Fire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women

Fire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women by Roseanne Montillo    304 pages

I was intrigued with this book’s title. I have heard of Betty Robinson, along with such other female athletes as Babe Didrikson and Stella Walsh, but I must admit that I don’t know much about them.

The story gets off to a compelling start with the 1931 plane crash that almost takes Betty’s life. Then the story reverts to her adventures at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. 

This is not just a biography of Betty, but weaves in other female athletes of the time. It was interesting reading, but the story kept moving back and forth. Author Montillo would introduce a person or a event, then give a backstory to that person/event. I was often confused about the timeframe each chapter was supposed to set in.

I believe that a reader has to have some knowledge of the participants and the events in order to really enjoy the way this book is written. Therefore Fire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women gets 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.