Welcome to British Isles Friday! British Isles Friday is a weekly event for sharing all things British and Irish - reviews, photos, opinions, trip reports, guides, links, resources, personal stories, interviews, and research posts. Join us each Friday to link your British and Irish themed content and to see what others have to share. The link list is at the bottom of this post. Pour a cup of tea or lift a pint and join our link party!
Last week, I reviewed Only Beloved, a historical romance by Mary Balogh. Tina tried the novel The Sunlight Pilgrims, but it wasn't sunlit for her. Becky reviewed and recapped Season 4 of Call the Midwife. Jackie shared the gentle and picturesque adventures of spending time in a small river town in Ireland.
The US women gymnasts are so far grabbing most of the headlines and points, but there was one feel-good story from the Brits. Seventeen-year-old Ellie Downie had a really scary-looking fall during her floor routine. She got back up as if to continue, but then stopped and was led out of the arena by coaches and medical personnel.
Everyone watching thought that was the end of her night, if not her Olympics, but she re-appeared in time for the next rotation of her team. Her vault was good enough to qualify her team for the team all-around competition (they finished in fifth) and herself for the individual all-around (I don't know the results as of this writing, but you might by the time you read this).
Ellie Downie's older sister is also on the British gymnastics team. Elle magazine published a terrific article about the two of them.
Do you remember four years ago when the Olympics were in London? I was tremendously excited about that even though I hadn't started British Isles Friday yet.
About Joy Weese Moll
a librarian writing about books
