The Bottom Line
The good and the bad are shared with a candid honesty. This book is recommended to anyone who wants to learn about figure skating. Hamill's book is also inspiring since it shows how a young innocent girl developed into a strong woman.
Pros
- This book is written in an easy to read style.
Cons
- Negative thoughts about people and places are voiced by Hamill.
Description
- Different Editions Availalble: Published by Hyperion Books, Thorndike Press, and the Gale Group
- Co-author is Deborah Amelon
- 256 pages
- Hardcover
- Published in October of 2007
- Color photos are included that show important moments in the author's life
Guide Review - Review of Dorothy Hamill's Book "A Skating Life"
In 1976, Dorothy Hamill became the Olympic Figure Skating Champion. She was only nineteen years old at time and her life changed forever after winning the title. Hamill has put together a personal memoir that tells all.A Skating Life: My Story is written in an easy to read format. The author writes with a down to earth style and somehow "talks" directly to the reader.
The author does not hold back and is quite open. She shares the good and bad about many different people who touched her life. Some very personal things about Hamill are in this book. Her relationship with her mother had some very difficult spots. She is open about her parents drinking and fighting and her family being prone to depression. She shares her opinions and thoughts about the way things are done in figure skating. She also gives her opinion about parents of skaters and certain coaches.
There may be some information in this writing that is not correct or incomplete. For example, the name of the ice rink in Colorado where Dorothy Hamill trained under Carlo Fassi was called the Colorado Ice Arena. Hamill calls the arena the Denver Ice Arena.
Dorothy Hamill teaches the reader about figure skating. For example, the reader will learn about the wonderful summer ice skating training that took place in Lake Placid, New York. The reader also will learn about how ice skaters practiced compulsory figures.
Hamill experienced some sad moments in her life. Her first husband, Dean Paul Martin, was killed in a plane crash shortly after they divorced. She went through a second painful divorce. Hamill's relationship with certain friends and her family also had its rocky moments.
Figure skaters, ice skating fans, and anyone who wants to experience good and easy reading will enjoy this book.
