Review of "Frozen in Time" - A Book by Nikki Nichols

Frozen in Time - The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team is a wonderful book. It tells the story of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating team. The entire team was killed in a plane crash in Brussels, Belgium on February 15, 1961.

This is the first book ever written on this subject. It explores the events that led up to the crash. The book takes the reader into the lives of the individuals who were killed. The reader learns about the skaters and their families.

This book should be read by anyone interested in figure skating. It is a very moving and touching tribute.

Pros

Cons

On February 15, 1961, a tragic plane crash killed all the members of the U.S. Figure Skating Team. Also, friends, family, judges, officials, and coaches were killed. The skaters were traveling to the World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The book Frozen in Time - The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team is the first book ever written about this tragedy.

The author is Nikki Nichols who is a journalist and adult competitive figure skater. Much research went into this writing. It is obvious that the author put much of herself into the book. She used her imagination in certain places to fill in the gaps so the reader could get an idea of what might have happened.

The book also gives information about figure skating history. It explains what the figure skating world was like in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The book explains the devastating effect the deaths had on family members. It also shares how the deaths changed skating in the United States.

Much attention is given to the Owen family. Maribel Vinson Owen was a nine-time national figure skating champion and the coach of champions. She and her two daughters, Laurence and "Little Maribel," were on the plane. Laurence had just won the U.S. Ladies title and her older sister, Maribel, had won the pairs event with partner Dudley Richards.

Besides learning about the Owen family, the reader gets a glimpse into the lives of each of the other competitors that boarded that plane. The drama that led to each winning a spot on the U.S. Figure Skating Team is told. The stories of their coaches and family are also shared.

The reader will feel like he or she knows the people on that plane after reading this book. This book is highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about figure skating and its history.