Age is Just a Number

Torres's memoir builds skillfully toward her win of three Olympic swimming medals at the age of 41. This satisfying work has something for everyone--an athlete's obsession with physiology and winning, a woman's hunger for approval and love, a bulimia recovery story, and the joys of becoming a late-life mother and devoted friend to countless coaches and mentors. The strong writing unfolds every anecdote so beautifully that even the less-flattering threads sound noble and uplifting. Actress Rebecca Lowman captures every bit of the poignancy and depth of Torres's remarkable journey. Her appealing phrasing is intense but never self-conscious. The work itself and Lowman's narration will help both athletes and couch potatoes think more deeply about their own midlife challenges. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine