These reviews are part of Nonfiction November hosted by Katie at Doing Dewey, Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness, Becca at I’m Lost in Books, and Leslie at Regular Rumination.
Though these books feel completely different or couldn’t have more different subject matters, they are both incredibly inspiring stories in their own ways.
Home is Burning by Dan Marshall
Nonfiction – Memoir (Released October 20, 2015)
320 Pages
Bottom Line: Read it.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased
Plot Summary: Dan Marshall is twenty-five and living a stress-free life in L.A. when he’s called home to help care for his ALS-stricken father (Bob) while his mother (Debi) undergoes chemo for her own advanced non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
My Thoughts: Home is Burning is inspiring, sad, funny, raw, and honest…I laughed (a lot) and cried (some). It’s full of life lessons and, thanks to Bob Marshall, is a blueprint for how to get the most out of the time you have left. Bob was an avid marathoner and chose to compete in the Boston Marathon despite his ALS diagnosis, finishing in just over six hours at a time when he couldn’t even tie his own shoes. It’s also full of F bombs, crass and inappropriate humor, drinking, and jabs at the Marshalls’ Mormon neighbors (they are a rare non-Mormon family in their Salt Lake City neighborhood). If any of this is likely to offend you, steer clear of this book!
Dan is upfront about his privilege (he regularly refers to himself as a “rich, white asshole”). He has no problem saying selfish-sounding things about the impact of his parents’ illnesses on his own life that I’m sure others’ in similar situations think, but never actually say. His openness about the emotions that go along with seeing your parents in such vulnerable situations and giving up your life to become a “caregiver” make this a must read for anyone finding themselves in a “caregiver” role. And, the entire book is a gigantic lesson in putting on your big boy/girl pants.
The Three-Year Swim Club by Julie Checkoway
Nonfiction – Sports (Released October 27, 2015)
402 Pages
Bottom Line: Read it…if you’re interested in swimming and/or the Olympics.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased
Plot Summary: The true story of a Hawaiian sugar plantation elementary school teacher (Soichi Sakamoto) who trained (starting in an irrigation ditch!) a group of mostly Japanese-American children to swim for the Olympics in the late 1930’s/40’s.
My Thoughts: When I heard about this book at BEA, I immediately jumped on it…as I was a swimmer growing up (and was not familiar with this story) and love all things Olympics. Coming from that perspective, I enjoyed this book for the most part. I loved getting to nerd out with swimming and the Olympics – the political machinations behind the Olympic bidding process, 1930’s training techniques, and the differences in the 1930’s version of the sport (i.e. butterfly seemed to be missing and distances were 110, 220 rather than today’s 100, 200). If this stuff sounds like boring minutia, you should probably skip this one.
I was completely invested in the fates of Sakamoto and his underdog swimmers during the first half of the book. Can they become national players? Will the females be allowed to attend Nationals? Will his stars make the Olympic team? Then, World War II hit, changing the story’s direction. It hit the pause button on the swimming suspense and shuffled the people I’d been rooting for. This is obviously how real life played out, but it made for an odd story arc and dulled my emotions.
The Three-Year Swim Club lacked the intense emotional impact that made The Boys in the Boat such a widespread success, but would be a great choice for people interested in swimming and/or the Olympics.
Not a swimmer, but I’ve always been a big fan of the Olympics… will check out The Three-Year Swim Club.
Home is Burning sounds sad but inspirational.
Home is Burning sounds more up my alley and I would likely empathize with the characters. Gosh, Dan and his parents were dealt a very tough set of cards to play with.
Home is Burning sounds so great; I’m going to have to add this one to my list, Sarah. I’d love to have an audio version, I think! Due to my experience as a chaplain in the hospital, I completely agree with your statement that these are probably things people want to say, but don’t; I think there’s this misguided impression that family members should be gracious and giving and completely focused on their loved one, but they have lives, too, and it’s really tough. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve heard good things about Home is Burning. I think people are liking that it is so honest, and that he’s not afraid to just tell us everything.
As a swimmer, I am interested in swimming but I don’t know if I am read a whole book about it interested. I am willing to try it, though.
There’s definitely other things to enjoy in there, but it is super swimming focused!
Thanks for the reviews. Another great book, though a novel, about women first breaking in to the Olympics is The Peerless Four by Victoria Patterson. http://keepthewisdom.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-peerless-four.html
I’ll have to check that one out…thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing your reviews on these titles.
You know how slow I am at reading non-fiction so why are you doing this to me?! My guess is you’re going to say read the swimming book over 740 Park Ave so I’m off to reserve it at the library. Plus, swimming- how can I resist?
I just really wish an editor had cut a couple hundred pages from 740 Park – there are definitely some good nuggets in there though!
Thanks for writing about the Three Year Swim Club, I’m still curious about it even if it peters out a bit near the ending.
You’re welcome – it was definitely worth the read!
As our nation ages and my generation faces having to care for our elderly parents, books like Home is Burning are becoming even more important as guidelines for how to do so and as reassurance that we are not alone. It makes me want to read it all the more.
Oh yeah – my mom always talks about how many of her friends are all caring for aging parents right now. My mom is also an elder caregiver for her job.
Home is Burning is one of the best memoirs I have read in a while – so honest and heartfelt and funny and more.
I really loved it – so glad you did too!
I’ve read Unbroken, Boys in the Boat and Three Year Swim Club, in that order. Unbroken, both book and movie, was amazing. Boys was good but not nearly as intense as Unbroken. Three Year kind of annoyed me as far as way too many characters and statistics about every single swim meet. Sort of copycat stories that become too much of a good thing. All are inspirational but enough is enough.
Want to read House is Burning which sounds like a true to life story that many of us can relate to in one way or the other.
I agree that those 3 books were so similar in feel. I felt like Boys was a little different from Unbroken in that the intensity lay on the sports side rather than the war side. But, the Three-Year Swim Club did feel like a bit of a copycat of Boys in the Boat..and not as exciting. Given my swimming background, I appreciated it, but I suspect it would be less interesting for people without a connection to swimming.
Home is Burning was really good…if you like that type of humor and that method for handling tragedy (which I do).