Book Review: A Stroke In Time

A Stroke In Time by Gerard Doran is the story of that famous crew from 1901, who came together from the tiny fishing village of Outer Cove, Newfoundland, Canada to set a record that would stand for almost a century.

Based on actual events, Doran, in his debut novel, introduces the reader to John Whelan, whose many victories at the Royal St. John’s Regatta are the stuff of legend. Approaching age 40, Whelan has vivid memories of his racing days, but they are by now many years behind him. Yet a chance meeting in a St. John’s tavern with a boastful member of a rival crew from the nearby village of Torbay is something Whelan can’t let go.

With personal pride and the honour of their community in the balance, Whelan and experienced coxswain, Watt Power call a meeting of the best “b’ys” in Outer Cove.

To write the novel, Doran worked with a limited store of primary source material, so he drew on his own experience to masterfully weave together the rich local history along with personal tragedy and triumph. Doran recreates not just the hardships of life in a Newfoundland fishing town at the turn of the last century, but characters whose humanity resonates with an enchanting subtlety.

“These men had real rowing intelligence,” says Doran.“I wrote it to honour what they did. They were already recognised locally and in the (Royal St. John’s Regatta) as a great crew. I wanted to bring them back to life.

“I often thought that I would love to be in the kitchen in a corner listening to these people talk,” Doran says. “I would wonder what were they saying? What was their plan? Because everybody gets race jitters. It must have been incredible, unimaginable. And then to be so damned good; to be so fast.”

Despite the magnitude of their accomplishment, Whelan and his crew took their victory in stride, says Doran. “The funny thing is they probably just went back to fishing in the next few days. Most of the men never really talked about it.”

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The regatta itself would have been an incredible experience, taking place in the natural amphitheater setting of Quidi Vidi Lake. As a two-time coxswain of champion crews at the Royal St. John’s Regatta, Doran knows firsthand what it must have been like: “You are in a little lake and the terrain on the north side of the pond is built for watching and you are surrounded by thousands of people. You have this late summer sun and light and tension and it is amazing. I call it the theatre. You go out and warm up and you go around the lake and every eye on the shoreline is watching you. It is pretty special, no doubt about it. It is huge here.”

Regatta Day is serious business and has taken on the status of a national holiday for Newfoundlanders. This year’s event, taking place on the traditional first Wednesday of August (weather permitting) will have a special significance as it marks 200 years since the first recorded regatta in 1816. This gives the Royal St. John’s Regatta the distinction as the oldest continuously run sporting event in North America. The regatta is unique for its time-honoured tradition of crews of six plus coxswain racing out 1200m, turning around and racing 1200m back to the starting point.

Through short, engaging chapters, Doran’s narrative thread reveals the motivations, hopes and fears of each member of the legendary crew of 1901, bringing it all together for the final showdown on Quidi Vidi Lake.

For those who liked The Boys in the Boat, A Stroke in Time will be equally enjoyable to people both within the sport of rowing and those with no rowing experience.