Cover to cover, could not put it down, hated to turn the lights off, 344 pages of exhilaration! Mike Mizrahi’s The Great Chattanooga Bicycle Race delivers so much more than expected! One presumes to simply read about a bicycle race, but the book is so much more! There are strong characters, a bit of deception, some bad guys, some good guys and some wow! It is difficult to believe women actually dealt with this kind of oppression!
In our modern times, who would expect there was an era when a woman riding a bicycle would create such a hubbub? Welcome to the late 1800’s, the beginning of a burgeoning women’s rights movement. Although purely fiction, no doubt, The Great Chattanooga Bicycle Race paints a true picture of life during that period.
Anna’s transformation from a timid “fraidy cat” to a “determined to stand her ground” woman is inspiring. Her story creates a new level of appreciation for the rights women have in the 21st century. And brings a level of gratitude for the courageous women like her whom no doubt shaped our modern world.
This was one of my absolute favorite books and I highly recommend it!
*A complimentary copy of the book was provided in exchange for this review.