Heart of a Champion, by Kim Washburn.

Dominique Dawes is a true inspiration for young women everywhere.  She faced down adversity, including the divorce of her parents, moving away from home to train at a young age, and repeated disappointments in her gymnastics career, before ultimately achieving the ultimate success:  Olympic champion.  This book chronicles her rise from young, talented gymnast through hardship after hardship, and ultimately to the point where she realizes her dream of becoming an Olympic champion.

I had a few problems with this book.  It was a bit stilted in its writing style, and I absolutely hated that the author used commentary from television broadcasts as part of the narrative.  In addition, I found the religious comments a bit over the top.  I realize this is published by a religious press, but still I found it a little overdone and preachy.  Nonetheless, this is an excellent book for young girls interested in sports and looking for a role model.  3.5.

I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher.  This did not affect this review.