Fire on the Track

August 28, 2017
Against the backdrop of the Great Depression, Montillo (The Wilderness of Ruin) traces the fascinating story of Betty Robinson, an Olympic-track-and-field trailblazer. Montillo is a brilliant storyteller who introduces Robinson in 1931, as she is being driven to a local funeral home, assumed dead, after a devastating plane crash that puts her life—and future Olympic hopes—in jeopardy. As a high school athlete, Robinson came just a tenth of a second short of the U.S. indoor track record. Robinson went on to join the first female track-and-field team to compete in the 1928 Olympics and won gold for the U.S. In telling Robinson’s story, Montillo ably traces women’s fight for inclusion and equality in competitive sports while unearthing decades-old examples of the biases and challenges women in competitive sports still face to this day (some detractors claimed that the Olympics were creating “ ‘manly’ women”; others questioned an athletic woman’s gender). Montillo also includes riveting portraits of Tidye Pickett and Louise Stokes—the first female African-American runners. Montillo has written an engaging, insightful look at an era in women’s sports.

October 15, 2017

A frantic dash to catch a train and an eagle-eyed track coach combined to create an unlikely pioneer: Betty Robinson, daughter of an Irish immigrant and an otherwise typical high school student, who had never even tried on a pair of track shoes. Under the guidance of the prescient Coach Price, the teenager ran to gold medal victory in the 1928 Olympics, the first time women were allowed to participate in track and field. Only three years later, Robinson survived a harrowing small plane crash. Her near-miraculous recovery and improbable return to Olympic glory are chronicled with rich historical context by Montillo (The Wilderness of Ruin), including gender issues in sports that are still being debated today. Robinson's life story and important role in breaking down barriers for women has already been optioned for film; this well-balanced biography and history of a groundbreaking female track star recalls a time and an athlete worth celebrating. VERDICT Sports enthusiasts and women's history buffs will be captivated by Robinson and her fellow trailblazers. Montillo's in-depth research and highly accessible style make this a timely and appropriate choice for public and school libraries.--Janet Davis, Darien P.L., CT

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2017
Montillo begins this compelling account of women track stars in the early days of the Olympics with a gripping set piece detailing a 1931 plane crash in a field outside Chicago. A female passenger declared dead at the scene arrives at the morgue only to have the undertaker discover she is still breathing. Just three years earlier, that woman, Elizabeth Betty Robinson, became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field when she ran the 100-meter dash in 12.2 seconds. In a tightly woven, flowing narrative, Montillo profiles the women who excelled in three Olympics: the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, the 1932 Games in Los Angeles, and the 1936 Games in Berlin. In Berlin, Robinson, recovered from her injuries, claimed another gold in the women's 400-meter relay, upsetting the highly favored Germans. In addition to Robinson, Montillo profiles Helen Stephens, Babe Didrikson, and Stella Walsh, all of whom faced the obstacles that still challenge contemporary athletes: dealing with sudden fame, combating sexism and racism, and facing issues of sexual identity, among them. Just as Laura Hillenbrand, in Unbroken (2014), earned acclaim for resurrecting the life of Louis Zamperini, an overlooked American war hero and Olympian, Montillo deserves praise for sharing with honesty and integrity the remarkable stories of these resilient trailblazers. This is a must-read, certain to inspire a new generation of athletes with its fascinating slice of Olympic and women's sports history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)