Bliss, Remembered [Hardcover]

Frank Deford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 2010

At the 1936 Berlin Olympics the beautiful Sydney Stringfellow begins an intense love affair with a German but the affair abruptly ends when political forces tear them apart.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. When American swimmer Sydney Stringfellow arrives at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, she never expects to fall in love with a handsome young German, but she does. When politics separate them, she goes home to nurse her broken heart and meets Jimmy, a kind young American who restores her faith in love and marries her before being shipped off to the Pacific theater of WWII. When Horst shows up on her doorstep, though, Sydney is torn and must decide what she is willing to do for love. Told as a memoir, Deford's newest is entertaining and thought provoking. He has a superb sense of character and period, and readers will at once feel drawn into the turbulent times. The memoir device, while overused in many books, is put to excellent effect, allowing readers to easily identify with Sydney's son and interviewer, Teddy. The surprising twist will catch readers off guard but not leave them feeling cheated. This is a poignant story, utterly charming and enjoyable.
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From Booklist

This book sounds so simple: Sydney Stringfellow, nearing death, sits her son down and tells him about a special, long-ago time of her life. But Deford’s beautifully written novel is a bit more complex than that. It introduces us to two Sydneys, the elderly-but-sprightly woman dying of cancer and the teenage girl, graceful and naive, who decided, against pretty tall odds, that she would swim for her country in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This is one of those novels that defies categorization. There’s romance in it, but it’s not a love story. It’s set, partly, against the backdrop of a world war, but it’s not a war story. There is heartrending tragedy, but it’s not a tragedy. The story doesn’t fully reveal itself until the end, when Deford ties all the threads together, showing us finally what he’s been building before our eyes. This multilayered, finely crafted, and elegantly constructed novel will appeal both to readers of historical fiction and to those who crave any kind of writing that is genuinely inspiring. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover; First Edition edition (July 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590203593
• ISBN-13: 978-1590203590
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It truly was Bliss..., July 15, 2010

By 

Emily Renquist - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bliss, Remembered (Hardcover)

I know of Frank Deford from both HBO and NPR, but I was floored by his ability to step outside of his public persona and really write a breathtaking romance. His protagonist, Sydney Stringfellow, is as real as any heroine I've ever read, and the journey that Deford too me on, as a reader, was truly extraordinary. I found my self gasping aloud at the twists and turns and beyond that, I found myself really caring for these characters. The backdrop of the '36 Olympics was so well done (and so well researched) that the book had an implicit epic feel to it. It isn't very often that I feel truly swept away by a book, and that's what Deford was able to achieve here. I never wanted it to end...

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular., July 15, 2010

By 

Carol Madsen (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bliss, Remembered (Hardcover)

Even before I got to this book's ending ending I was more taken with this book than I have been with any other in years. After the ending I think it might be my favorite book in decades. I mean that. It has it all- humor, love, intrigue, history, and action. A spectacular story that you won't want to end.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blissful book, July 22, 2010

By 

Jennifer Vaughan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bliss, Remembered (Hardcover)

This is one of those books that you won't want to put down. Such a fantastic story woven into historical events of the '30s and '40s in the US and abroad. I am drawn to books relating to Olympic history and WWII history, and this book lives up to its billing as a historical fiction novel. The captivating story was definitely enriched by Deford's thorough research.