But Now I See: My Journey from Blindness to Olympic Gold

Gr 7 Up—This is equal parts autobiography and written record of how the Americans came to prominence in a sport dominated by Europeans. Holcomb weaves his own story of rising up through the ranks of bobsledding with his personal battle with Keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease that was quickly rendering him blind and threatening to end his athletic career. He deftly juxtaposes his accelerating career as a world-class athlete with his deteriorating eyesight and subsequent plummet into despair and depression. The story is absorbing, and Holcomb's personal journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Readers are taken along as he decides against sharing the news of his condition with friends, family, and teammates, thus forcing him to lie repeatedly to those he cares about most, and those who depended on him. Teens will share his trepidation and anxiety as he meets with more and more doctors offering up the same prognosis: cornea transplant and leaving bobsledding for good. The insider's glimpse into a sport that few know much about is thrilling, and descriptions of rides down icy runs are as harrowing as they are compelling. This is a fast-paced narrative, offering up both drama and information in a tidy package. Color photographs appear throughout. Those looking for an exposé of the dirty deeds of Olympic athletes will need to look elsewhere. Holcomb clearly loves his sport and shares that openly with readers.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA