Although far from an expert on the sport, I've always loved the grace and beauty of ice skating. So, it was probably a natural I'd opt to review this one albeit I was unfamiliar with Scott. I'm glad I did as I enjoyed learning not only her story but some behind the scenes bits and pieces about the sport that I'd never really known. I mean, I did know what school figures were, for instance, but hardly how many different ones there were and how much time skaters devoted to just perfecting them as opposed to their actual skating programs. Today they're long gone. While many of the names mentioned were before my time, that didn't really matter and familiarity increased as time passed. Probably the first name to pop up that I was familiar with that was actually a part of her life was Dick Button although I only knew him as a commentator on television, not an active skater.
I'm always somehow surprised how many performers would classify themselves as shy when not performing. Scott seems to be one of them. She was also smart, smart enough to learn three different languages, learn to play the piano, and learn to fly at one point. All while competing, I believe. If you check out the long, long list of appearances and performances she made that are listed in the appendix (as well as sources ), you'll surely understand that her "spare time" was limited. Skating was her first love, however. While perhaps best known as the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal in skating, she seems to have remained the genuinely nice person everyone was quick to describe her as. She seems to have steered clear of real drama, well, aside from that one controversy. Let's just say, the Olympic powers drew a sharp line in those days between amateur and pro. Unfortunately, she also faced the usual problems of celebrity, being hounded and even stalked by fans. Given that I don't think even the President of the United States, who she met, had the sort of security we just naturally assume any big name celebrity has today, think Taylor Swift, she and her mother, who was her traveling companion, were largely on their own to handle confrontations. Scary today, scary then.
Bottom line, despite my unfamiliarity with Scott, not to mention most of the surrounding cast of characters that made up her life, I enjoyed getting to know her. The addition of photos taken throughout her life were a bonus. I think I'd have liked her. In the process, I learned quite a bit about how the sport back then differs from the once we watch today. I know I was astonished to learn of the poor rink qualities at times, even at major competitions. I was definitely glad to discover she finally discovered something she loved more than skating, one that even helped bring one of her long time dreams alive. Nope, not telling, but it definitely helped me understand her a bit better. All in all, a book I'll recommend to skating fans. Thanks #BookSirens and author #RyanStevens for allowing me this early look at the life of Barbara Ann Scott and her life. And, what a life it was. And, hey, we even get her recipe for Moist Banana Cake!
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