Frozen in Time" is a well researched and well written look at the entire U.S. Skating team that was killed in a 1961 plane crash in Brussels. Author Nikki Nichols focuses mostly on the Owen family (nine time National Champion Maribel Vinson Owen and her daughters, "Little Maribel" and newly crowned National Champion, 16 year old Laurence) and Stephanie Westerfield, Laurence's closest rival and her sister Sharon. The book also gives insight into what skating was like at that time, with detailed explanations of elements such as school figures which are no longer included in competitions and the different competitions themselves, including the North American Championships which no longer exists. Finally, the book also talks about the devastating affect the deaths had on family members left behind as well as how the deaths forever changed the United States figure skating program.

Although I was just a baby when it happened, I'm a long time figure skating fan and I grew up hearing about the plane crash and wondered what had happened. This long overdue remembrance is a poignant read and by the end readers will feel as if they knew each skater. Nikki Nichols intersperses the history of skating with her narration, including the fact that 1961 was the first time Nationals was shown on television (although on tape, not live). Nichols also compares skating then to skating now and skating fans probably won't be too surprised to learn that even back in 1961 Maribel Owen was fighting corrupt judges. The book is full of pictures and many of them are haunting, such as the team posing for pictures on the steps of the doomed plane; a burnt skate; the charred copy of Sports Illustrated with Laurence Owen on the cover; and the ever present smile of Laurence.

If the book falters anywhere, it's when Nichols tries to imagine what the atmosphere on the doomed plane was. Of course, no one can know what conversations took place on the flight and Nichols valiant attempt doesn't work and tends to be over dramatic. I also wish the section dealing with the rebuilding of the U.S. Skating team had been a bit longer.

Still, these minor flaws shouldn't keep anyone from reading this excellent book. ( )

"Frozen in Time" is a great tribute to a not very well known (outside of skating circles, at least) group of skaters and how they died before they achieved all they could. The book especially focuses Laurence Owen and Stephanie Westerfeld.

The author Nikki Nichols gives a wonderful view into their lives, what they gave up
in order to skate comptetively and what their lives outside of skating were like. Some of the conversations must be fictional accounts, but I didn't find this bothersome.

Even for someone who doesn't follow the skating world, this but is an enthralling
look into the lives of this very appealing group of young skaters.

One great thing about the 'net is that on YouTube, you can see some of the performances mentioned in the book. ( )

I really liked how "Frozen in Time" described the world of figure skating and the lives of the skaters of the time. As a fan of figure skating, I enjoyed reading about them. However, as another reviewer mentioned, I did not like the speculative chapter of what the passengers were doing on board the plane prior to the crash. I also hoped that more time would have been spent on the crash itself and the aftermath. Perhaps, how the surviving families managed to go on with their lives after such a terrible tragedy. Frozen in Time is a good non-fiction read, especially for fans of the sport of figure skating. ( )

Frozen in Time: The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team by Nikki Nichols tells the story of the U. S. figure skaters, coaches and their families who all perished in a plane crash on their way to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague in 1961.

The book begins by describing the U. S. Nationals in 1961 and the subsequent North American Championships held within days of the team’s departure for the World Championships. Through descriptions of the competition, the author introduces the top finishers and gives descriptions of their lives, their families and their sacrifices in getting to where they were in 1961.

Although the end of the story is known, the author does a very good job of building tension before her description of the accident as the airplane the entire team was on crashed when landing outside of Brussels, Belgium.

The book is exhaustively researched and written well. The only quibble I have is with the chapter that attempts to describe what some of the team members may have been doing aboard the aircraft during the flight, although Nichols makes clear that this is entirely speculation based on her study of the individual team members.

I had never heard of this tragedy before so I’m glad someone has written a book about these athletes and their families. I think anyone interested in figure skating, whether as a spectator or a participant would like this book, but it would also be of interest to anyone who likes to read histories about tragedies such as the sinking of the Titanic. Frozen in Time compares favorably with other books of this nature such as Alive by Piers Paul Read and The White Cascade by Gary Krist. ( )

This book is not truly about the Sabena Airlines crash which claimed the lives of the US figure skating team in 1961, although that is the purported topic of the book. Instead, it is about the history of the sport, the relationships and rivalries that grew up around the team, and the families that were so integral to the team's development - although it culminates in an overly brief discussion of the crash and the personal cost of this tragedy, it does not discuss the aftermath of the crash or its effect on the wider skating world. The book is well written and it describes the personal tragedy quite well, but I can't help but think there was more to this story that was not relayed by the author. Overall, it was a somewhat unsatisfying read. ( )