First published 1997
Christine Brennan takes readers inside the competitive figure skating world for an entire season. She follows current stars and rising talents as they navigate the pressures of elite competition. The book opens with skaters gathering at Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid during November 1995, their usual chatter silenced by tragedy. They prepare to attend the wake of Sergei Grinkov, who died suddenly of a heart attack during practice. Brennan weaves together the stories of skating legends like Peggy Fleming, Katarina Witt, Brian Boitano, and Scott Hamilton with current competitors including Michelle Kwan, Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, and Tara Lipinski. She reveals the backstage conflicts these athletes face and explores the families behind their success. The book exposes how decades of preparation boil down to four minutes on ice, where perfection creates heroes but a single mistake brings crushing disappointment.
Genres: 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, figure-skating
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, underdog
Setting: Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid
Period: November 1995
352 pages · Paperback · Anchor