Today, we are pleased to share a delectable side dish in today’s BBQ Recipe Roundup from historical fiction novelist Elise Hooper. Her fascinating new novel, FAST GIRLS, is based on the true story of three women who competed during the 1936 Olympics. Remember: the recipe roundup is all week, so come back tomorrow and catch up on the earlier posts, too:
Day 1, an appetizer with Lynn Austin | Day 2, a main course with Dylann Crush
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Fast Girls is historical fiction inspired by three pioneering real-life women track champions of the 1930s.
In the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, Chicago’s Betty Robinson competes as a member of the first-ever women’s delegation in track and field. Destined for further glory, she returns home feted as America’s Golden Girl until a nearly-fatal airplane crash threatens to end everything.
Outside of Boston, Louise Stokes, one of the few black girls in her town, sees competing as an opportunity to overcome the limitations placed on her. Eager to prove that she has what it takes to be a champion, she risks everything to join the Olympic team.
From Missouri, Helen Stephens, awkward, tomboyish, and poor, is considered an outcast by her schoolmates, but she dreams of escaping the hardships of her farm life through athletic success. Her aspirations appear impossible until a chance encounter changes her life.
These three athletes will join with others to defy society’s expectations of what women can achieve. As tensions bring the United States and Europe closer and closer to the brink of war, Betty, Louise, and Helen must fight for the chance to compete as the fastest women in the world amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Nazi-sponsored 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Caprese Salad
Ingredients:
Mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil leaves (approx. 12)
4 Tomatoes
Sea salt & pepper
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Steps:
- Slice up the tomatoes. Use your bread knife to easily cut thinner slices.
- Depending on how many slices of tomatoes you cut, slice an equal number of mozzarella cheese pieces. (Eat any extra!)
- Rinse the basil leaves and cut them to fit onto your tomatoes.
- Stack the basil and then cheese on top.
- Sprinkle a light dash of sea salt and pepper over cheese and then drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar across top.
- Enjoy!
CLICK TO ENTER: Which sport do you like to watch in the Olympics--summer or winter? Answer the question with your sport of choice and you’ll be entered to win a copy of FAST GIRLS by Elisa Hooper. US and Canada only--Good Luck!
Acclaimed author Elise Hooper explores the gripping, real life history of female athletes, members of the first integrated women’s Olympic team, and their journeys to the 1936 summer games in Berlin, Nazi Germany.
This inspiring story is based on the real lives of three little-known trailblazing women Olympians. Perfect for readers who love untold stories of amazing women, such as The Only Woman in the Room, Hidden Figures, and The Lost Girls of Paris.
In the 1928 Olympics, Chicago’s Betty Robinson competes as a member of the first-ever women’s delegation in track and field. Destined for further glory, she returns home feted as America’s Golden Girl until a nearly-fatal airplane crash threatens to end everything.
Outside of Boston, Louise Stokes, one of the few black girls in her town, sees competing as an opportunity to overcome the limitations placed on her. Eager to prove that she has what it takes to be a champion, she risks everything to join the Olympic team.
From Missouri, Helen Stephens, awkward, tomboyish, and poor, is considered an outcast by her schoolmates, but she dreams of escaping the hardships of her farm life through athletic success. Her aspirations appear impossible until a chance encounter changes her life.
These three athletes will join with others to defy society’s expectations of what women can achieve. As tensions bring the United States and Europe closer and closer to the brink of war, Betty, Louise, and Helen must fight for the chance to compete as the fastest women in the world amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Nazi-sponsored 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Historical | Fiction [William Morrow Paperbacks, On Sale: July 7, 2020, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780062937995 / eISBN: 9780062938008]
Although a New Englander by birth, Elise Hooper lives with her husband and two young daughters in Seattle, where she teaches history and literature.
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