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Bliss, Remembered
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.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2010
21 people are currently reading
662 people want to read
About the author
Frank Deford
52 books55 followersFrank Deford (born December 16, 1938, in Baltimore, Maryland) is a senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated, author, and commentator.
DeFord has been writing for Sports Illustrated since the early 1960s. In addition to his Sports Illustrated duties, he is also a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and a regular, Wednesday commentator for National Public Radio's Morning Edition.
His 1981 novel, "Everybody's All-American," was named one of Sports Illustrated's Top 25 Sports Books of All Time and was later made into a movie directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Dennis Quaid.
In the early 1990s Deford took a brief break from NPR and other professional activities to serve as editor-in-chief of The National (newspaper), a short-lived, daily U.S. sports newspaper. It debuted January 31, 1990 and folded after eighteen months. The newspaper was published Sundays through Fridays and had a tabloid format.
Deford is also the chairman emeritus of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He became involved in cystic fibrosis education and advocacy after his daughter, Alexandra ("Alex") was diagnosed with the illness in the early 1970s. After Alex died on January 19, 1980, at the age of eight, Deford chronicled her life in the memoir Alex: The Life of a Child. The book was made into a movie starring Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia in 1986. In 1997, it was reissued in an expanded edition, with updated information on the Defords and Alex's friends.
Deford grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended the Gilman School in Baltimore. He is a graduate of Princeton University and now resides in Westport, Connecticut, with his wife, Carol. They have two surviving children: Christian (b. 1969) and Scarlet (b. 1980). Their youngest daughter Scarlet was adopted a few months after the loss of Alex.
DeFord has been writing for Sports Illustrated since the early 1960s. In addition to his Sports Illustrated duties, he is also a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and a regular, Wednesday commentator for National Public Radio's Morning Edition.
His 1981 novel, "Everybody's All-American," was named one of Sports Illustrated's Top 25 Sports Books of All Time and was later made into a movie directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Dennis Quaid.
In the early 1990s Deford took a brief break from NPR and other professional activities to serve as editor-in-chief of The National (newspaper), a short-lived, daily U.S. sports newspaper. It debuted January 31, 1990 and folded after eighteen months. The newspaper was published Sundays through Fridays and had a tabloid format.
Deford is also the chairman emeritus of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He became involved in cystic fibrosis education and advocacy after his daughter, Alexandra ("Alex") was diagnosed with the illness in the early 1970s. After Alex died on January 19, 1980, at the age of eight, Deford chronicled her life in the memoir Alex: The Life of a Child. The book was made into a movie starring Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia in 1986. In 1997, it was reissued in an expanded edition, with updated information on the Defords and Alex's friends.
Deford grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended the Gilman School in Baltimore. He is a graduate of Princeton University and now resides in Westport, Connecticut, with his wife, Carol. They have two surviving children: Christian (b. 1969) and Scarlet (b. 1980). Their youngest daughter Scarlet was adopted a few months after the loss of Alex.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
June 12, 2010
This is a story about a young Maryland woman in 1936 who gets to be on the American Olympic swim team and go to Berlin for the games.. At the age of 82, she is telling her story for the first time to her son, Teddy. And what a story it is..
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June 15, 2011
Bliss, Remembered by Frank Deford is the story of a mother with her own story to tell, and the son who patiently gives her time to tell it. Despite the fact that the author is also a sportswriter, this is not a book filled with sports action. The tale takes its time in the telling, allowing the reader to savor the language and the memories.
Sydney Stringfellow Branch, dying of cancer in 2004, invites her son to come watch the Athens Olympics with her. When he arrives, she reveals that she wants to tell him about her own trip to the Olympics, as a swimmer, in 1936. Throughout his 60 years, she has never talked to her son about this life-changing experience. The story of how she ended up in Berlin, Germany as a member of the United States Olympic team is revealed very slowly over the course of the novel.
The story flips back and forth between the 1930s and 2004. We hear the voice of Sydney and the voice of her son, Teddy. Real life figures such as Eleanor Holm (who won the 100-meter backstroke at the 1932 Olympics), Leni Riefenstahl (who documented the Olympics for Hitler) and Adolf Hitler make appearances throughout the tale. However, this story is not what one might expect from a novel written by a sportswriter about the 1936 Olympics. The focus is not on Hitler or World War II, and Jesse Owens is only briefly mentioned. The story is not depressing or horrific like so many books about the time period.
Before starting her story, Sydney intrigues her son and the reader by warning us to prepare ourselves: “There’s some sex…. Some violence, too.” But it’s a long way into the story before we hear the full details. Teddy also learns more about the deceased father who, like his mother, had a subject he refused to discuss with his son – the battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.
Bliss, Remembered is a well-researched book. The details about the eastern shore of Maryland and New York in the early 1930s and the Berlin Olympics in 1936 ring true, as does the language used in the present and the past. Deford works in references to real people, places, and events in a believable way.
Bliss, Remembered contains some plot twists that knock at the door of incredulity but don’t quite open it because the author successfully pulls us in. The story is so beautifully told that you just follow along.
Frank Deford is a fine, nuanced writer. If you like a book with secrets to reveal in its own sweet time, I recommend Bliss, Remembered.
Sydney Stringfellow Branch, dying of cancer in 2004, invites her son to come watch the Athens Olympics with her. When he arrives, she reveals that she wants to tell him about her own trip to the Olympics, as a swimmer, in 1936. Throughout his 60 years, she has never talked to her son about this life-changing experience. The story of how she ended up in Berlin, Germany as a member of the United States Olympic team is revealed very slowly over the course of the novel.
The story flips back and forth between the 1930s and 2004. We hear the voice of Sydney and the voice of her son, Teddy. Real life figures such as Eleanor Holm (who won the 100-meter backstroke at the 1932 Olympics), Leni Riefenstahl (who documented the Olympics for Hitler) and Adolf Hitler make appearances throughout the tale. However, this story is not what one might expect from a novel written by a sportswriter about the 1936 Olympics. The focus is not on Hitler or World War II, and Jesse Owens is only briefly mentioned. The story is not depressing or horrific like so many books about the time period.
Before starting her story, Sydney intrigues her son and the reader by warning us to prepare ourselves: “There’s some sex…. Some violence, too.” But it’s a long way into the story before we hear the full details. Teddy also learns more about the deceased father who, like his mother, had a subject he refused to discuss with his son – the battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.
Bliss, Remembered is a well-researched book. The details about the eastern shore of Maryland and New York in the early 1930s and the Berlin Olympics in 1936 ring true, as does the language used in the present and the past. Deford works in references to real people, places, and events in a believable way.
Bliss, Remembered contains some plot twists that knock at the door of incredulity but don’t quite open it because the author successfully pulls us in. The story is so beautifully told that you just follow along.
Frank Deford is a fine, nuanced writer. If you like a book with secrets to reveal in its own sweet time, I recommend Bliss, Remembered.
March 29, 2015
Exasperating as hell. DeFord starts with a fantastic premise, and then blows it through poor execution. You can see the ending about a mile away, and it just plods as you get to it.
However, it is a good read in the old-fashioned sense. This is not a novel with a message (other than that everything was better back in the days of the Greatest Generation, including the music and clothes --- and I agree with at least the latter two), it is sort of in the tradition of Forever Amber, Gone with the Wind, Rebecca and the other novels of the thirties and forties. You read it for the story, not the epic themes or the quality of the writing (characters are woefully undeveloped or downright clunky in execution --- Teddy has spent his life as a small-town theatre director? I don't think so, and I am in a position to pass judgment, having been one for forty years).
It is a decent time-killer. And it did send me off in search of information about Eleanor Holm. So there you go.
However, it is a good read in the old-fashioned sense. This is not a novel with a message (other than that everything was better back in the days of the Greatest Generation, including the music and clothes --- and I agree with at least the latter two), it is sort of in the tradition of Forever Amber, Gone with the Wind, Rebecca and the other novels of the thirties and forties. You read it for the story, not the epic themes or the quality of the writing (characters are woefully undeveloped or downright clunky in execution --- Teddy has spent his life as a small-town theatre director? I don't think so, and I am in a position to pass judgment, having been one for forty years).
It is a decent time-killer. And it did send me off in search of information about Eleanor Holm. So there you go.
September 18, 2011
This book alternates between the present and the past as a mother, who is sick and about to die,begins to tell her grown son about her time in the Berlin Olympics in 1937 (hope that's the right year) during the reign of Hitler and right before World War II. She falls in love with a German man while she is there and then has to deal with losing him when she returns to the U.S. I liked the story, but I felt like the mother focused too much on how good looking she was back in the day. She describes her magnificent boobs, to her son, in a few different ways. I also got a little annoyed with how she would talk to her son when she is telling him the story. It's like the author wanted her to be a "hip" old woman and it doesn't seem believable. The ending also seemed a little improbable, but there are some interesting twists to the book. Overall, I would say it was an entertaining, easy read.
September 15, 2010
I often listen to NPR and thoroughly enjoy doing so when I'm not in the mood for music or drop my IQ advertisments that come with commerical radio. Anyhow, ever so often, I'll catch some wonderful commentating on the world of sports by a guy named, Frank Deford. I listen and am in complete awe of his writing and his overall opinions that are expressed through such commentating. His writing, his voice, and his prose are just wonderful. So, one day while browsing through the library in the "new section," I came across a book called, Bliss, Remembered written by Frank Deford. I read the name and thought: I know this name, where have I heard this name? And it dawned on me, this the same guy that I so love hearing on NPR, I bet. So I raced to the back of the book and saw the very guy's, I so dearly love hearing, face and a short tidbit of info on him, which described that he actually is the very guy who does commentating on NPR. I knew instantly I had to pick up this book and read it. I also didn't know he was a well published author and this wasn't his first book, not even close. Anyhow, I took the book home and started to read it...
Well, lets just say I loved it and if you want to know more about it, well you don't need a description or synopsis from me. Read the description from Goodreads and if it strikes your curiosity at all, and you are wondering if it is worth the read, take it from me, it is.
Well, lets just say I loved it and if you want to know more about it, well you don't need a description or synopsis from me. Read the description from Goodreads and if it strikes your curiosity at all, and you are wondering if it is worth the read, take it from me, it is.
March 27, 2012
I absolutely love Frank Deford. So imagine my disappointment when, halfway through the book, I'm thinking to myself: this is a nice story but I'm really not feeling compelled to read it. I'm picturing myself giving it a 3-star review because although Deford's writing is superb as always, it's really not grabbing me. And Frank Deford ALWAYS gets my attention. Then I hit a certain point where things I didn't expect started happening and I couldn't wait to see where he was going with it. Okay, so it ends up being a great story. At the same time, some of the events really bothered me and I didn't understand - knowing what I know about Deford - not only why he included these seemingly unnecessary events, but also why he presented them the way he did. Things that are a really big deal are treated quite lightly; for example, in certain situations you expect a character to express a certain degree of remorse. Then the story just moves on without exploring that, and it's never brought up again. Then. THEN. Not being a gifted literary analyst, I had to finish the book and sleep on it before waking up in the morning with some insight. The questions Deford is asking in this novel are some of the most important questions that can be asked about life, love and eternity. Once again he has asked us to look at ourselves, our beliefs, how we treat other people, why we do anything we do, and more. Much more. He's a sneaky one, that Frank Deford.
January 19, 2011
If you are a NPR listener then you already know Frank Deford for his show "it is only a Game". If you are like me and read SI, then you know him as one of the great sports writers of our time. This book is a great one. Fiction set at one of the most compelling Olympics in History, the Nazi Olympics of 1936. Sydney Stringfellow is the story tell as she relates her adventure of a lifetime to her son. Sydney is dying of cancer in 2004 during the Athens Games, her son is telling us her story as she told him. It is thrilling, full of heroes and villians, love,lust,heartbreak and a shocking ending. It is without a doubt the most interesting fiction book I have ever read. It would make a super movie. You will fall in love with Sydney not as a young beauitful swimming star but as a old women who has led a wonderful life. Defort also introduced me to a real person that I did not know but have since read much about. Eleanor Holm who was the best 100 meter backstroker in the world but was kicked out of the 1936 games and would later become a famous singer and played Jane in the Tarzen movies. This book is full of many things that remind me of the time my parents lived, the phases they used, the life they lead. Any war baby or Baby boomer will like this book for just those memories. This is a great read.
February 1, 2011
I won this book from a giveaway on my GR friend Tara's Book Babe blog. Then the publisher Overlook Press shipped it to me. So thank you very much Tara and Overlook Press.
I stayed up until 1AM to finish this book because it got so suspenseful toward the end. This is a book that chronicles the life of the fictional swimmer Sydney Stringfellow. She's really quite something. Sydney recounts her life to her son Teddy beginning with how she became a swimmer and ended up going to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. But it doesn't stop there. Her life during World War II doesn't go in the direction that she expected.
The viewpoint of Sydney was marvelously honest and authentic. She used expressions from that period. I know this because my mother is from Sydney's generation. The voice of Teddy, the narrator, grated on me at first with his painfully correct English. Later I found out that Teddy is a teacher. He undoubtedly spent way too much time correcting the grammar in student compositions. As he got more into his mother's story, the narration also flowed better. On the whole I found Teddy believable and somewhat sympathetic. As I closed the book I wondered how much Teddy would share with his sister.
I stayed up until 1AM to finish this book because it got so suspenseful toward the end. This is a book that chronicles the life of the fictional swimmer Sydney Stringfellow. She's really quite something. Sydney recounts her life to her son Teddy beginning with how she became a swimmer and ended up going to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. But it doesn't stop there. Her life during World War II doesn't go in the direction that she expected.
The viewpoint of Sydney was marvelously honest and authentic. She used expressions from that period. I know this because my mother is from Sydney's generation. The voice of Teddy, the narrator, grated on me at first with his painfully correct English. Later I found out that Teddy is a teacher. He undoubtedly spent way too much time correcting the grammar in student compositions. As he got more into his mother's story, the narration also flowed better. On the whole I found Teddy believable and somewhat sympathetic. As I closed the book I wondered how much Teddy would share with his sister.
October 3, 2011
I might have put this down had I not been obligated to lead a discussion on it, so I'm glad I had to stick with it. Not only does the action become intriguing, the pace picks up as the clunky point-of-view mechanics seem to smooth out. It's good, light entertainment with the bonus of a nice plot twist I didn't see coming, although Deford sets it up fairly, and some readers might indeed guess what's in the offing.
My early impatience with this book came because the author uses a maddening number of cliches in the dialogue. I know that we all use them to a certain extent, but it felt like a very lazy way to characterize old-lady quaintness in his protagonist. Worse, though, was that so often when the elderly Sydney used a "big" word or outdated term, her son did a "whaaa..?" double-take. Another lazy way to advance the dialogue, I think, because this son is a 60-year-old English major, like me, and I got them all. Either that's an author's artifice, or Deford has a very low opinion of English teachers.
Did anyone else find Sydney's preoccupation with "bazooms" curious? It seems to me an amusing pitfall of this male sportswriter trying to write from a female POV.
Maybe I'm being a little hard on this author, because I admire his journalism and I did ultimately enjoy this book. I've rented Riefenstahl's "Olympia" from Netflix to use in our upcoming discussion, and it was fun to try to identify the fictional Horst in the torch run.
My early impatience with this book came because the author uses a maddening number of cliches in the dialogue. I know that we all use them to a certain extent, but it felt like a very lazy way to characterize old-lady quaintness in his protagonist. Worse, though, was that so often when the elderly Sydney used a "big" word or outdated term, her son did a "whaaa..?" double-take. Another lazy way to advance the dialogue, I think, because this son is a 60-year-old English major, like me, and I got them all. Either that's an author's artifice, or Deford has a very low opinion of English teachers.
Did anyone else find Sydney's preoccupation with "bazooms" curious? It seems to me an amusing pitfall of this male sportswriter trying to write from a female POV.
Maybe I'm being a little hard on this author, because I admire his journalism and I did ultimately enjoy this book. I've rented Riefenstahl's "Olympia" from Netflix to use in our upcoming discussion, and it was fun to try to identify the fictional Horst in the torch run.
November 9, 2011
I decided I needed to give this four stars because I read it so fast--a day and a half. This book received the most votes for the Readers' Choice at our library. Although Frnak Deford is (was?) a sports writer for Sports Illustrated, he actually does a decent job of writing this love story. There were a few parts when I knew that it was written by a man, but the story is well-written and not the typical WWII story either.
It is about a girl who goes to swim in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and ends up falling in love with a German hunk. It is about her dreams to become an Olympic Champion and to also keep her relationship going. It is not explicitly about the war, but it is definitely set during depression and war times and that affect peoples' choices. Great ending.
It is about a girl who goes to swim in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and ends up falling in love with a German hunk. It is about her dreams to become an Olympic Champion and to also keep her relationship going. It is not explicitly about the war, but it is definitely set during depression and war times and that affect peoples' choices. Great ending.
January 20, 2012
If you are willing to suspend absolute plausibility just a little, Bliss Remembered weaves a fascinating tale of Olympic swimming during the 1936 Berlin games. It's a sports story, a love story, and a mystery of sorts. Even though the implausibility of parts of the story permeates the characters, I wanted to read the book and not put it down. I cared about the characters and the story, and it was an enjoyable read.
January 19, 2015
Frank Deford is a helluva writer and an American treasure and here he's crafted a love story, to sports, to the Olympics, but mostly to two young kids in love and without a clue in the world.
This book was not at all what I expected it to be, and was certainly different than I'd hoped, but I was treated with an incredibly well-told story regardless.
It flounders a bit in the middle, but it ties up so neatly it's easy to forgive.
This book was not at all what I expected it to be, and was certainly different than I'd hoped, but I was treated with an incredibly well-told story regardless.
It flounders a bit in the middle, but it ties up so neatly it's easy to forgive.
January 9, 2012
This was one of those books in which a feisty old lady relates experiences when she was a feisty young lady. In this case Sydney Stringfellow goes to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics, meets a handsome, romantic German fellow, returns home and WWII happens. Folksy and entertaining enough. Reminded me of Sandra Dallas.
July 19, 2014
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.
This is a book about love, romance, racism with the Berlin 1936 Olympics in the background. And it has unexpected violence. A well written novel.
This is a book about love, romance, racism with the Berlin 1936 Olympics in the background. And it has unexpected violence. A well written novel.
December 2, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. The dynamic between an older mother and her son was a hoot. Sydney’s language from the 30’s and her spark made the book even better. This was a great love story and a glimpse into pieces of the past like the Olympics and World War II. I feel like I want to read it again just write down all the phrases that were said that we no longer use.
August 8, 2010
What a great read! I couldn't put it down. The history, the characters, the surprises, all of it wonderful.
September 18, 2012
I thought I was going to be reading a book about the 1936 Olympics. It turned out to be much more than that. I liked the format of mother talking to son. A clever and creative way to write the book.
November 16, 2016
I enjoyed the story, the characters, the writing style and tempo. The author propelled the story forward and I was captivated. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in months.
October 12, 2020
Entertaining, satisfying story that combines history, politics, sports, and family. Told in two voices--and by two excellent narrators, Pam Ward and Traber Burns--it's a memoir of sorts as a mother, knowing she will soon die of cancer, relates a fabulous tale from her youth to her son, telling of her adventures when she was in Berlin in 1936, supposedly to swim in the Olympics, and fell in love with a German. Past and present are interspersed, and I especially appreciated the frame--swimming, 1936 Olympics, and real historical figures including premier American swimmer Eleanor Holm (whom Avery Brundage kicked off the team for indecorous behavior), German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl (and Goebbels and even Hitler). Interesting blend of fact and fiction that supplements the numerous books of fiction and non-fiction about exceptional women over the last decade.
February 17, 2023
While I wouldn't call this a bad book, I didn't particularly enjoy Sydney's tale of her life, it wasn't what I was expecting to get and it felt like a bit of a let down.
None of the characters really grabbed me and I didn't enjoy the LI at all, couldn't really see what all the fuss was about honestly!
Also she kept calling herself the "Queen of the backstroke" but surely that'd go to the woman who was always faster than her.
None of the characters really grabbed me and I didn't enjoy the LI at all, couldn't really see what all the fuss was about honestly!
Also she kept calling herself the "Queen of the backstroke" but surely that'd go to the woman who was always faster than her.
August 8, 2012
I can't remember the last time I stayed up to finish a book. (Being a mother of a toddler means time is a bit too precious for that) But I just LOVED this book. I kind of stumbled across it after searching "Olympics" at our local library. I wanted something Olympic related to read during this summers' London Olympics. (I know, very cheesy of me but it ended up being a good find!)
The narration of the story is interesting in that it is told as a dying mother relates her experience at the 1936 Berlin Olympics to her son, Teddy. The scenes fluctuate between present day and pre-WW11 Germany/ America. And it turns out that the 1936 Berlin Olympics were just a backdrop to the story, written so well by Frank Deford. After a fellow teammate's disqualification, Sydney Stringfellow has a chance to compete at the Berlin Olympics after virtually zero professional training and many hours of swimming in her town's river. She arrives in Berlin only to learn that she actually cannot compete afterall. However, she chooses to stay in Berlin for the remainder of the Olympics to take in the sights and cheer on her team. (Smart girl!)
In the meantime, she meets a super handsome (of course! This IS a love story) young German and falls head over heals for him. The feeling is mutual and together they begin a brief but intense love affair. After heading back to the US, Sydney and Horst continue to communicate via letters until she receives a heartbreaking letter from Horst breaking things off. The broken-hearted Sydney eventually meets and marries a handsome (of course) American boy, although we get the feeling that her heart was always with Horst. (This obviously bothers her son, Teddy, as he grew up knowing Jimmy Blanch as his father)
As the story progresses, Jimmy (obviously the American) leaves for war and Sydney discovers she is pregnant. Meanwhile, Sydney's German heart throb appears on her doorstep, reveals that he is a Nazi spy, but is still in love with her. So she vows to help him--as he is not pleased with the Nazi party and wants to turn himself in. She ends up helping Horst but never has a chance to reveal the news about her pregnancy to Jimmy, who was killed in battle after enlisting in the Marines.
Of course, as the reader continues the story, we put the pieces together and realize that the father Teddy grew up with, "Jimmy", was actually Horst. And somehow it all feels right! I found myself rooting for Horst but then being sympathetic to Jimmy-- who we also fell for. So Sydney and "Horst" aka Jimmy, moved out West where nobody from her hometown area would know the real Jimmy, and there they continued the rest of their lives.
I loved how Deford wrote the story and I was hooked pretty quickly in the book. A few favorite quotes:
"But of course, I didn't look back, because by then I was looking forward. That's the whole point of growing up, isn't it?"
"Mom stopped and smiled that special smile that I recognized only comes from bliss, remembered."
"In the olden days, people were in control of their lives. They had to know the world to survive in it. They knew how to plant food and harvest it and how to cook it and how....[things] worked. But us-- the more things we just turn on, the dumber we get."
The narration of the story is interesting in that it is told as a dying mother relates her experience at the 1936 Berlin Olympics to her son, Teddy. The scenes fluctuate between present day and pre-WW11 Germany/ America. And it turns out that the 1936 Berlin Olympics were just a backdrop to the story, written so well by Frank Deford. After a fellow teammate's disqualification, Sydney Stringfellow has a chance to compete at the Berlin Olympics after virtually zero professional training and many hours of swimming in her town's river. She arrives in Berlin only to learn that she actually cannot compete afterall. However, she chooses to stay in Berlin for the remainder of the Olympics to take in the sights and cheer on her team. (Smart girl!)
In the meantime, she meets a super handsome (of course! This IS a love story) young German and falls head over heals for him. The feeling is mutual and together they begin a brief but intense love affair. After heading back to the US, Sydney and Horst continue to communicate via letters until she receives a heartbreaking letter from Horst breaking things off. The broken-hearted Sydney eventually meets and marries a handsome (of course) American boy, although we get the feeling that her heart was always with Horst. (This obviously bothers her son, Teddy, as he grew up knowing Jimmy Blanch as his father)
As the story progresses, Jimmy (obviously the American) leaves for war and Sydney discovers she is pregnant. Meanwhile, Sydney's German heart throb appears on her doorstep, reveals that he is a Nazi spy, but is still in love with her. So she vows to help him--as he is not pleased with the Nazi party and wants to turn himself in. She ends up helping Horst but never has a chance to reveal the news about her pregnancy to Jimmy, who was killed in battle after enlisting in the Marines.
Of course, as the reader continues the story, we put the pieces together and realize that the father Teddy grew up with, "Jimmy", was actually Horst. And somehow it all feels right! I found myself rooting for Horst but then being sympathetic to Jimmy-- who we also fell for. So Sydney and "Horst" aka Jimmy, moved out West where nobody from her hometown area would know the real Jimmy, and there they continued the rest of their lives.
I loved how Deford wrote the story and I was hooked pretty quickly in the book. A few favorite quotes:
"But of course, I didn't look back, because by then I was looking forward. That's the whole point of growing up, isn't it?"
"Mom stopped and smiled that special smile that I recognized only comes from bliss, remembered."
"In the olden days, people were in control of their lives. They had to know the world to survive in it. They knew how to plant food and harvest it and how to cook it and how....[things] worked. But us-- the more things we just turn on, the dumber we get."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2012
This is what I liked about this book:
1) The writing. It wasn't amazing, but it was good and straightforward and kept the story moving. Especially the dialogue was more believable than some.
2) The way the story was told. The story is really about this girl and how she meets this German boy while competing at the Berlin Olympics in 1930-something, and they fall in love, but of course are separated by distance and circumstances. But it's told as the mom (modern day)is relating it to her grown son. So while you get plenty of in-the-moment kind of scenes, you also have the mom's reminiscences, colored by an entire lifetime, and the son's reaction to all of this. It was an interesting way to hear a story told.
3) The story itself. It wasn't totally predictable, and when the "gotcha!" moment was revealed, I thought the author did a good job of not belaboring the point. It was a compelling story, and a touching love story.
4) I enjoyed learning more about the sport of swimming. There wasn't a ton about it in this book, but enough that I (a non-swimmer) found it interesting.
5) It reminded me of my own blissful whirlwind romances. You have an entirely different perspective on those events as the years go by, but as the mom's character shows, it can be fun to just remember how that felt at the time.
So, pretty much, I liked it. I don't have anything that I explicitly disliked about the book. I guess I hesitate giving it a higher rating because even though I (personally) enjoyed it very much, it wasn't the kind of book with significant depth or meaning that I feel like everyone would be a better person for reading it. It entertained me very well, it kind of made me think (evaluating how I feel about my youthful romances now, versus how I felt then), and it sort of made me feel, but it certainly wasn't a life-changing book, so three stars seems sufficient. My hunch is that most relatively thoughtful women would like this book.
1) The writing. It wasn't amazing, but it was good and straightforward and kept the story moving. Especially the dialogue was more believable than some.
2) The way the story was told. The story is really about this girl and how she meets this German boy while competing at the Berlin Olympics in 1930-something, and they fall in love, but of course are separated by distance and circumstances. But it's told as the mom (modern day)is relating it to her grown son. So while you get plenty of in-the-moment kind of scenes, you also have the mom's reminiscences, colored by an entire lifetime, and the son's reaction to all of this. It was an interesting way to hear a story told.
3) The story itself. It wasn't totally predictable, and when the "gotcha!" moment was revealed, I thought the author did a good job of not belaboring the point. It was a compelling story, and a touching love story.
4) I enjoyed learning more about the sport of swimming. There wasn't a ton about it in this book, but enough that I (a non-swimmer) found it interesting.
5) It reminded me of my own blissful whirlwind romances. You have an entirely different perspective on those events as the years go by, but as the mom's character shows, it can be fun to just remember how that felt at the time.
So, pretty much, I liked it. I don't have anything that I explicitly disliked about the book. I guess I hesitate giving it a higher rating because even though I (personally) enjoyed it very much, it wasn't the kind of book with significant depth or meaning that I feel like everyone would be a better person for reading it. It entertained me very well, it kind of made me think (evaluating how I feel about my youthful romances now, versus how I felt then), and it sort of made me feel, but it certainly wasn't a life-changing book, so three stars seems sufficient. My hunch is that most relatively thoughtful women would like this book.
October 16, 2016
This love story took place in the interesting background of an olympic hopeful and WWII. I enjoyed how Sydney described her love of swimming and how it changed, just as we all reprioritize as we change. The love stories were interesting, although it is told from the perspective of the elderly mother telling her son about it. I'm sure many people agree that the story was told more graphically than most moms would tell their sons about. Even just as a reader, you feel embarrassed for the son, Teddy.
Some notes for discussing this with book club:
Quote from Ted's dad that the American dream is great, but it also teaches us that we can absolutely live our dreams. In real life though, if we fail, we take it extra hard. The American dream also teaches us that we are better than the other countries, and one day the other countries will catch up to us. We will take that hard too.
Sydney talked about the dorms in Germany that were bad, but as it was the Depression, they were happy with a roof over their heads and 3 meals a day. She said she bowled down the hall with oranges, not like today where young people need electronics to keep entertained.
Is it true? Do our kids require electronics to be entertained? I think kids like electronics, but can still find fun with other toys too.
Do I require them? I sometimes feel where I don't have a parent to tell me to get off my tablet, I rely too heavily on electronics for both good and bad.
Where Horst was showing that just because Americans don't hate Jews, they treated other groups -- the blacks, the Germans, etc. -- just as bad.
Who do we treat badly these days and not think about it?
Why did Sydney tell part of the story aloud and write the rest?
Some notes for discussing this with book club:
Quote from Ted's dad that the American dream is great, but it also teaches us that we can absolutely live our dreams. In real life though, if we fail, we take it extra hard. The American dream also teaches us that we are better than the other countries, and one day the other countries will catch up to us. We will take that hard too.
Sydney talked about the dorms in Germany that were bad, but as it was the Depression, they were happy with a roof over their heads and 3 meals a day. She said she bowled down the hall with oranges, not like today where young people need electronics to keep entertained.
Is it true? Do our kids require electronics to be entertained? I think kids like electronics, but can still find fun with other toys too.
Do I require them? I sometimes feel where I don't have a parent to tell me to get off my tablet, I rely too heavily on electronics for both good and bad.
Where Horst was showing that just because Americans don't hate Jews, they treated other groups -- the blacks, the Germans, etc. -- just as bad.
Who do we treat badly these days and not think about it?
Why did Sydney tell part of the story aloud and write the rest?
January 28, 2011
Frank Deford writes so, so wonderfully, that reading this novel was just like sitting in the kitchen, garden, or restaurant along with the protagonist and her son, listening with Teddy Branch to his mother's story. Priorities are straight for Teddy and his elderly mother, they are the people of everyday life who have married, had a family, and made sure that their family had a good life. Teddy's mother, Sydney Branch is still full of gusto, however with the knowledge that she is dying from cancer. She has a story she needs to tell her son, and now is her opportunity before she passes away.
It is easy to get involved in Sydney's story, although much of it is unremarkable. As the reader, however, you know that she was at the 1936 Olympics and are curious, waiting to hear every word. As a listener, along with Teddy, you recognize that ordinary people are anything but ordinary. There is something inside all of us, if we find it or dig deep enough, that makes us special and is there when we need it. So it is for Sydney Branch.
I loved this story because the magic of life is ever apparent along with the sadness. My belief that we each have a beshert (intended one) is heavily reinforced. Also, the importance of family as life's purpose and the center of existence is also reinforced. In subtle ways, the reader grows and learns as they listen to Sydney's story, considering who we are as Americans, our values and priorities. One also gets a glimpse at the way it was for Americans at home at the start of World War II, a little considered perspective.
Frank Deford is an excellent writer and this book alone has made me a fan. I recommend this novel without reserve.
It is easy to get involved in Sydney's story, although much of it is unremarkable. As the reader, however, you know that she was at the 1936 Olympics and are curious, waiting to hear every word. As a listener, along with Teddy, you recognize that ordinary people are anything but ordinary. There is something inside all of us, if we find it or dig deep enough, that makes us special and is there when we need it. So it is for Sydney Branch.
I loved this story because the magic of life is ever apparent along with the sadness. My belief that we each have a beshert (intended one) is heavily reinforced. Also, the importance of family as life's purpose and the center of existence is also reinforced. In subtle ways, the reader grows and learns as they listen to Sydney's story, considering who we are as Americans, our values and priorities. One also gets a glimpse at the way it was for Americans at home at the start of World War II, a little considered perspective.
Frank Deford is an excellent writer and this book alone has made me a fan. I recommend this novel without reserve.
September 19, 2010
When I read the plot summary of Frank DeFord's latest book BLISS, REMEMBERED, I was excited. As one of my favorite NPR commentators I have always looked forward to reading/hearing from DeFord, but the summaries of his previous books just never piqued my intrigue. This book was definitely a good introduction to Frank DeFord, the novelist.
BLISS, REMEMBERED tells the story of Sydney "Trixie" Stringfellow, a swimmer whose short-lived renaissance at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin completely altered the course of her life. After the events revealed in the novel, beginning at the Berlin Games, Sydney lives a full life, complete with a husband and two children. Her oldest, Teddy, is especially close to her and at the end of her life she decides to tell her story with him as her listener. The novel begins with Teddy's visit to his mother's home in Eugene, Oregon, and the telling of her story. DeFord provides Sydney with a distinct and effortlessly well-crafted narrative voice. Her personality and vitality resonate throughout the book, even as the action of Sydney's past grows grim.
Overall, BLISS, REMEMBERED will be remembered by me as a well-told story. DeFord makes it easy to empathize with his characters as he endows them with with believable vitality. The prose is a pleasure to read, it is clear that DeFord has an effortless handle of the English language. Finally, the novel's action is unpredictable and interesting. BLISS, REMEMBERED is an enjoyable book I am glad I was able to get my hands on.
BLISS, REMEMBERED tells the story of Sydney "Trixie" Stringfellow, a swimmer whose short-lived renaissance at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin completely altered the course of her life. After the events revealed in the novel, beginning at the Berlin Games, Sydney lives a full life, complete with a husband and two children. Her oldest, Teddy, is especially close to her and at the end of her life she decides to tell her story with him as her listener. The novel begins with Teddy's visit to his mother's home in Eugene, Oregon, and the telling of her story. DeFord provides Sydney with a distinct and effortlessly well-crafted narrative voice. Her personality and vitality resonate throughout the book, even as the action of Sydney's past grows grim.
Overall, BLISS, REMEMBERED will be remembered by me as a well-told story. DeFord makes it easy to empathize with his characters as he endows them with with believable vitality. The prose is a pleasure to read, it is clear that DeFord has an effortless handle of the English language. Finally, the novel's action is unpredictable and interesting. BLISS, REMEMBERED is an enjoyable book I am glad I was able to get my hands on.
January 8, 2022
I loved this story!!!!!!!!!!!
It is a story about a woman who is dying of cancer; she calls her son, asks him to come visit her she has something to give him, but not to bring his sister. She has purchased a tape-recorder and tells him the story of her life.
I will not give you any spoilers though it would be easy to. This is a delicious book and I had a hard time putting it down to go to work, who wants to go to work when there's a good book on your nightstand?
I wanted to read this because of the author. I have listened to Frank's editorials on NPR endearingly and this book is even better than I thought it would be. I fell in love with the mother for her sweet, practical sense of humor; for her spunk and ease with conversation. I really wanted this story to be true and was so disappointed every time I looked on the cover and found those little words "A Novel" I wanted the ___ to be so and the ___ to be true (see no spoiler!)
I think if you have not curled up with this book NOW would be a good time.
Enjoy!
And smile at every s_______ up k____ for they are just at the right moment.
1/7/2022 SECOND READ
I still think this book is delicious. I read it again because I wanted to refresh my memory to make sure it was a good enough book to give to my mother as a February read for her. It is. I’m not kidding this is a delicious book.
It is a story about a woman who is dying of cancer; she calls her son, asks him to come visit her she has something to give him, but not to bring his sister. She has purchased a tape-recorder and tells him the story of her life.
I will not give you any spoilers though it would be easy to. This is a delicious book and I had a hard time putting it down to go to work, who wants to go to work when there's a good book on your nightstand?
I wanted to read this because of the author. I have listened to Frank's editorials on NPR endearingly and this book is even better than I thought it would be. I fell in love with the mother for her sweet, practical sense of humor; for her spunk and ease with conversation. I really wanted this story to be true and was so disappointed every time I looked on the cover and found those little words "A Novel" I wanted the ___ to be so and the ___ to be true (see no spoiler!)
I think if you have not curled up with this book NOW would be a good time.
Enjoy!
And smile at every s_______ up k____ for they are just at the right moment.
1/7/2022 SECOND READ
I still think this book is delicious. I read it again because I wanted to refresh my memory to make sure it was a good enough book to give to my mother as a February read for her. It is. I’m not kidding this is a delicious book.
October 7, 2011
First off, I really disliked the voice of this book. I felt like the characters all felt superficial to me. It didn't flow. However, it was an interesting story. Normally I like idea of the switching between past and present in the story, but I felt like it totally detracted from the story in this case. Every time mother and son were speaking in present tense it was about irrelevant things...like what were the more popular terms to use vs. the old ones (i.e. have sex vs. make love). I really got bored during those parts. Besides that, the actual story was interesting...she goes to Germany by default for the Summer Olympics (I never realized they were in Germany and it was interesting to read about peoples' thoughts about that), she meets Hans, they fall in love, she leaves back home, he goes to the Navy and writes her off, she meets and marries Jimmy, Jimmy goes to war and dies, the same day Hans shows up at her door and tells her he is a Nazi spy but is going to turn himself in...long story short, he takes Jimmy's name as his own and they move to Montana. Interesting twist, hated that she killed the other Nazi spy in cold blood and then just dumped his body in the river, no repercussions?? Intersting and hardly believable. I did love that she and Hans ended up together in the end though. Didn't love this book, wouldn't recommend to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2013
Without a frame of reference to this author, I would not select another of his books. The author had me flummexed with the main character. On the one hand she is a naive, small town kid, innocent and then turns into a mastermind smarter than the trained professionals she is pitted against. No can buy! Although his story was entertaining taking us into the 1936 Olympic glitter during a time when the writing was on the wall of what was imminently to follow that brief spotlight of German PR dazzle. Our heroine gets caught up in the glamour during the short time she has in Berlin and introduces us to some of the main players in the 3rd Reich, as she falls head over heels for her German heart throb.
Again, while the story is basically a romance novel, some of the problems I encountered is with the annoying manner in which the dying mother and son dialogue. Come on, she's dying! Where's the authentic voice of this woman? Where's the real reason she's telling this story? All the references to 'are you angry with me, Teddy?' are dishonest. She's revealing her soul for the sake of herself and her son's understanding of his origins. And finally, in the end its seems preposterous that this woman could pull off the antics that occur once Horst returns to the scene. The author got carried away with himself.
Still I did finish it.
Again, while the story is basically a romance novel, some of the problems I encountered is with the annoying manner in which the dying mother and son dialogue. Come on, she's dying! Where's the authentic voice of this woman? Where's the real reason she's telling this story? All the references to 'are you angry with me, Teddy?' are dishonest. She's revealing her soul for the sake of herself and her son's understanding of his origins. And finally, in the end its seems preposterous that this woman could pull off the antics that occur once Horst returns to the scene. The author got carried away with himself.
Still I did finish it.
October 28, 2015
This story had so much promise. A really interesting premise, but I didn't really care for the narration style. It felt as if I were overhearing a conversation instead of living the character's life with her. I wanted to be swept away by the story. I wanted to feel as if I were in Berlin in 1936. Instead, I felt as if I were in a sitting room in Eugene, OR some 70 years later. I think the narration style keeps the reader at a distance instead of pulling them completely into the story. And, as a writer, you are always told to "show not tell". Well, this WHOLE BOOK is telling not showing.
I really liked the character of Sydney as an old woman, but I never really got a sense of the teen-aged Sydney. Again, because of the narration style. But Eleanor Holm's character was wonderful. She could carry a book all on her own. I wonder if there are any biographies in print?
I did guess the big reveal concerning Jimmy AS SOON AS Horst was introduced, though I never imagined the whole spy aspect to the story.
All in all, an enjoyable read which is why it rates 4 stars, although it's really more a 3.5. I really think it could have been better, if narrated differently.
I really liked the character of Sydney as an old woman, but I never really got a sense of the teen-aged Sydney. Again, because of the narration style. But Eleanor Holm's character was wonderful. She could carry a book all on her own. I wonder if there are any biographies in print?
I did guess the big reveal concerning Jimmy AS SOON AS Horst was introduced, though I never imagined the whole spy aspect to the story.
All in all, an enjoyable read which is why it rates 4 stars, although it's really more a 3.5. I really think it could have been better, if narrated differently.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2013
Frank Deford spins a story that is a romance, historical fiction, intrigue, and a commentary on the Depression and WWII as seen through the eyes of an old woman recalling her youth. Sidney Stringfellow Branch is determined to finally tell her son the secret she's been guarding his whole life. Her mind is still sharp and her vocabulary enough to give her teacher son a start. Along the way she is quick with opinion and with comments on the changes in American culture since 1936 when she was 18 and went to the Berlin Olympics.
Deford keeps a somewhat light touch as he tells her story. I enjoyed the dialogue between the mother and her son and found it amusing, touching, and generally believable. Her candor might surprise a reader, although many of us have seen the candor that can come with age. She is a powerful character; one I won't forget. The author does a good job of analyzing the German mood during the Olympics and also of pointing out that not all Germans agreed with the Naziis.
Finally, the title says it all: we are fortunate if we experience bliss in our life and remembering it may be all that there is in the end.
Deford keeps a somewhat light touch as he tells her story. I enjoyed the dialogue between the mother and her son and found it amusing, touching, and generally believable. Her candor might surprise a reader, although many of us have seen the candor that can come with age. She is a powerful character; one I won't forget. The author does a good job of analyzing the German mood during the Olympics and also of pointing out that not all Germans agreed with the Naziis.
Finally, the title says it all: we are fortunate if we experience bliss in our life and remembering it may be all that there is in the end.
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