Summary of the Book
America’s Girl: The Incredible Story of Swimmer Gertrude Ederle Changed the Nation was a story written by Tim Dahlberg. It was an intimate look at Gertrude Ederle’s life and difficulties in 1926 when she turned out to be the first female swimmer to cross the English Channel that led her to break the men’s chronology.
America was enthralled with her achievement that it held a two-million-strong ticker-tape parade to welcome her home. The book outlines that individuals can accomplish anything if they believe in themselves. One interesting thing about the narrative is that it initiates the biography of Gertrude’s life in the form of a story.
Gertrude’s story is a true reflection of how endurance and perseverance can play an invincible role in an individual’s success. The above saying signifies that it takes hard work to succeed and grace during adverse moments; however, a person can achieve their aim if they focus. This book is influential because it demonstrates that women can achieve anything, and dedication pays off.
Critical Assessment of the Book
The book is relatively straightforward as it discusses the biography of Gertrude. It is the story of Olympic swimmer Gertrude Ederle, born in 1906. She is described as a champion and five-time world record holder in competitive swimming for the United States. Her family referred to her as Gertie, and everyone else referred to her as Trudy.
Gertrude Ederle was trained to swim by the father at the age of seven; he believed it was the significant thing he could do for the daughter after she tripped into a pond and almost drenched. She quickly picked her father’s unique ways by observing and learning from him. Much of American popular culture was shaped by an athletic and competitive mentality. The 1920s era was a time of youth, vigor, and new speculation about the woman figure in society (Dahlberg et al. 48). Her victories over international opponents were triumphs for the entire country.
Gertrude belonged to a new generation of female athletes competing internationally. Men, however, continued to dominate competitive athletics as women were regarded as inferior. Most people assumed that women could not compete on an equal footing with men. Physical education classes for women and girls were also less common than those for men and boys. Gertrude’s climb to stardom was all the more stunning as a result. Reporters frequently stressed Gertrude’s achievements all-American nation.
Despite neither dressing nor acting as a conventional flapper, Gertrude’s life embodied much of the Jazz Age ethos (Dahlberg et al. 22). Gertrude was a tenacious, self-sufficient, and driven lady who pursued her dreams and attained financial independence. At fifteen, Gertrude won her first major event and sought to be the first among women to swim the seventeen-mile distance from Manhattan to New Jersey. She broke the men’s record while becoming the first woman to win three Olympic medals in 1924 (Dahlberg et al. 122). Gertrude exemplifies women’s empowerment as she crosses all bridges till she reaches her goal.
Gertrude made the pursuit of swimming through the English Channel for the first time in 1925 but was unsuccessful. As a result of her failure, she was chastised in a newspaper report, which stated that women will always be weaker (Dahlberg et al. 148). Despite having failed in the previous attempt to swim in the channel, she tried again on the 6th of August in 1926. Having been labelled “Queen of Waves” by the press, the lady did try it again.
The weather grew extremely dangerous during the marathon, and Gertrude was terrified. She did not know if she would die or keep swimming. Gertrude arrived in England after 14 hours in the water. She rose to prominence as an influential figure, an icon, and an inspiration for women worldwide. Dahlberg places this narrative in historical background, telling readers that the females were supposed to dwell at their households during this period. Because women were deemed the weaker gender, they were also forbidden from partaking in various activities, including athletics.
Dahlberg recounts Ederle’s achievements succinctly and clearly, heightening the reader’s perception of swimming the English Channel. Tim stylized pictures successfully reflect the period of the 1920s by portraying numerous configurations depicting various in a broad spectrum of lovely blues, greens, and greys that emerge to be purposely and splendidly enforced compared to the flatness of the individual. The writers’ writing is plain, simple, and informative, making it easy for an individual to comprehend the story.
An individual gets to share Gertrude’s highs and lows, and the book ends positively. It instils in young people the value of perseverance and pursuing one’s goals. It also teaches them to consider others in their words as their building block for personal empowerment. Despite this, she achieved a goal that no one expected her to perform. She was a role model to women worldwide, including in the United States, due to her enthusiastic spirit of not giving up and how she exposed stereotypes about women.
This book is an excellent example of tenacity and female empowerment for primary school students. The book allows the reader to understand Gertrude Ederle’s life; it is biographical. Although the narrative outweighs the artwork, the total effect is still quite appealing. This book was great for me because it serves as a great reminder that if we put our mind to it and work hard enough, we can do anything we set our minds to accomplish.
It was also amazing to have a primary character who was an inspirational young woman. Gertrude’s dedication and enthusiasm for swimming as a female inspired me. Moreover, it is also a fantastic picture book for teaching teenagers about courage and perseverance. Because of her unshakable determination and desire, Ms Ederle accomplished her dream of swimming across the English Channel.
Opinion About the Book
Gertrude Ederle, America’s Champion Swimmer, is an intriguing book that I recommend to young readers who enjoy biographies of persons who were firsts in their industries and paved the way for others. Gertrude’s past is detailed in the book as a young person who is twenty years of age.
This biography covers Gertrude’s early triumphs, Olympic medals, and attempted and successful channel swims. The information regarding how women were regarded and treated at the time, how Gertrude defied tradition and the circumstances in which she inspired her female colleagues are essential in the book.
It is also a riveting look at the 1920s era when the United States as a nation was poised to accept that the female gender could vote and contest as athletes on a global stage. Ederle’s victory over the mighty channel at the height of Prohibition was a victory for women everywhere. The book is an excellent platform for developing character and finding a source of inspiration.
Work Cited
Dahlberg, Tim, et al. America’s Girl: The Incredible Story of How Swimmer Gertrude Ederle Changed The Nation. St. Martin’s Press, 2013.