Just finished reading a goodun'. Probably a bit late with this, as it was popular in the run up to the Olympics 2012. However, having read Cleave's most popular novel, the Other Hand, and thoroughly enjoying it, I wanted to give this one a go. Gold is a compelling story of three Olympic athletes in the run up to London 2012. Kate, Zoe and Jack all meet at trials for junior cyclists. Kate ends up marrying Jack, and they have a daughter, Sophie. Kate and Zoe are almost equal in their running for the Olympic games. As the story unfolds, all is not as it seems in their lives, and their performance on the track is far more integrally linked to their lives outside of the sport than we would previously assume.
Cleave develops the main characters well, and I found myself increasingly intrigued by their stories, their emotional states and, ultimately, more interested in their athletic achievements. The book very much manages to capture what it must feel like to be at your physical peak, to devote your life to something. It puts into question the value of our families, of our health, of our careers and, of course, the value of winning gold.
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