Flat Water Tuesday by Ron Irwin

When I first saw this book I jokingly characterized it as a story about a guy who rows.  When I started reading it I found that it is so much more. I was intrigued right from the start.  The author weaves  a tale of struggle and loss, conflict and disconnection, and also some great triumphs and joys. The characters seemed true to life and most were able to keep going in one way or another in spite of what happened in their lives. I also think the author showed that there can be much hope in simple forgiveness.

The main character, Rob, goes to a prestigious prep school for one year after his high school graduation, to make the crew team and get the chance to attend an ivy league university. Events of that year shape his life and the lives of all who were involved. The story begins 15 years after that prep school year when Rob, an independent documentary filmmaker working for National Geographic, receives a letter from one of his former teammates. It then goes on to tell of both his struggles on the crew team in his past and his complicated relationship with his girl friend in the present.

All the characters in the story have issues, from the over-achiever who can never please his parents, to the girl trying to find her place in a man's world. We see how they all deal with these issues with varying degrees of success. Some are able to accept the events of their lives and move on, some are not. The author made the character's inner thoughts seem very realistic and true to life, and while some of their stories end badly, others are left with a sense of hope. He also obviously knows a lot about the sport of crew. His vivid descriptions of the team workouts as they strove to gain strength and speed literally made me feel the pain.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I found it hard to put down and was always eager to get back to it when I did have to put it down.