I am the proud parent of a stroke rower. This story, of very different women, from widely geographic and psychological backgrounds, all coming together to do something no one had done before, is mesmorizing and grabs at every heartstring I have. The forward is equally compelling. I have met one of the Yale rowers in this story, and believe me, if she did half the stuff she is credited doing, I have even more admiration for her. This book taught me a bit about rowing, some equipment nuances, and training techniques. It gave me several nights of wonderful pleasure, some laughs, some tears. Now that this sport, like most others, is so scientific, so over studied (I guess we have the east germans to thank for that), it largely selects the athletes by performance. But the 'Red Rose Crew' had that intangible: spirit and guts. That doesn't always show up on ERG scores, or height charts. I am so glad I read this, and was able to share it with my daughter. The writing is clear, concise, and both narrative and dialogue where appropriate. Great work.