
A Most Beautiful Thing
The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Adam Lazarre-White
-
By:
-
Arshay Cooper
About this listen
"Narrator Adam Lazarre-White conveys Cooper's youth and aspirations in a rich, steady voice that suggests emotional authenticity and humor." (AudioFile Magazine)
Now a documentary narrated by Common, produced by Grant Hill, Dwyane Wade, and 9th Wonder, from filmmaker Mary Mazzio
The moving true story of a group of young men growing up on Chicago's West side who form the first all-Black high school rowing team in the nation, and in doing so not only transform a sport, but their lives.
Growing up on Chicago’s Westside in the 90s, Arshay Cooper knows the harder side of life. The street corners are full of gangs, the hallways of his apartment complex are haunted by drug addicts he calls “zombies” with strung out arms, clutching at him as he passes by. His mother is a recovering addict, and his three siblings all sleep in a one room apartment, a small infantry against the war zone on the street below.
Arshay keeps to himself, preferring to write poetry about the girl he has a crush on, and spends his school days in the home-ec kitchen dreaming of becoming a chef. And then one day as he’s walking out of school he notices a boat in the school lunchroom, and a poster that reads “Join the Crew Team”.
Having no idea what the sport of crew is, Arshay decides to take a chance. This decision to join is one that will forever change his life, and those of his fellow teammates. As Arshay and his teammates begin to come together to learn how to row - many never having been in water before - the sport takes them from the mean streets of Chicago, to the hallowed halls of the Ivy League. But Arshay and his teammates face adversity at every turn, from racism, gang violence, and a sport that has never seen anyone like them before.
A Most Beautiful Thing is the inspiring true story about the most unlikely band of brothers that form a family, and forever change a sport and their lives for the better.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books
"I was immediately captivated. Arshay's writing evoked the emotional angst of teens growing up in the inner city of Chicago..I wholeheartedly recommend Arshay's book and look forward to his future projects." (Ron Stallworth, number-one New York Times best-selling author of Black Klansman)
"This is the story of rising from the ashes stronger, faster, and focused - not in spite of the circumstances of birth but because of them. Arshay’s refusal to let his life story be written for him is a testament to the resilience and beauty of the human spirit, and his eagerness to succeed, on the water and in life, is an inspiration." (Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic)
©2020 Arshay Cooper (P)2020 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
How Dare the Sun Rise
- Memoirs of a War Child
- By: Sandra Uwiringiyimana, Abigail Pesta
- Narrated by: Sandra Uwiringiyimana
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringiyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism. Sandra was just 10 years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp.
-
-
Sandra's voice is mesmorizing!
- By Karissa Barber on 04-18-18
By: Sandra Uwiringiyimana, and others
-
The Boys in the Boat
- Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
- By: Daniel James Brown
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The number one New York Times best-selling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany, the inspiration for the PBS documentary The Boys of '36, broadcast to coincide with the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 80th anniversary of the boys' gold medal race. Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times - the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.
-
-
Dear Publishers of Audio Books
- By Lynn on 08-04-14
-
The Elephant Whisperer (Young Readers Adaptation)
- My Life with the Herd in the African Wild
- By: Lawrence Anthony, Thea Feldman, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn't take them. In order to save their lives, Anthony took them in. In the years that followed he became a part of their family. And as he battled to create a bond with the elephants, he came to realize that they had a great deal to teach him about life, loyalty, and freedom.
-
-
Elephants are fascinating! Such a great listen
- By Jeanine M. Lesperance on 08-11-19
By: Lawrence Anthony, and others
-
Slaves in the Family
- By: Edward Ball
- Narrated by: Edward Ball
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Ball family hails from South Carolina - Charleston and thereabouts. Their plantations were among the oldest and longest-standing plantations in the South. Between 1698 and 1865, close to 4,000 Black people were born into slavery under the Balls or were bought by them. In Slaves in the Family, Edward Ball recounts his efforts to track down and meet the descendants of his family's slaves.
-
-
Gives a good insight for moving forward today
- By Wendy Wood on 05-05-19
By: Edward Ball
-
When Harry Met Minnie
- A True Story of Love and Friendship
- By: Martha Teichner
- Narrated by: Martha Teichner
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A memoir of love and loss, of being in the right place at the right time, and of the mysterious ways a beloved pet can bring people together, from CBS Sunday Morning News correspondent and multi-Emmy-Award-winning Martha Teichner.
-
-
WHEN HARRY MET MINNIE, I Felt Let Down Initially…
- By Mary Burnight on 10-26-21
By: Martha Teichner
-
Red Rose Crew
- A True Story Of Women, Winning, And The Water
- By: Daniel J. Boyne, David Halberstam - foreword
- Narrated by: Donna Postel
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1975, a group of amazing women rowed their way to international success and glory, battling sexual prejudice, bureaucracy, and male domination. Among the members of the first international women's crew team - and one of the first women's teams anywhere - were Gail Pearson, the soft-spoken MIT professor who fought to win the political battles necessary for her team to succeed; lead rower Carie Graves, a statuesque bohemian from rural Wisconsin who dropped out of college and later became the most intense rower of the crew; and Lynn Stillman, a tiny 16-year-old, Californian coxswain.
-
-
Fascinating listen
- By Amazon Customer on 06-03-20
By: Daniel J. Boyne, and others
-
How Dare the Sun Rise
- Memoirs of a War Child
- By: Sandra Uwiringiyimana, Abigail Pesta
- Narrated by: Sandra Uwiringiyimana
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringiyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism. Sandra was just 10 years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp.
-
-
Sandra's voice is mesmorizing!
- By Karissa Barber on 04-18-18
By: Sandra Uwiringiyimana, and others
-
The Boys in the Boat
- Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
- By: Daniel James Brown
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The number one New York Times best-selling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany, the inspiration for the PBS documentary The Boys of '36, broadcast to coincide with the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 80th anniversary of the boys' gold medal race. Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times - the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.
-
-
Dear Publishers of Audio Books
- By Lynn on 08-04-14
-
The Elephant Whisperer (Young Readers Adaptation)
- My Life with the Herd in the African Wild
- By: Lawrence Anthony, Thea Feldman, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn't take them. In order to save their lives, Anthony took them in. In the years that followed he became a part of their family. And as he battled to create a bond with the elephants, he came to realize that they had a great deal to teach him about life, loyalty, and freedom.
-
-
Elephants are fascinating! Such a great listen
- By Jeanine M. Lesperance on 08-11-19
By: Lawrence Anthony, and others
-
Slaves in the Family
- By: Edward Ball
- Narrated by: Edward Ball
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Ball family hails from South Carolina - Charleston and thereabouts. Their plantations were among the oldest and longest-standing plantations in the South. Between 1698 and 1865, close to 4,000 Black people were born into slavery under the Balls or were bought by them. In Slaves in the Family, Edward Ball recounts his efforts to track down and meet the descendants of his family's slaves.
-
-
Gives a good insight for moving forward today
- By Wendy Wood on 05-05-19
By: Edward Ball
-
When Harry Met Minnie
- A True Story of Love and Friendship
- By: Martha Teichner
- Narrated by: Martha Teichner
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A memoir of love and loss, of being in the right place at the right time, and of the mysterious ways a beloved pet can bring people together, from CBS Sunday Morning News correspondent and multi-Emmy-Award-winning Martha Teichner.
-
-
WHEN HARRY MET MINNIE, I Felt Let Down Initially…
- By Mary Burnight on 10-26-21
By: Martha Teichner
-
Red Rose Crew
- A True Story Of Women, Winning, And The Water
- By: Daniel J. Boyne, David Halberstam - foreword
- Narrated by: Donna Postel
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1975, a group of amazing women rowed their way to international success and glory, battling sexual prejudice, bureaucracy, and male domination. Among the members of the first international women's crew team - and one of the first women's teams anywhere - were Gail Pearson, the soft-spoken MIT professor who fought to win the political battles necessary for her team to succeed; lead rower Carie Graves, a statuesque bohemian from rural Wisconsin who dropped out of college and later became the most intense rower of the crew; and Lynn Stillman, a tiny 16-year-old, Californian coxswain.
-
-
Fascinating listen
- By Amazon Customer on 06-03-20
By: Daniel J. Boyne, and others
-
The Nine
- The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany
- By: Gwen Strauss
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Nine follows the true story of the author’s great aunt Hélène Podliasky, who led a band of nine female resistance fighters as they escaped a German forced labor camp and made a 10-day journey across the front lines of World War II from Germany back to Paris. Drawing on incredible research, this powerful, heart-stopping narrative is a moving tribute to the power of humanity and friendship in the darkest of times.
-
-
Soooo good!
- By anne simpson on 09-28-21
By: Gwen Strauss
-
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
-
-
it's Nearly perfect
- By Kerry on 09-16-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
-
The End of Bias: A Beginning
- The Science and Practice of Overcoming Unconscious Bias
- By: Jessica Nordell
- Narrated by: Jessica Nordell
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Unconscious bias: persistent, unintentional prejudiced behavior that clashes with our consciously held beliefs. We know that it exists, to corrosive and even lethal effect. We see it in medicine, the workplace, education, policing, and beyond. But when it comes to uprooting our prejudices, we still have far to go. With nuance, compassion, and ten years' immersion in the topic, Jessica Nordell weaves gripping stories with scientific research to reveal how minds, hearts, and behaviors change.
-
-
An awesome book about understanding unconscious bias and how to end its powerful grip on our behavior.
- By Jose R. Nino on 10-10-21
By: Jessica Nordell
-
Prince Albert
- The Man Who Saved the Monarchy
- By: A. N. Wilson
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawn from the Royal archives, including Prince Albert’s voluminous correspondence, this brilliant and ambitious book offers fascinating never-before-known details about the man and his time. A superb match of biographer and subject, Prince Albert, at last, gives this important historical figure the reverence and recognition that is long overdue.
-
-
Excellent Bio!
- By Nancy on 04-24-24
By: A. N. Wilson
-
The Ravenmaster
- My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London
- By: Christopher Skaife
- Narrated by: Christopher Skaife
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The title of Ravenmaster is a serious title indeed, and after decades of serving the Queen, Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife took on the added responsibility of caring for the infamous ravens. In The Ravenmaster, he lets listeners in on his life as he feeds his birds raw meat and biscuits soaked in blood, buys their food at Smithfield Market, and ensures that these unusual, misunderstood, and utterly brilliant corvids are healthy, happy, and ready to captivate the four million tourists who flock to the Tower every year.
-
-
A Classic, I Was Spellbound! Master Story Telling!
- By A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. on 10-08-18
-
Course Correction
- A Story of Rowing and Resilience in the Wake of Title IX
- By: Ginny Gilder
- Narrated by: Janis Ian
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From her first strokes as a novice, Ginny Gilder found herself in a new world, training with Olympic rowers and participating in the famous Title IX naked protest, which helped define the movement for equality in college sports. Short, asthmatic, and stubborn, Gilder made the team against all odds and for the next 10 years devoted herself to answering a seemingly simple question: how badly do you want to go fast?
-
-
Every young woman should read this book
- By BCE on 11-13-17
By: Ginny Gilder
-
The Moment of Lift
- How Empowering Women Changes the World
- By: Melinda French Gates
- Narrated by: Melinda French Gates
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings - and especially for women? Because, when you lift up women, you lift up humanity. For the last 20 years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift society up, you need to stop keeping women down.
-
-
Phenomenal Book, Absolute Gem
- By D. Sooley on 04-28-19
-
World Wild Vet
- Encounters in the Animal Kingdom
- By: Evan Antin
- Narrated by: Evan Antin
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millions follow Dr. Evan Antin and his wildlife adventures through social media and on his popular Animal Planet television show Evan Goes Wild. Now in his first audiobook, World Wild Vet, Evan takes us to the deep blue seas, swimming with giant whale sharks with “puppy dog eyes," to jungles filled with venomous snakes (who are more afraid of you than you are of them), to a race across the savannah and against the clock to save rhinos from the clutches of poachers—all in the name of adventure and a deep love for the wild around us.
-
-
Outstanding Read
- By Brekke on 11-30-20
By: Evan Antin
-
Have You Seen Luis Velez?
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn’t belong. Not with his mother’s new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father’s wife. Not at school, where he’s an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he’s tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who’s introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?
-
-
Disappointed
- By Mark on 01-31-20
-
Transformed
- A Navy SEAL’s Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds
- By: Remi Adeleke
- Narrated by: Remi Adeleke
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author Remi Adeleke takes listeners back to stories from his childhood as Nigerian royalty to losing his father early in life and being financially stripped of everything by the Nigerian government. He delves into being raised by a single mother in the Bronx and doesn’t shy away from the illegal activities that threatened to derail his future. Having gone through times of intense struggle, pressure, and failure, Adeleke shares his inspiring story of overcoming the odds, even when it didn’t make sense; and ultimately experiencing true personal transformation.
-
-
COME ON SOMEBODY!
- By Aaron D. Davis (Author - @TattooPreacher) on 08-24-19
By: Remi Adeleke
-
Ticking Clock
- Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes
- By: Ira Rosen
- Narrated by: Ira Rosen, L. J. Ganser
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When producer Ira Rosen walked into the 60 Minutes offices in June 1980, he knew he was about to enter television history. His career catapulted him to the heights of TV journalism, breaking some of the most important stories in TV news. But behind the scenes was a war room of clashing producers, anchors, and the most formidable 60 Minutes figure: legendary correspondent Mike Wallace.
-
-
Mike Wallace sounded like an insufferable prick
- By Robert M on 02-20-21
By: Ira Rosen
-
Scenes from My Life
- A Memoir
- By: Michael K. Williams, Jon Sternfeld
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Michael K. Williams died on September 6, 2021, he left behind a career as one of the most electrifying actors of his generation. From his star turn as Omar Little in The Wire to Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire to Emmy-nominated roles in HBO’s The Night Of and Lovecraft Country, Williams inhabited a slew of indelible roles that he portrayed with a rawness and vulnerability that leapt off the screen.
-
-
Absolutely incredible
- By corydonovan on 08-29-22
By: Michael K. Williams, and others
Critic reviews
"Narrator Adam Lazarre-White conveys Cooper's youth and aspirations in a rich, steady voice that suggests emotional authenticity and humor." (AudioFile magazine)
What listeners say about A Most Beautiful Thing
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kenneth vaccaro
- 09-08-20
Inspirational story
I found this book very inspiring and would highly recommend it. It has an important message in our current troubled times.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bettye Evans Vint
- 07-27-20
How to get out of the Hood without knowing it!
I loved, loved the author describing his negative high school experiences growing up in the Chicago hood. How trying something different forever changed his life and prospective on the way he looked at things/ life and his connection to his peer group and surrounding environment ‼️
The book is so great that I did not want it to end‼️
Kudos to his success and his fell friends ‼️
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ross Shanken
- 02-12-22
Incredible story
Just read it - amazing in so many ways. Inspiring, thought provoking, enriching, and so much more. Thank you Arshay Cooper for sharing your story with the world!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KathrynVB
- 12-31-20
Wonderful book, great story.
Watch the documentary after you've read the book. Not before. It's a lovely way to get more of the story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MJK1
- 07-27-20
A Most Perfect Story
As a former college rower, this book was incredible all the way around. The descriptions of rowing completely match may memories of learning to row. The strength and insight of the author, and the personal hurdles he had to overcome, are truly inspiring. He captures the true brotherhood he felt with his teammates, something I felt with mine. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, even non-rowers.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael J. Blumfield
- 04-28-21
Inspirational, sobering, insightful
This is a compelling story about how the right influences, support and guidance can make all the difference for young people, particularly those that face bleak prospects otherwise. It's about race in America as much as it is about rowing. Highly recommended, especially for younger audiences seeking motivation.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Susan S.
- 02-28-22
Wonderful and Inspiring
I love true stories about average humans rising above incredible hardship to succeed and help others. Arshay is an amazing human. I wish him all the best that life has to offer. It seems he has gotten them already. May he continue to be blessed for all his life's choices and the sharing of his wisdom with others.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CCLS IT
- 03-21-23
Rowing coaches and young rowers- READ THIS
Entertaining, informative, inspiring, touching. The narrator does a great job. This could serve as a rowing coach manual for how to inspire and teach.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 03-15-23
Great inspirational story!
Great inspirational story that will inspire many young underrepresented young men and women. Great read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- K Whitmore
- 10-02-23
Loved. Better than the movie
I saw the movie, but this book is way better. I started rowing at 42 and this books describes the energy, challenges, and intense pull to the sport once you start. More importantly, it captures the realties and constant uphill battles Black and Brown kids face in cities like Chicago. A great listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!