Swimming Pretty—which Publisher's Weekly described as "an incisive marriage of sports and cultural history"—traces a century of aquatic performance, from vaudeville to the Olympic arena and brings to life the colorful cast of characters whose “pretty swimming” not only laid the groundwork for the sport of synchronized swimming but forever changed women’s relationships with water. Far more than bathing beauties, these swimming starlets ushered in sensible swimwear and influenced lifesaving and physical education programs, helping to drop national drowning rates and paving the way for new generations of female athletes.
"An amazing story about the evolution of swimming, how synchronized swimming became a kaleidoscope of political and social change, and how artistic swimming became recognized as an incredibly athletic, beautiful, and world-renowned sport. I loved this fascinating book."
― Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer
“I have long been a fan of movie star synchronized swimmer Esther Williams but never knew she was just one of many pathbreaking pretty swimmers who date as far back as the 19th century.... Chock full of history and personal stories, this is a fascinating, eye-opening book.”
—Ann Hood, author of Fly Girl
“Swimming Pretty is a fascinating exploration of the history and enduring appeal of synchronised swimming, from trailblazing Victorian Water Queens to Submarine Girls, Aqua Follies and modern-day Olympic champions, all showed skill, bravery, power and poise."
—Caitlin Davies, author of Downstream: A History and Celebration of Swimming the River Thames
“Swimming Pretty is so much more than a history of a sport—it’s also an engrossing account of how society has controlled and contained women's bodies and ambitions throughout history. In deft prose filled with bizarre, often startling details, Valosik reveals the trailblazing athletes and entertainers who, in soggy corsets and petticoats, encouraged generations of women to find empowerment in the water.”
— M.G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie
“Swimming Pretty plunges into the colorful, entertaining, inspiring and sometimes enraging history of strong women who fought for athletic joy and the right to compete—cloaking their power in traditional femininity to do so. It will leave you breathless (and googling synchro videos).”
—Danielle Dreilinger, author of The Secret History of Home Economics
"A virtually unknown story very well told and full of life."
—Rosalind Miles, award-winning author of 24 books, including history, criticism and social commentary
Vicki Valosik is an editorial director and writing instructor at Georgetown University, as well as a competitive synchronized swimmer. Her writing has appeared in the Atlantic, Smithsonian, Time, American Scholar, LitHub, and Slate, among others. Valosik’s debut book, Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water (W.W. Norton, 2024)—which Publisher's Weekly described as "an incisive marriage of sports and cultural history"—was selected as a Staff Pick for NPR Books We Love 2024 list and named an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best History Books.
