Amanda Beard's "In the Water They Can't See You Cry": A Moving Memoir of Hope and Triumph

A. M. Joaquim: A good book, quite sad in parts but was well worth the read!

United Kingdom on Oct 16, 2019

Gurvinder Singh: ok not a value for money

India on May 27, 2017

Jeremy: Une femme forte qui mène un combat incessant face à ses démons et autres relations toxiques autour d'elle. Un exemple de courage!
Plus techniquement, le livre est simple et agréable à lire.

France on Aug 01, 2016

Mrs VL Simpson: This is a great book, not all things in life are easy, but they are worth it. Would recommend it to swimming fans

United Kingdom on Aug 24, 2014

Pamela Homer: A very interesting and well written book, highlights the issues of bulimia, self-harming and controlling relationships. Gives an honest and very moving account of a high profile sports person and the pressures she faced. A great read.

United Kingdom on Jan 01, 2014

Gabby: This was the most eye opening memoir I have ever read. The fact that Amanda Beard was an Olympic swimmer would make one think that her life was full of glamour and happiness. This was not the case as she reveals her tumultuous teenage years to the world. Her life experiences with her friends, family, and male relationships create a unbelievable story. Not only is Amanda a humble person, but she is great in many respects. She overcame great adversity to find inner strength, peace and healing. I applaud her not only as a swimmer, but as a real human being. Thanks for sharing your trials and tribulations as a swimmer and person. Amanda is a great role model and I hope I can achieve greatness as she has. Wonderful job in creating this most memorable and heartfelt memoir.

United States on Apr 28, 2013

Jeff Garlick: From the outside, it appeared that Amanda Beard had it all...who can forget the 14 year old in Atlanta with the teddy bear.

Looks can be deceiving: this book is about the pain behind a megawatt smile of a champion. It's BRUTALLY honest and difficult to read because it's so unvarnished but Amanda and her co-author, Rebecca Paly, deserve credit and gratitude from readers for being SO candid and telling an emotional story of pain, depression, torment and ultimately redemption and bliss.

As a "victim" of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and borderline depression, I found immeasurable comfort in knowing that a TOP NOTCH athlete like Amanda could overcome her "demons" and not just function but ultimately THRIVE!

This book is engaging, difficult and HONEST and I could not recommend it more highly!

United States on Jul 08, 2012

AquaJock: After reading memoirs by swimmers Dara Torres and Jeff Commings,I expected another inspiring swimming story. This story never incited any tingly adrenaline over competition or training - most of the experiences she shared made training and even the Olympics sounds like drudgery. So if you're looking for an inspiring athletic story, look elsewhere! I think this is a great story for a mother of a female athlete to read to understand the pressures of being an athlete, particulary in our body-critical society.

What frustrated me the most was how Amanda's life sounded very exciting, yet in almost every instance she saw the dark side of everything and for an athlete acted so helpless, like when she stayed four years with that worthless boyfriend. I strongly empathized with many of the difficulties she had - especially the weight and the judgement about her body - this is something many female athletes, including myself, have endured. I still remember guys on my college team laughing at us when we weighed in at practices - so humiliating... I was pretty on board with the whole story until she started throwing things and hating her life when she lived with a man who treated her so...

United States on Jul 03, 2012

Amy: This was a good look behind the curtain at the life of a professional athlete. We all see them as these perfect heroes that we would like to emulate. Amanda has let us know that they are people just like us who have issues and struggles and heartbreak in their lives. I appreciate her candor and honesty about what she has been through.

I only give it 4 stars because at times I thought the sequence of the book was a bit confusing. That being said, given that it is an autobiography it feels as if it stays true to her words and I don't have the perception that someone came in and edited it to make it shiny. It has a nice raw edge to it that I think more autobiographies should have - it makes it real.

An interesting read for a Type A achiever who needs to see that even if things look perfect from the outside, it is not always as it seems.

United States on Jun 01, 2012

mlbmd: To my mind,this memoir expresses well the struggle and commitment of a very young athlete to succeed in a solitary sport. The self imposed dedication to achieve victory and the direction from others to make her mark apparently did not allow Amanda the opportunity to mature emotionally and to develop societal skills to properly interact with others outside of her sport. Her talent a given, she appears to have had difficulty establishing normal, adult relationships both inside and outside of sport. Not until she met her husband was she guided into seeking professional help to recognize and manage her depression and begin to truly enjoy both her swimming and her relationships, and succeed in both realms. I think some of us who see sports icons as superheroes do owe Amanda credit for letting us in on the reality that there can be a downside to being a "hero".
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in gaining insight into the life and times of a super-athlete.

United States on May 03, 2012