This was an interesting glimpse into the struggles female Olympians faced in prewar America. I learned a lot about what kinds of struggles women faced prior to many of the rulings/norms we take for granted now, and look forward to reading more of this author in the future!

Based on the real-life history of the first integrated Women's Olympic team. This book focuses on three track and field athletes as they attempt to make the team and go to Berlin to compete in the Olympics in 1936. It is a fascinating story, and even more so because it is true. For fans of Boys in the Boat, Hidden Figures, and other stories.

Give me a book any time about female athletes and/or the Olympics, and then give it to me in a year when the Olympics have been canceled!?!? Yes, please!

I am always in awe of people - especially women - who have to overcome great obstacles to achieve their hopes and dreams. Hooper did such a good job of making me FEEL these girls' thoughts and feelings...it felt like I was one of them trying to accomplish my own dreams (maybe this has something to do with being a former collegiate athlete).

Also, what a crazy time that this story was set in. So many issues come to the front of the story - women fighting for their place in the athletic world, racism, Hilter. This book tackles it all and I learned a lot about things I was only previously aware of on a surface level.

We hear a lot about the 1936 Olympics but we never hear the story of the women who competed there,
this book tells their story. From the journey to the Olympics as women fought to train, make the team, travel abroad etc, all things that a nice girl didn't do. The thrill of competing and winning and feeling strong. We also hear the story of what happens when you can no longer run and the mental toll of missing a piece of yourself.

A very good book that kept me turning the pages. If you like human interest stories, then you will enjoy this book. The Berlin 1936 Olympics is the final backdrop. The book will make you sad and glad that times have changed for women and their rights since the 30’s. The book will also frustrate you and you will feel deeply for the characters and their challenges.

I reviewed Fast Girls for Affinity Magazine in July 2020. The full review is linked.

I couldn’t recommend Fast Girls more. Hooper’s novel is full of compelling characters and fast-paced racing scenes, blossoming romances, and troubled families. It blends the genres of historical fiction, sports fiction and YA drama effortlessly, making for a novel that is as captivating as the Olympic Games themselves. Despite it being a novel based on history, there’s nothing dull or dry about it. Hooper is a master at modernizing and reviving the past, and even if you’re not interested in the real-life events, Fast Girls goes down as smoothly as a pure fiction novel. If you’re looking for an easy, exciting read this summer, Elise Hooper and her Fast Girls are nothing but gold.

I received an advanced copy of Fast Girls in exchange for an honest review.

My very first Elise Hooper. I’m a sucker for anything sports related because I’m a PE teacher. Needless to say this one was in my radar ever since I heard of it. Here’s what didn’t work for me. The introduction of characters, I felt I had to keep track hard of each of the girls and sometime it was a bit hard. The way the chapters developed didn’t have any intriguing aspect to keep me interested. I know this might be a bit of historical fiction but it did dragged for me and read a bit more on the boring side.

Well written very interesting look at the first women who fought for the right to run in the Olympic.Interesting characters very involving,Highly recommend..#netgalley #fastgirls,

With the way sportswomen are celebrated in the modern age for incredible feats of athleticism, it is difficult to believe that once upon a time in our not so distant past, talent in female sports was left mostly undiscovered. It wasn't until the 1928 Olympics Games that women were given the chance to compete in track and field events, with America's Betty Robinson being declared the fastest woman on Earth, breaking the world record in the 100 meter dash and winning the first Olympic gold medal awarded to a woman in track.

Many more medals were to be won as gifted female athletes around the world were discovered and given a chance to showcase their talents on the track and field; however, the path to victory was not without its share of obstacles. It was thought that women should not run, and that those who did were not embracing their feminine role. As in the case of the extraordinarily talented sprinter Helen Stephens, some even accused female runners of being, in fact, male. Elise Hooper, historical fiction author extraordinaire, brings to life these female track and field pioneers in her new novel Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women's Olympic Team - an exciting journey into the trailblazing years of female athletes in the Olympics.

The incredibly absorbing Fast Girls tells the story of early female runners Betty Robinson, Louise Stokes, and Helen Stephens. Told in alternating POV chapters, Hooper introduces us to the burgeoning talents of these ladies and examines the obstacles they faced in their pursuit of the 1936 Olympics. With Betty Robinson, it was a potentially career-ending plane accident. Louise Stokes faced racial discrimination and unequal opportunity on her Olympic journey. And Helen Stephens - a diamond in the rough - grew up poor and battled opposition from an unsupportive father and a society who believed that girls can't and shouldn't run. The irony is that Helen, in fact, could run faster than the boys, leaving them in the dust on her path to Olympic gold.

Fast Girls is well-researched, informative, and compelling. Hooper brings to life these "fast girls," little known women who paved the way to glory for thousands of female athletes who followed in their iconic footsteps. Insightful, accessible, and intimate, Fast Girls is sure to be loved by fans of biographical historical fiction, as well as those who revel in the Olympic Games. Hooper effectively draws readers into the stories of these early female athletes, giving them a voice and stage to show just how far women have come, and reminding us all that we still have a long way to go.

This was an interesting book about the first female American track athletes that participated in the Olympics. I was surprised to read of the sexism that these women faced. That being an athlete was not considered womanly. I was also saddened to read how often the decisions as to who would compete on the relays were not based on performance but the color of the athletes' skin. The women hailed from various parts of the United States and came from varying backgrounds and economic circumstances. Their stories were inspiring and makes one appreciate the sacrifices they made in order to represent their country on the largest athletic stage in the world. These ladies laid the groundwork for today's track and field Olympians and deserve recognition for their courage and determination.

The book tells the true (mostly - see author's notes) story of the Women's track & field Olympic Team of 1936, and the challenges they faced. Women were still treated as second class citizens, and women of color received even worse treatment. Even so, I found so many parallels in the feeling from the general public regarding race from that time until today, unfortunately. The books follows these ladies' stories - how they made the team, and the challenges each faced. Throw into the mix the Nazi regime and whether the Olympians should/would compete, and it makes a compelling read. Prior to reading the book, I had only heard of a couple of these ladies. I enjoyed learning of their stories, and especially appreciated the author's notes at the end of the book detailing how the women lived the rest of their lives. A welcome change from beach reads and WWII historical fiction - this one will keep your attention! (less)

This was a great historical fiction read! Based on the lives of the first females to compete in the US Olympic team, this story follows the lives of the women from their home life and the challenges faced by any girl or woman who was athletic, to the fierce competition to earn a spot on the team. This was a time when women were told to have babies, be welcoming to their husbands, and bake bread. It was thought that being an athlete would make a woman develop "unfeminine" characteristics.

Well researched, and very interesting!

Fast Girls is about the women who fought to get into the Olympics. It is about adversity and women's fight for recognition outside of the home. It is about the disparity between male and female athletics. It is also about racism. There are several main characters, and reading what each of them experienced made me truly appreciate the equality they fought for.

Amazing book!
I knew a little about the struggles of women in the Olympics, and should have known the struggles of "colored" people in the Olympics. This historical fiction book shed light on just how difficult it was for anyone other than a white male to compete in the Olympics decades ago.
As a runner, I can't imagine putting every ounce of effort, time, and determination into qualifying for the Olympics only to be turned away right before the event. If you read the book, you'll know what I'm referring to.
I spent as much time Googling the characters as I did reading the book because I felt so invested in their real-life stories. Wonderful, thorough research by the author makes these characters fully dimensional to the reader. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book.

Historical fiction has always been a favorite of mine. It is wonderful to learn about history through the lens of individual stories. This book immediately appealed to me, especially as this year was supposed to be an Olympics year. I appreciate the high level of research the author put into this work and the varied stories she is trying to tell, in a way that is real and authentic, but also cohesive and interesting for a reader. That being said, I did not finish this book, There is some difficult and somewhat graphic abuse early on, and I just found myself not wanting to pick up the reading again. Maybe someday I can go back to it, because it was well-written, it was just difficult for me to fully engage after finding some of those early chapters so difficult to get through.

Thank you to the author for her authenticity of telling the stories, even when they are difficult. Thank you also to the Harper Collins for the chance to read, and to NetGalley for the platform of readership/feedback.

This was an interesting read about the women Olympians from 1936. Elise Hooper walks us through their lives leading them to the Olympics. The book ends abruptly with the end of the Olympics. The author does attempt to give a concise summary of the women's lives after Germany. This afterwards I do not feel does justice to the complex lives of these athletes. I was compelled to do an internet search about each of them to learn about the things that they accomplished post-1936 Olympics.

The author's writing style reminds me of Jennifer Chiaverini. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a brief glimpse into women's Olympic history during a time that if loaded with information on Jesse Owens.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It combines athletics and historical fiction. Based on the lives of several female athletes who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, this novel illustrates the dedication these women displayed under conditions of sexism and discrimination. It covers the years leading up to the 1936 Olympics as well as previous Olympic Games in which some of the same athletes competed.
The novel is well-researched and beautifully written. It tells an engrossing story. The atmosphere the author created in writing about Nazi Germany before World War II and the Nazi environment at the Olympic Games was both fascinating and horrifying.
This is an excellent book. I would recommend it to fans of sport and those interested in this period of history.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

4.5*
Most people know the story of Jesse Owens and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. There’s also the wonderful book The Boys in the Boat that chronicles the amazing crew that won gold against Hitler’s rowers. Now Hooper shares a fictional account of the real, young female track and field team who also competed in 1936 Germany. Finally, the women take center stage.

This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the women’s right to vote and this book fits nicely in with the furtherance of women’s rights. But the book covers even more than simply the rights of female athletes. The racers featured here include some who ran in 1928, including one who won gold in Amsterdam but found her career sidelined by a plane crash. There also are Black female athletes who in 1928, were faced with blatant racism when qualifying to run. So, in 1936 with the Olympics held in Berlin, little has changed for the female runners. Yes, they have been reluctantly given permission to compete, but there are still roadblocks facing them. Attitudes about women and unfeminine attributes of track and field, continue to swirl around the athletes. Compounding that with the negative beliefs concerning African-Americans, the Black women runners are forced to face even more obstacles.

Hooper paints a realistic portrait of women fighting for the right to complete. Besides anti-female sentiments and racial prejudice, there’s the issue of political pressure not to compete in a game hosted by Hitler. The Berlin setting is eye-opening with a haunting, creepy atmosphere. What is remarkable here are the women athletes themselves. Their determination and dedication to their sport shines in this story of the real women who fought to compete. The support they demonstrate for each other, despite being competitors, is heart-warming. They earned their place on the team and still had to fight for the chance to run. Kudos to Hooper for telling us about the courageous women who lead the way for future athletes. She has highlighted a group of young girls and young women who proved that women are a force to be reckoned with and should get a share of the attention always given to their male counterparts.

This historical fiction novel looks at the challenges the women that competed in the first several Olympic that allowed women to compete in track and field. Being allowed to train is just the beginning and even making the team doesn't guarantee that they would be able to compete.

This was a very intersting and insightful novel. The author did a wonderful job of showing the desparity, racism and discrimination that took place in the 1930's. The story of the girls and the paths that lead them to the 1936 olympics and the hardships that they had to overcome was done in a thought full and engaging way. The issues that the author wrote about are as revelant today as they were then. She showed that no matter the history we are all still trying to overcome all the obstacles in our paths. The 1936 Olympics were a pivotal time in world history. If only people and the world had paid more attention to the signs that were there maybe the events to come would have been slightly different. The fact that these amazing women have almost been forgotten about in history is shameful and this book brings new female role models for young athletes. Each of these women had to face numerous hurdles in there athletic careers and in life. This book is revelant today in more ways than one, a book that everyone should read, and everyone will learn from it.