Zoe and Kate are best friends--they are also rivals. They have come of age together in British Cycling with Kate always just in Zoe's shadow. With the 2012 Olympics coming in London, these two girls are a shoe-in for the Women's Sprint. Zoe--hard and driven, aloof and antisocial--and Kate: warm, tender, and caring for her eight-year-old daughter Sophie who is battling leukemia. Their relationships are strained once the IOC decides that only one racer in each event will be allowed to compete. Will Zoe sacrifice her third Olympic gold for the sake of her friend and rival who has missed her shot at two prior Olympics?
The real heart of this story, for me, was Sophie. Her imaginative telling of her battle against cancer (a la Star Wars) is endearing and heartbreaking. As the father of two little girls, I found myself relating to Jack (Kate's husband, Sophie's father, and Olympic champion) and his struggle to be the husband, father, champion he is called to be. More than once I found myself in tears remembering visits to the hospital with my own daughters, and the horrible feeling of helplessness which attends those long hours when you don't know what will happen next.
This story is full of very human characters, strong narrative, and a clever wit which makes it an easy page turner. I highly recommend Gold, by Chris Cleave and look forward to reading his other works.
