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74 pages 2 hours read

Daniel James Brown

The Boys in the Boat

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2013

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Book Club Questions

General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What might Daniel James Brown’s purpose have been in writing about Joe Rantz and the 1936 American rowing team? In your opinion, did he achieve these purposes? Why or why not?

2. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, is the story of Louie Zamperini, a runner who competed in the 1936 Olympics. How would you compare Zamperini’s journey to Joe’s? If you have not read Unbroken, does The Boys in the Boat remind you of any other nonfiction centered on sports figures (e.g., Michael Lewis’s The Blind Side or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Becoming Kareem)?

3. Daniel James Brown is the author of several other historical nonfiction books. Have you read Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II or The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride? What do you notice about Brown’s approach to history? Would you say there is a type of subject matter his approach is best suited to, or does it seem to work equally well with all kinds of historical topics?

Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Have you ever been a part of a team you were deeply committed to? In your experience, how much does this kind of commitment matter to a team’s success? How did the commitment of the “boys in the boat” contribute to their success?

2. Do you know people who value independence as strongly as Joe did? What impacts—positive or negative—do you see extreme independence as having on others’ lives? What advice would you give Joe about his drive toward independence?

3. What made Al Ulbrickson an effective leader? Which political, business, and community leaders have you seen these qualities in? What evidence is there that these qualities contribute to the successes of the groups these people lead? 

4. Which characteristics that you personally admire—such as tenacity, responsibility, compassion, etc.—do you see people in this story exhibiting? Which figure do you admire most?

5. What part of the team’s experience do you think is most responsible for the lifelong bond that developed between the rowing team members? Have you ever been in a situation that created a lasting bond with someone else, or do you know of other people who have been through such an experience?

Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How did the economic inequality of the Great Depression impact the experiences of Joe and other figures in the work? Do contemporary athletes from less privileged backgrounds face the same kinds of obstacles? Does the impact of inequality vary between sports? What other factors might influence the barriers athletes face?

2. What did Germany hope to gain from hosting the 1936 Olympics? How did the American team’s win in rowing undermine Germany’s goals? What role do you see sports playing in national and international politics today?

3. What did Joe’s teammates learn about their classist bullying when they traveled to play against Eastern rowing teams? Have people’s attitudes about social class changed since the 1930s?

Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism

1. What is an “underdog” story? Which figures in the book most exemplify this trope? Is the book as a whole an underdog story? Why or why not?

2. How does Joe change and grow over the course of the story? Which figures and events contribute most to his development?

3. “Pathetic fallacy” is a form of personification in which human attributes are ascribed to the natural world. Do you see this literary device at play in the book’s descriptions of the weather? What purpose does it serve?

4. What does the book suggest about the similarities between teams and families and/or friendships? Which of Joe’s relationships outside of the rowing team live up to the best ideals of teamwork, and which do not? How are the book’s thematic arguments about Human Connection: Presence and Absence and The Value of Teamwork related to one another?

Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The cauliflower mushroom and the four-leaf clover are two plants the book associates with Joe’s personal qualities. If you were to choose another plant to exemplify one of Joe’s important characteristics, what would it be, and what would make it a good symbol? What plant would you choose to represent yourself, and why?

2. The Boys in the Boat has been adapted for middle-grade readers, but what if you were asked to create an adaptation for elementary-age readers? Which elements of the story would you omit and which would you emphasize? What lessons would you hope to use the story to teach the youngest readers?

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