[A quick note: I don’t usually insert myself in my book review photos but it was too fun to grab my skates and pose with this little gem. I can’t believe I finally got this one in hardcover. I had a paperback that was given to me by…I don’t remember who. Maybe my mom? And then I gave it away to my professor to read. In turn, I bought this in ebook format. Then I wanted a copy for my shelves. It was surprisingly cheap. But worth it because there are tons of black and white and color photos inserted into the pages. I think I only paid like $12 and it came brand new and shrink wrapped. Great deal!]
“𝐒𝐨 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐈'𝐦 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.”—Ekaterina Gordeeva
Some books leave a mark on your soul. This was one of them. This story gave me ALL THE FEELS even the second time around. It’s an autobiography that follows the lives of Ekaterina and Sergi, Russian pairs skaters and 2x Olympic gold medalists. It starts from their childhood years up through Sergi’s heartbreaking heart attack and death. Their relationship goes from skating partners to friends to lovers with legitimate FAIRY TALE levels. The way they grew together and progressed gave me all the warm fuzzies. There were so many sweet moments. But this story isn’t just romance and heartbreak.
It was an eye-opener to see how athletes lived and trained in communist Russia during the 70s and 80s. There were so many things I learned, so many times I was grateful to grow up where I did. You really witness firsthand the tole the Olympics can take on a person. And Ekaterina has such a raw and unique lens through which she relates this story to her readers. There’s nothing flowery about the storytelling and yet, it sucks you in. The pages flew by and it was an easy read, but I went slowly this second time around and savored the moments, especially knowing better what happens in the end. It’s not a shocking spoiler, it’s discussed in the prologue of the book. But wow, to know what happens to Sergi while you’re reading all the moments leading up to the event, I teared up a few times. It was emotional.
I don’t generally read biographies or autobiographies, but this one was a huge hit. I first read it in high school and wanted to revisit it as an adult who is now taking figure skating lessons. This will forever remain a cherished book on my shelves. I applauded Ekaterina for taking the time to let us into her life, to share with us Sergi’s life, and to reveal some of the emotional battles she fought during those years. It’s truly special. I highly recommend this book to all ages for those who want a compelling true story that will make you smile and cry. 𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟓/𝟓⭐️