Reviews for America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle

The average rating for America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-06-07 00:00:00 Laurie Gross [ the weather was awful during her successful swim, and if it had been better she'd have arrived across the channel hours earlier than she did. Also, whle the channel is 21 miles across, she probably had to swim 35 miles in order to get there, because of the currents and the weather. (hide spoiler)]

Review # 2 was written on 2018-10-26 00:00:00 Jason Abell On August 6, 1926, Gertrude Caroline Ederle - a German-American swimmer born in New York City, and known as "Gertie" to her family, and "Trudy" to her friends - became the sixth person to successfully swim the English Channel, and the first woman to do so. In a time when women were considered the "weaker sex," and newspaper columnists (as well as everyday citizens) opined that women belonged in the home, rather than in the water, Ederle not only succeeded in swimming the Channel, but beat her male predecessors by almost two hours (observers commented that, had the weather not been so unfavorable, and the water so rough, her time would have been four hours shorter). Lauded by President Calvin Coolidge as "America's Best Girl," Ederle was given a ticker-tape parade upon her return to New York City. Obviously, we're not talking about someone who was unknown in their day, or whose achievement was considered insignificant, so if you're wondering why you've never heard of Ederle, don't worry - you're not alone! Until picking up Adler and Widener's picture-book biography - the first title to be devoted to her story, although there have been two subsequent adult books: America's Girl: The Incredible Story of How Swimmer Gertrude Ederle Changed the Nation and Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World - I was also unfamiliar with Ederle. I am glad to have that omission rectified, as hers is an inspirational story, one that has significance for women in sport, but also for an understanding of a particular moment in American history, when records were being broken, and the heroes being lionized by the media weren't just film and music stars, or professional athletes. It's a shame that her story disappeared for so long - although this isn't uncommon with female figures of note, even when their contributions are very significant, and recognized in their day - but I'm glad that it has resurfaced. America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle is an engaging title, one I recommend to young readers with an interest in swimming or sport, or who enjoy biographies of people who were the "first" in their respective fields, and paved the way for others. Truthfully, I think the narrative is stronger than the artwork (which didn't greatly impress me), but the overall effect is still very appealing!