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The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team
by Arshay Cooper
The moving true story of a group of young men growing up on Chicago's West side who form the first all-Black high school rowing team in the nation, and in doing so not only transform a sport, but their lives.
Growing up on Chicago's Westside in the 90's, Arshay Cooper knows the harder side of life. The street corners are full of gangs, the hallways of his apartment complex are haunted by drug addicts he calls "zombies" with strung out arms, clutching at him as he passes by. His mother is a recovering addict, and his three siblings all sleep in a one room apartment, a small infantry against the war zone on the street below.
Arshay keeps to himself, preferring to write poetry about the girl he has a crush on, and spends his school days in the home-ec kitchen dreaming of becoming a chef. And then one day as he's walking out of school he notices a boat in the school lunchroom, and a poster that reads "Join the Crew Team".
Having no idea what the sport of crew is, Arshay decides to take a chance. This decision to join is one that will forever change his life, and those of his fellow teammates. As Arshay and his teammates begin to come together to learn how to row--many never having been in water before--the sport takes them from the mean streets of Chicago, to the hallowed halls of the Ivy League. But Arshay and his teammates face adversity at every turn, from racism, gang violence, and a sport that has never seen anyone like them before.
A Most Beautiful Thing is the inspiring true story about the most unlikely band of brothers that form a family, and forever change a sport and their lives for the better.
Name three nonfiction books you absolutely loved and would recommend
Me again with a few more favs for non-fiction sub-categories I didn't see a lot of mentions for: Non-fiction (Animal/Environment): Soul of an Octopus (Sy Montgomery) Birding to Change the World (Trish O'Kane) Running with Sherman (Christopher McDougall) Non-fiction (Sports - even if you aren't sp...
-Gabi_J
Good nonfiction books for book clubs?
I love non-fiction. In addition to Grann and Larson, here are a few other books/authors that I think would be great for bookclub discussions: The Swans of Harlem (Karen Valby) Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA (Liza Mundy) The Six - The Untold Story of America's First Women Astro...
-Gabi_J
Book Suggestions - Ones I LOVED
Non-fiction favs in no particular order: Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA (Liza Mundy, History) The Six - The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts (Loren Grush, History, Science) The Library Book (Susan Orlean, True Crime) The Art Thief (Micheal Finkel, True Crime) K...
-Gabi_J
"Spirited... memorable... Engrossing a sports memoir but also relevant to any conversation about privilege and race." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Uplifting and always enlightening.... [A Most Beautiful Thing] is a coming-of-age story told with the benefit of adult insights and mature hindsight.... This book is less about this specific sport than how that sport becomes transformative, empowering some kids, giving others a direction." ―Chicago Tribune
"I was immediately captivated. Arshay's writing evokes the emotional angst of teens growing up in the inner city of Chicago. It is a triumphant tale of overcoming odds, with the sport of rowing-―not the conventional football or basketball―as a catalyst to his and his crew's salvation. I wholeheartedly recommend Arshay's work and look forward to his future projects." ―Ron Stallworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Black Klansman
"Arshay's remarkable story reminds us of the life-changing power of will over hopelessness, of belief over despair, and shows us what it looks like when we stop listening to demons and start honoring our own potential. This is the story of rising from the ashes stronger, faster, and focused ― not in spite of the circumstances of birth but because of them. Arshay's refusal to let his life story be written for him is a testament to the resilience and beauty of the human spirit, and his eagerness to succeed, on the water and in life, is an inspiration." ―Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic
This information about A Most Beautiful Thing was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Arshay Cooper is a rower, author, motivational speaker, and volunteer for numerous community outreach organizations. He works with nonprofits focusing on opening the boathouse doors to everyone, and he was the recipient of a 2017 USRowing Golden Oars Award. He lives in Brooklyn with his family.
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