meaningful if you know the nine guys involved on some kind of personal level, and if you knew what the German boys wearing swastikas on their chests represented, that they weren't just another bunch of kids in a boat.”

Reception
The Delhi Press asserts that The Boys in the Boat, published by Penguin Books, was one of the best selling books after it was released. Laurence Raw from The Journal of American Culture, addressed this book as being researched beautifully and highlights the woes and triumphs experienced during the Great Depression. Along with the novel’s praise, the novel received many rewards including the 2014 Washington State Book Award. Overall, the novel received positive reactions. The News Journal (Wilmington) includes a positive review from John Schoonver, a coxswain at St. Andrews School in 1959, who claimed that "It [the novel] shows a remarkable story about the perseverance of young rowers.” In July 2014, The Delhi Press addressed that “One of the protagonists is Joe Rantz, a poor boy, whose determination to overcome odds makes him an ideal hero. The author learned the details of Rantz's brilliant rowing career from the athlete himself.” According to The Delhi Press, the author worked hard to create a book to inspire many generations. The Smithsonian Magazine has highlighted how it's not a surprise that this novel has been brought to cinematic development. The figurative language and imagery Brown utilizes allows the audience to feel what the rowers are experiencing.   Joseph Sutton-Holcomb from The Seattle Times claims that this book  is more than a heartfelt coming-of-age sports saga because it exemplifies what can be accomplished when people come together.