REVIEW: Fire on the Track by Roseanne Montillo

Growing up as a child under Title IX the ability to play on a sports team was a given for me. That’s why I’ve found the handful of books I’ve read this year about the early years of women’s athletics so fascinating. Fire on the Track, the story of the first three Olympics in which women were allowed to participate is no exception.

The book follows a handful of women athletes in the 20’s and 30’s, but the most prominent was Betty Robinson, the first woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal. The conditions early women athletes faced were incredible – uncomfortable running shoes, sub-par lodging and food once they got to the Olympics, and invasive exams to prove they were, indeed, women. If you ever needed a book to make you feel grateful for the women who came before us this is it.

If you read and liked Dust Bowl Girls this book is a worthwhile pairing. Likewise if you like this book I highly recommend Dust Bowl Girls!

Note: Blogging for Books provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.