Book Review: Drawn to the Rhythm, A Passionate Life Reclaimed; by Sara Hall

The first book I decided to read is closely related to my goal and some of the challenges I'm facing. I hope you choose to read it- it's a great book, called Drawn to the Rhythm, a Passionate Life Reclaimed, by Sara Hall.

First, there's Sara Hall the person, a real person. 
Sarah Hall is a modern-day hero. What she manages to face and overcome to reclaim her joy is nothing short of Herculean. And then she shares it all. I highly recommend her book to anyone who feels stuck: stuck in a rut, stuck in a relationship, stuck in their responsibilities, even stuck inside themselves. Sara faces it all and comes out healthier, happier, a better role model for her children, and more at peace for honoring her feelings and molding them into something constructive.

As a 40-year old mother of three, in a marriage that was suffocating her, she falls in love and learns to love herself enough to seek the space she needs to thrive. Sound scandalous? Indeed, you'd think it was, and sadly, it is still in many places. But it shouldn't be. She didn't run off with some other man. She glimpsed her potential to participate in the world, to be happy, and to make a difference, and all of this promise was bundled up in a slender, unassuming-looking little boat that's known as the 'single' in the rowing world.

Sara's path would take her from the groomed, pre-approved acquaintances her husband allowed her to have, to making true, quality friends in the rowing community and beyond. Despite her husband's clear animosity, she nurtured her new love of rowing and ended up in races all over the continent, amusingly under-prepared for the early ones, with very little training or experience. (gives me some hope, because she was easily as clueless then as I am now!) In short order she would go on to win gold in the World Masters competition.

Incidentally, she never questioned having children. She said repeatedly that they were the best thing that happened to her and she cherished them immensely.  Even when rowing daily, she always made sure to take care of their needs first. I add this because often people think that when a mother questions her place and purpose in the world, that she doesn't think being a mommy is 'enough'. That's not the issue. Moms are people too, that's all, just like dads are and need to have interests that expand their minds beyond the house. That doesn't mean we don't love being moms and love our kids.  (Before reading this book, I would have thought this was pretty obvious, but then I read some reviews of her book online and was shocked to see a small number of people accusing her of not loving her kids. Yowza!) 

Lessons for rowing, lessons for life
She found in herself a fierce advocate, a voice that had been waiting to be heard for 20 years and that never gave up on her, which would surface at first just in her races. With time, she listened to her instinct and her heart more and more, and went from winning races to winning back her dignity, her power, and her joy. 

I'm fortunate in that I have a supportive husband, so that aspect of her story is not my own, but the challenge of doing something for yourself to reclaim your presence in the world beyond nursing, cleaning, and waiting on toddlers is very real. Her dedication to rowing is commendable to say the least, and is an inspiration to me as I try to "carve out an hour" to train just as she did. I felt my own competitive energies quicken as I read her accounts of the races she was in and found myself getting more excited about the Ultimate Florida Challenge. Her definition of winning? "...do my best, love my competitors, and feel the rhythm."

Sara Hall the writer
Her words leave you feeling as if you watched a scene unfold in person, so vivid a writer is she. She is also startlingly candid about her life, her views and her heart. She's not bitter. In fact, by the end of the book, she expresses only gratitude and hope for not just her life and the kids, but for her husband, despite everything.

The pace of the book is interesting. It's not chronological- she actually takes the mystery out of it entirely by telling you what will happen to the marriage and what races she wins at the beginning. What makes the book so compelling is the journey itself. By the time she revisits her various "accomplishments" you are once again excited about it all.

I don't remember having any issues with this book the first time I read it a few years ago. This time, I noticed the chronology occasionally confused me a bit jumping between story-telling and introspection- maybe my sleep deprivation from the baby? And sometimes she waxed poetic a bit too much for me- again, I usually enjoyed her descriptions, so I suspect it had more to do with me being stressed and not settling into the book as much.

Lastly, while the material in it is stellar, I think if I were the publisher, I would have asked Sara to mix the material towards the end a bit differently so the failing of the marriage would have been paced in accordance with what she was accomplishing at the same time, rather than examining one and then the other.

Overall book review grade from me:
     A (taking into consideration the complexity of the storyline, she did make things very clear, and the content was incredibly interesting and entertainingly shared) I'd recommend this book to friends and family without hesitation. Plenty inspiring, especially for those who need a good reminder that life is what we make with each decision, OR what happens to us while we wait around and mope, so choose wisely.