A Worthy Debut Novel By Faith Dismuke: "Sprint Dreams"

§ I received an advanced copy of this book to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this novel. §

Makeda has one dream: running at Nationals. This is becoming increasingly more difficult because of the lack of support from her track team. In the end, Makeda changes university and ends up in a rural area. Once there, she lives through a whole set of new experiences dealing with sex, love, friendship but also what it means to chase one's dreams. 

"Sprint Dreams" follows Makeda for one year of her life. In this year, she experiences a lot of changes. She has to leave her historically black university and transfers to a more rural university. Even though, it offers a better deal, Makeda struggles to make herself a home there. Her teammates avoid her, and thus, winning on track becomes one of her mayor goals. 

The different university climate is shown nicely. While nobody seems to be outright racist towards Makeda, there are various smaller moments, such as people constantly mispronouncing her name.  You can almost hear the tired voice as she corrects people over and over. Since "Sprint Dreams" is own voice - written by a former track and field athlete of colour - this also takes away the possibility for readers to claims that some of those encounters are not realistic. 

However, this is not a book about racism, and neither about Makeda's realisation that she is bisexual. Instead, those are just parts that make her into the character that she is: a 400 meter sprinter who happens to be queer and of Jamaican decent. The main focus of the story lies on her encounters and yes, those are influenced by those factors. Together they form a rounded and realistic reading experience. 

Furthermore, I enjoyed the way Dismuke portrays Makeda's learning curve. Especially, when it comes to a relationship that she develops during the course of the book. When it becomes romantic, I was not quite sure that I liked the idea because of unequal power balance. However, Makeda is never far behind. As a reader you are one step ahead of her and she soon comes to the same conclusion. This way, you never get annoyed by her behaviour. I also feel that for readers who were never confronted with toxic relationships, it is also a gentler way of showing them what it could look like.

Dismuke's writing is enjoyable to read and she manages to portray Makeda as a likable and relatable person. She manages to bring across her persona, as well as her mood in situations, this way, you also feel awkward and embarrassed when she does. There are a few typos but it less than a handful and I was hardly bothered by them. 

Overall, "Sprint Dreams" is an enjoyable read that takes you along through a year full of changes and growth and also what it means to stand up for yourself and reach your dreams! 

Sprint Dreams	by Faith Dismuke
published	2020	(self published)
pages	364
ISBN13	978-0578680729
Goodreads:	Add to shelf

ABOUT FAITH DISMUKE

Faith Dismuke has a Master’s in Communications from the University of Connecticut. After competing as a professional USA Track and Field athlete, the New Jersey native dedicates her time sharing her experiences as an athlete through her writing endeavors with nonprofit organizations. Currently, she is a member of Romance Writers of America, the International Women’s Writing Guild, and the Golden Crown Literary Society. She enjoys comedy TV shows like Brooklyn Nine Nine and reading fiction stories including her favorite, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.