The Untold Story of Maui's Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory

Interesting parts, especially to a Hawaiian resident. Insights into the life of the plantation families. Liked the reaction to the youngsters as they were on the cruise ship and also how they were received on the mainland. Story of courage and determination. WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL that did not add to the story. Needed better editing.

GREAT GREAT story. I was an ex competitive swimmer in the 70's. Nationally ranked and had never heard of this time period or anything about these particular swimmers.
I have shared this with my nephew who is in his 20's and a swimmer and friends who I swam with back in the day.
WE all loved it!

I always finish a book... this is one I am finding very difficult to finish.... so many run-on sentences that you lose the intent, improper sentence structure, poor grammar .. Julie Checkoway did a great deal of research, she lacks the ability to take the data and turn it into information.

I've been waiting about four months to post my five stars and great review of Julie Checkoway's book since my independent bookseller cousins unloaded it on me in NYC after they attended book convention here in June--this rather than having to drag all their free books back with them to New Orleans, La. (Poor cousins!) Anyway, I definitely won on this one. If I could have read this book in one night, I would have. My deterrent to one-night reading was that some portions/descriptions were so good that I had to read them over at least once. I also re-read my favorite portions several times after I finished the book. Although I thought that some portions should have moved more quickly than they did (specifically the first 100 or so pages describing the children's poverty-stricken life conditions and the World War II conditions the boys had to endure while fighting,) I thought the rest of the book more than made up for it. On a personal note, one of the boys in the Three-Year Swim Club was the reason my college's rival swim team had a reputation for so many years as unbeatable! Checkoway's research was daunting and so thorough it will make your eyes "swim" if you read the chapter where she details it. Ever since I read this book in late June, I have thought that it would be a best seller and a major motion picture. If I'm wrong so be it. But if you read it, you may understand why I think so many people will be drawn to it!

Living on Maui I really enjoyed the story concept. I would have enjoyed it more if the author would have followed Coach's example; say less, mean more.
There are mistakes that are irritating, wahine was misspelled and so were other words.
I don't know how to explain it but it felt like her vocabulary was inappropriate.

Destiny is a curious thing. Sometimes it’s planted in a child’s heart, where it’s then pursued and captured single-mindedly. In others’ lives, it remains elusive, uncertain and unknown until a series of events finally reveals it.

Imagine that you’re living in 1930s Maui. Life is beautiful. You’re enjoying all that the Hawaiian islands have to offer: delightful scenery, ocean breezes, tasty food. If you’re a haole (of non-Hawaiian ancestry, or white), you’re living the sweet life there. You may even own a sugarcane plantation.

Now imagine that you’re one of the multitudes of laborers in the sugarcane fields. You may be Japanese-American, Filipino or Chinese, and every day you take your machete into the fields and chop. The workday is backbreaking and exhausting. All the workers live in tiny attached houses in the camp, alongside the cane fields. And every family knows what’s happening with every other family, whether it’s no food at the end of the month, arguing spouses, or some other trouble. Poverty is everywhere, and the sweet life is nonexistent.

Camp children, though, are plentiful. And like all children, they’re vastly creative. Without much in the way of toys, they make up games from sticks, seed pods and gravel. But their best-loved game is a forbidden --- and terribly dangerous --- one.

Sugarcane fields require vast quantities of water to grow even a single pound of sugar. To provide more water for the drier valleys of Maui, plantation owners built ditches to bring water from the wetter mountain regions of the island down to the fields. Then they used more ditches to carry both water and waste from the fields down to gated reservoirs. Some ditches had muddy bottoms, while others were paved with concrete. But when the sluices were opened up at the fields, the water and cane refuse hurtled down the ditches at a treacherous speed. Both animals and some children were caught in the current and met their own deaths. Still, neither that possibility nor the severe punishment from plantation officials kept the children out of the water. It was absolutely irresistible to them.

Soichi Sakamoto was a second-generation Japanese-American living in Hawaii. And he just didn’t fit into his parents’ plans for a responsible Nisei son. As a child and a young man, he was both impetuous and rebellious. In desperation, his folks sent him to the Territorial Normal School, which they hoped would make of Soichi a teacher. Although he never really took to the school, he did indeed become a teacher, at the camp Pu’unene elementary school. Then his wheels began to turn. Soichi found and married, after a very brief courtship, a woman of Hawaiian ancestry named Mary. He was absolutely certain that she was his other half, who would enable him to find his destiny. He began to throw himself into extracurricular activities, becoming the Scoutmaster for the camp scouts troop and founding a children’s basketball team (though he’d never played himself) and a track team.

The day that decided the destiny of both Soichi and the camp children was the day he emerged from the elementary school and encountered over a hundred wet, naked and delighted boys and girls pouring out of the ditch. After their exciting water ride, they were pursued by a furious official on horseback, whose heart was set on punishment. Certainly these children knew better! However, every one of them managed to escape him. Soichi, who knew the utter lack of joy and positive activity in their lives, made an offer. Although he had no idea how to swim, he volunteered to supervise the children as they played in the ditch, when it was pooled rather than rushing. As he stood and “babysat” them, ideas began to churn in his head. As author Julie Checkoway says, “Soichi Sakamoto had no good reason to do it, no right to, no knowledge of how to, but he called out to the children, nonetheless, ‘How ‘bout I teach you something about swimming, eh?’”

This simple question, and the resulting creation of the Three-Year Swim Club, is the turning point in both Soichi’s and the children’s lives. Early on, his goal for them was Olympic glory. He asked them to commit to three years of serious practice. And, astonishingly, he became the coach who turned these poverty-stricken youngsters, whose future hopes were previously just a job in the cane fields, into record-breaking champions. Along the way, they experienced heroes and villains, peace and war, heartbreak and victory.

This story of one (at first) seemingly unremarkable man and his effect on camp children and the world of swimming is both inconceivable and dazzling. You won’t want to miss it.

Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds

Awe-inspiring characters against all odds achieve extraordinary feats in all aspects of life, impeccably researched and well written--what more can one ask for in this extraordinary book. Thank you Julie Checkoway for so thoughtfully and skillfully telling us this unforgettable story that otherwise very well would have faded into history. I found myself thinking about excerpts long after I had left the page and throughout the day. Coach Soichi Sakamoto saw promise and potential in what others, at first glance, would dismiss as hopeless; both in the tenacious, embolden kids that he trained, as well as with the tools he resurrected (that others had discarded as junk) that he resourcefully and ingeniously engineered as cross-training tools. He is a true American hero, far ahead of his time. All members of The Three Year Swim Club should be properly recognized and commended for their truly remarkable accomplishments, both in and out of the water. For success and achievements in life are not simply measured by the end goal, but how far and swiftly one swims upstream through the overwhelming current they are up against.

Julie Checkoway’s new book about a group of poor Maui Japanese sugar cane kids who pull themselves up by their bootstraps is being marketed as another THE BOYS IN THE BOAT or UNBROKEN. Although it is not quite as good or as strong as these other books the story Checkoway has chosen to tell via her narrative nonfiction account is an interesting and compelling story.
I have vacationed many times on the Island of Maui. So I became interested to read that this story which begins in the 1930s when a young teacher, Soichi Sakamoto at Pu’unene Elementary School discovers poor sugar plantation kids swimming in the dirty irrigation ditches. This is the story of how Sakamoto became their advocate and coach.
The Pu’unene Elementary building still stands today behind the smoke stacks you pass when driving from the Maui airport to Khei. Behind the school building the Maui Library today operates a small used bookstore. In the 1930’s sugar plantation workers lived her in a small community of poor quality company owned housing. They lived just one step up from slavery and the kids were the poorest of those then living on Maui.
The book’s weakness is the story has no clear focus. As it moves along it introduces numerous swimmers and you end up with too many names, times, and types of races. Each rather blandly merge together and you wish for a more personal narrative. For the most part the main story is of Sakamoto who becomes the self-educated swimming coach for the kids. Sakamoto, himself is a very stoic person and although he is the hero of the story his personality is difficult to penetrate.
The first part of book is a wonderful portrait of Sakamoto and kids and a history of mostly Japanese-American sugar cane workers. As the book moves on the book narrows down to three major swimmers whom Sakamoto coaches hoping to win Olympic gold in 1940. But then as World War II begins and the anti-Japanese sentiment takes hold and many of the “kids” go to war and find their dreams of swimming in the Olympics canceled. The books ending is both sad and inspirational and another testimonial to the rewards of commitment and self-determination.t of interesting discussions about the ugly side of America’s racist history.
I think this is the kind of book at may catch on like BOYS IN THE BOAT especially with reading groups. It certainly would lead to a lo

I had a friend suggest this book to me as I'm a swimmer. I also lived in Hawaii for a few year in junior high school so I though I might really enjoy this book. I enjoyed parts of it. I liked learning about the kids learning to swim in the ditches on the sugar plantation, the obstacles Sochi (sp) faced when trying to build a team and prepare them for meets and eventually the Olympics.

The author clearly researched her material. The book was crammed full of details, many of which I could have done without. I could have done without her flowery language as well. "Look at all of the obtuse words I can throw at you!" I read another review where the reader couldn't keep track of the characters as there were too many in book. There were so many characters I cared nothing about. You could argue the story wouldn't have been the same without them, but I disagree.

It took me so long to finish this book. I almost gave up on it hoping it would turn around and it kind of did at the end, but it was anticlimactic as I was so thrilled to get to the last page so return it to my friend and be done with it.

My feeling at the end was not satisfaction, but relief.

This is a well written and enjoyable book. I think there is a slight over focus on the whole feel good tone in terms of the prose but that might be more of a result of the facts simply being of that nature. Maybe a sort of chicken versus the egg. But for some reason I felt that even without the promotional blurb, I went in and very quickly got a sense that this was an 'important heartwarming tale of triumph over adversity'

But this sense dissipated once the actual people's lives were engaged in the narrative. Which saved the book for me. But I just felt like I got a strong push in a certain direction right off instead of the author showing the path and letting me get to the destination on my own. A bit like watching a commercial for a movie and knowing right off the bat they hope for several Academy Award nominations and did so pretty much when they decided to do it. I'm just a bit too contrarian of a reader I guess. But overall this was a nice read and while maybe not worth a Howard Shore score, reminded me that small victories can have bigger meanings and that such stories should be remembered and shared.

This book starts with Soichi Sakamoto's childhood. He seemed like he was going nowhere, trapped between his Japanese parents and his life in Hawaii. He finally met a wife and his life changed from there. The interesting thing about him is that he couldn't swim, and yet he made a decision in the 1930s to form a swim club in Maui consisting of kids of workers on the sugar plantations. The first years, the team swam in the irrigation ditches. Sakamoto was one of the first examples of interval training, having the kids swim upstream, then downstream. Amazingly, these kids who have never worn shoes and been neglected become swim stars, breaking records and leaving others in their pool dust.

Sadly, it is not all triumphs. As the swimmers became more well known, they experienced racism, not being allowed to practice in the very pools they were supposed to swim a match in. They also were dismissed from hotels, and food places. Amazingly, there was kindness, and people stuck up for them and helped them. In Louisville, they were befriended by swimmers from Stockton, California. Even in their home, they experienced discrimination. The pool they wanted to use was a members only pool, so Sakamoto used his car to drive the kids to a different pool, often putting 12 kids in his car, and then leaving them there and going back for more. Kids walked alongside the car, exhausted, and then swam for hours afterwards. They did all this to work towards the 1940 Olympics, and then came the cruelest blow of all, the games were cancelled. They still did not give up, going on to use their skills to get into top schools. Many of them found the workouts in their colleges much easier and shorter than what they had experienced with Sakamoto.

This book was so well written, but the story itself is amazing. These people didn't give up even when any normal person would have. I will be seeing if this author has written any other books.

I sent this email to all my nieces and nephews and to their children:
I highly recommend this book to all of you.
I see why my publisher recommended this book to me. I feel we all need to read this to see how it was with the
Japanese Americans way before you and I were born. I also think people born on Maui ought to read this book, along with the non-Maui born residents, so they will appreciate and honor the history of that place.

It's about Soichi Sakamoto, swimming coach who trained plantation kids to go national by letting them swim and practice in the ditches on Maui. Interestingly, I grew up with his name Sakamoto, Keo Nakama, and others mentioned in this book, yet they were in their prime before I was born so they had become legends by the time I could read. Then the story continues after Pearl Harbor. This is a touching part of our history if you are Japanese from Hawaii, Okinawan, Haole, and just a human being. I'm sure you're one of these...ha.
Sakamoto ended up at UH as swimming coach. Won't tell you if his dream of sending one of the kids from the ditches to the Olympics ever became a reality.

In the book, the author mentions how people were named by their character. One swimmer was called Halo Hirose...pronounced hallow because sometimes he seemed to act as though his brain was filled with too much space.
Reminded me of how my own village Kapoho folks were also called. Our Uncle Jun was called Pe-lute, a Filipino word meaning throwing up from drinking too much. One man was called ke-sha...train in Japanese because his teeth
protruded like the front of a train and these became permanent names. So one doesn't have to be from Hawaii or from Maui to be able to find one's own history in the story.

At the end, one is left with this feeling that one's own humanity to another is still, why we are here.

This is a story that has been hidden for too many years--a Japanese-American school teacher on Maui puts together a world-class swim club from impoverished children of cane field workers in a rural backwater of Hawaii. The swimmers, all also Japanese-American, rise from their hbeginnings to become champions despite the prejudice among Americans toward Orientals in the pre- and WWII era. Unfortunately, the author spends a great deal of pages on the rivalries between Hawaiian sports directors and the coach and takes away from the credit that the swimmers and their coach deserve.

As an avid reader of historical narrative books, I waited anxiously for this book to come available through my library. The story is compelling and inspiring. My three star rating and disappointment are with the factual errors and odd choices for some of the vocabulary in this book. I use my Kindle's definition feature in most books I read, but with this story I was using it for words that I know but didn't understand in the context it was being used. That alone was only a minor distraction, but when I encountered common fact errors I found myself wondering how much was, in truth, the actual fact that I've come to love about well researched historical narratives. For example. twice the author refers to the horse Seabiscuit as a filly, when in fact HE was a colt. This is not an obscure fact since the wonderfully written, well read story by Laura Hillenbrand was also a popular movie. Another glaring mistake: The 1946 earthquake did not "crack the ocean floor around the Hawaiian Islands". It was centered in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska and the resulting tsunami took five hours to reach the Hawaiian Islands. These are not hard to find facts and leave me wondering what other information may be in error.

“Soichi Sakamoto had no good reason to do it, no right to, no knowledge of how to, but he called out to the children, nonetheless, “How ’bout I teach you something about swimming, eh?” (p. 54)

The title’s awkward, the writing/editing often rough, and it’s packed with enough stats to make a statistician blanch. That said, Julie Chaeckoway’s ‘talk-story,’ non-fiction, The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory, really is “the inspirational, untold story of impoverished children who transformed themselves into world-class swimmers.” (–from the goodreads synopsis).

It also offers up many interesting asides and insight of some pretty amazing people, places, times and events.

Recommendation: For those interested in human interest stories, nostalgia, history, and ethnic cultures. For competitive-swimming aficionados, too, of course.

“…he’d had his coach’s dreams and his teammates’ unfinished quest in his fingertips that day. And because he did, those last ten yards, the excruciating distance between wishing and wanting, between hoping and achieving, were the greatest responsibility he had ever borne, and the roughest water he had ever had to cross.” (p. 342)

Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition. 451 pages (less)

Ultimately, I found this book very touching and satisfying. But the trip from beginning to end was a bit rocky. I wanted to know about the sugar ditch kids, their swim club, and their quest for Olympic glory. The first few chapters were more about Japan in the early 20th century and about specific Japanese leaders. It was background information, and I felt there was more of it than necessary to be telling the story of the coach and the kids in Hawaii. I was tempted to skim, but I hate doing that. Eventually, the main characters began to emerge, and the story became much more enjoyable. I wondered, knowing that the 1940 Olympics were cancelled, what would happen to the team--so I was happy that to book followed the paths of the young swimmers through the war, past the war, and into later life. I love swimming and swimmers and feel I know a lot more about this chunk of American and Japanese-American history and the people who lived around WWII.

Perfect for fans of The Boys in the Boat, this story telling of the forgotten “Sugar Ditch Kids” who went from poverty and strife in the sugar plantations of Maui, overcoming obstacles that few dare to challenge today.

Maui of the 1930’s was a giant sugar plantation, worked by Japanese-Americans and hotbeds of great poverty and struggle. A teacher hired by the plantation, Soichi Sakamoto, saw and demanded more of these underprivileged and unknown children, and soon had them swimming and beating Olympic calibre racers.

Add to this, the virulent anti-Japanese sentiment that only worsened after the advent of Pearl Harbor and World War II and this testament to the power of determination and a goal. While their story may have been lost to time, Julie Checkoway uses powerful visual descriptions, historical research and actual accounts to tell a story that should be shouted from the rooftops.

From dirty irrigation ditches to the prospect of the 1940 Olympic Games cancelled because of World War II, through the War, detainment in camps and even performance above and beyond the norm on the battlefield, the Sugar Ditch Kids survived and found a calling within themselves to keep moving forward.

While it’s easy to feel that the historical detail overwhelms, the skill with which Checkoway uses detail, imagination and empathy to bring this story to light is nothing short of marvelous.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

The author's effortless writing should have made this a more readable book but her inability to weed and sift through her copious research meant I had to skim through a lot of her material. I still liked it but feel that she missed the boat on the story she had and let slip away. When a book starts to wallow, I stop and ask myself - Whose story is this? She needed to ask herself that question unless "swimming" was her answer. If she had stuck to Sacko Sakamoto and his mission to coach the Sugar Ditch Kids and given more shrift to the Japanese-American situation, I think she could have sent this over the fence and out of the ballpark.

I had so enjoyed the book that I felt compelled to buy copies to give to people who are quite familiar with the 'cast'. In a state that had no major sports franchise (over the decades Hawai'i lost its minor league baseball team, defunct WFL team, World Team Tennis crew) these swimmers were & remain icons; one was even a much beloved history teacher at my high school. It reads like a good novel; I didn't want to put it down even though I knew the dénouement. Though I know some will focus on race relations, what struck me most was the gentlemanly behavior of competitors, where members of other teams comprised of Mainland Caucasians would be quick to help with lodgings, logistics, info, etc. It seemed that fellow athletes felt compelled to look out for one another, regardless of who or what they were. We are now so accustomed so seeing our athletes mouthing off & disrespecting one another that I couldn't help but wish for a return to such civility.

Bravo to Checkoway for telling this story! She obviously did a lot of research. The book is a bit wordy and I found myself skimming some of it. But, loved knowing Sakamoto and what he did for those boys, taking them from ditch swimming to world events. This would make a terrific movie. I might even like the movie better.

This is an interesting story about a (formerly) unsung hero, Soichi Sakamoto, an elementary school teacher on Maui who began coaching young children in swimming and then formed the Three Year Swim Club to prepare some of them for the 1940 Olympics in Tokyo. His swimmers were barefoot, malnourished and poor, and they had no pool so they began their training in irrigation ditches. They worked very hard to get qualified for the Olympics, and when some of them finally did, it was devastating for them and for Sakamoto when the games were canceled due to the war.
His swimming stars won national and international titles continually breaking world records. Some went on to college and some served in the military. Sakamoto kept coaching and finally was able to see two of his swimmers go to the 1948 Olympics and one win gold.
Besides being a book about a remarkable man and his swimmers, it's also about the anti-Japanese sentiment in the late 30's and the struggles he and his swimmers had to face because of it. And it's a story about power struggles as Sakamoto's swimmers rose to fame and others wanted to get credit for their successes.
I was impressed with the amount of research the author did. I felt it got away from her sometimes, but on the whole she tells a remarkable story. I also enjoyed the photographs of Sakamoto, his swimmers, his colleagues, and the key players in the late 30's and into the 1940's not only in the swimming world, but in the world coming into WWII and after.

I'm just going to say that I am not a reader, I have not read and finished a book in years. However, I got this book the day it came out and couldn't put it down and subsequently told all my friends about it. I loved this book.

I had the great fortune to train under Coach in the mid-70’s. His knowledge, training techniques and personality had not diminished. He was a great coach and I learned much under his guidance. I was not aware of his past until I read the 3YSC. Only now am I seeing for the first time what a remarkable human he was. Mahalo Coach.

I'm just going to say that I am not a reader, I have not read and finished a book in years. However, I got this book the day it came out and couldn't put it down and subsequently told all my friends about it. I loved this book.

I had the great fortune to train under Coach in the mid-70’s. His knowledge, training techniques and personality had not diminished. He was a great coach and I learned much under his guidance. I was not aware of his past until I read the 3YSC. Only now am I seeing for the first time what a remarkable human he was. Mahalo Coach.

Living and growing up in Hawaii, I wanted to read this book about the Maui ditch swimmers. I did enjoy the book and found the subject fascinating but was a little put off by some of the errors in the book. The author presents a lot of background information about various things and place to make the book more vivid and colorful however in several places the information is incorrect. In the book she mentions Seabiscuit as a filly; he was a stallion. She also talks about a large earthquake in Hawaii in 1946 that caused hundreds of deaths and damage to some areas in Hawaii; on April 1, 1946 a tsunami hit Hawaii and killed 159 people. The tsunami was generated by an earthquake in Alaska. There was no major earthquake in Hawaii in 1946 that killed hundreds (see page 302). Given these inaccuracies on things which are easily verified, I am wondering how accurate the other information in the book is. I also noticed some minor things such as a few misspelling of some Japanese and Hawaiian words and place names; this seems more forgiveable but might have also benefitted from a quick check. So I have to say I liked the book but am taking it with a grain of salt.

Julie Checkoway does a most thorough job of telling the story of Soichi Sakamoto, a teacher on Maui in the 1930s, who started teaching kids to swim in a ditch, because they had no pool. They were the children of sugar cane workers, and Mr. Sakamoto had no experience whatsoever in teaching swimming. But he had high hopes and big dreams, and instilled the same in many of those children. What he and what his swimmers accomplished was nothing short of astounding, including Olympic wins in 1948. This book goes in great detail about everyone and everything, as well as great detail about swimming competitions. It's not for those vaguely interested. It's definitely for those interested in both swimming and the lives of Japanese-Americans, as well as native Hawaiians, in Hawaii before, during and after World War II. There is quite a bit about Duke Kahanamoku and Kano Jigoro, too.

(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

I love The Three Year Swim Club. Julie writes beautifully and her research is extensive. I became involved in the story within the first few pages and the story kept my interest through the whole book. My 25 year old grandson visited me over Thanksgiving and began reading The Three Year Swim Club during the few quiet moments he had over the weekend As he was about to leave, he said " Grandma may I borrow this book- It really is terrific. Of course I said yes knowing well what borrow meant. This is a book that will be enjoyed by the young and the elderly as well. The story of these valiant swimmers is a real winner.

I was a competitive swimmer in the 50s and 60s. I also lived in Hawaii from 1970 to 1985. I swam in the Natatorium and taught swimming for the Red Cross at San Souci beach. So this book was interesting to me, though I was happy to get through all the swimming stats in the first part of the book. I visit Hawaii periodically and would now love to see Puunene and the ditches!

One of my favorite books - this book combines Hawaii's history with the water with this story of marginalized swimmers who succeeded against all odds. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys non-fiction, swimming, sports, and history.

I was so looking forward to this book. I was one of the people she acknowledged as providing her with invaluable resources. I am very familiar with the Three-Year Swim Club and its context in Maui history. However, I was quite disappointed. There was factual error after factual error. She took liberties with the story that were not only inaccurate but reflected poorly on the people of Hawai`i. I can see why it was reviewed well by so many sources (from the mainland), as it is an easy read and a dramatic story. Is it history? No!

It was truly painful to read. Even the acknowledgement to me was wrong. Sloppy work.

You will jump into the pool with these plantation kids and cheer them on. Julie Checkoway captures a time, place, and population that deserves attention. At the same time, the book is a universal story of how dreams start small, take shape through discipline and dedication, and -- despite formidable obstacles -- become reality. I can taste the salt in the pool at the Honolulu Natatorium.

My view of this book is radically different from others stated below. The author does not know how to tell a good story. The first 70 pages includes about 60 pages of boring minutae and only a few pages of the main story. I almost never give up on a book but I did give up on this one.

This is a book to be savored and admired. The author's incredible amount of research was deftly interwoven into the remarkable story of a Japanese-American swim club which turned challenge into triumph. Entertaining and enlightening.

Checkoway has produced a beautiful narrative of one the most powerful experiences that an adult can create for children. Her story is simply and thoroughly told. It is not overwritten as many sports narratives can be. Checkoway's prose is expressed so poetically that it is a pleasure to read and hard to put down. I highly recommend "The Three-Year Swim Club".

Ms. CHECKoway, you need to do some serious FACT-CHECKING. This booked looked interesting to me but that was before I realised it was in fact a work of fiction rather than fact. Why do I say this, especially in the light of other reviewers blindly extolling the "research" done by the writer? Quite simple, really. There is NOT, nor has there EVER been a Japanese prefecture called "Shima." That is something very simple and very obvious, and she got it wrong. Why then would I believe a single other thing she has written? Shame on her for not getting even the most basic fact right.