Gold: A Novel

Amazon Best Books of the Month, July 2012: Kate and Zoe, the central characters in Chris Cleave s fast-paced and poignant Gold, are classic frenemies. Professional cyclists who have been training with--and competing against--each other for almost 15 years, they have one career-defining difference: Zoe will do anything to win, but there are lines Kate refuses to cross. Cleave jumps back and forth in time as they prepare for their final Olympics, showing how the two athletes met and unveiling all the ways in which they are inextricably linked. They share a coach, Tom (who clearly has a favorite); Kate s husband, Jack, has a long history with both women; and Kate and Jack s daughter, Sophie, binds them all together. While cycling is the focus of the plot, the heart of Gold is the sacrifice we make for our families. --Caley Anderson