About this item
The feel-good underdog story of the first American swimmer to win Olympic gold, set against the turbulent rebirth of the modern Games - for fans of The Boys in the Boat and SeabiscuitIn the early twentieth century, few Americans knew how to swim, and swimming as a competitive sport was almost unheard of. That is, until Charles Daniels took to the water.On the surface, young Charles had it all: high-society parents, a place at an exclusive New York City prep school, summer vacations in the Adirondacks. But the scrawny teenager suffered from extreme anxiety thanks to a sadistic father who mired the family in bankruptcy and scandal before abandoning Charles and his mother altogether. Charles's only source of joy was swimming. But with no one to teach him, he struggled with technique - until he caught the eye of two immigrant coaches hell-bent on building a U.
About the Author
Michael Loynd is the author of ALL THINGS IRISH: A NOVEL, and the upcoming true story, THE WATERMEN, for Ballantine Random House. Married to his high school sweetheart, they live in St. Louis with their four children.
