‘Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water’ by Vicki Valosik

Come on in, the water’s perfect. It feels refreshing, just like you want it to be on a day like today. You’ve been waiting for weeks to sit on a deck chair, enjoy a cold adult beverage, and then ease yourself into the water to float awhile. Or climb up and take a dive, g’wan, let’s see it. The water’s perfect so, as in the new book “Swimming Pretty” by Vicki Valosik, show us what you’ve got.

Nineteen-year-old Benjamin Franklin was just showing off. Heading home on a boat after a “day’s amusements,” Franklin’s friends eagerly begged him for a show of his talents in the water. Franklin, whom Valosik says absolutely “loved… an audience,” stripped down naked, leaped overboard, and proceeded to do what few men of his age dared to do: he swam.

As for women in the early 1700s, swimming was flat-out unheard-of. It hadn’t been long, after all, since women who could swim were accused of witchcraft.

In ancient Greece and Rome, swimming was a pastime that men and women both enjoyed. To be able to swim was a sign of intelligence then, and a way to honor the gods of the sea. When Christianity arrived, though, swimming was seen as indulgent, excessive, scandalous, even pagan – an attitude that barely changed for hundreds of years.

Shortly after Franklin’s little exhibit, the benefits of being in the water were confirmed.

Suddenly, natation was a “science” to be learned. Men swam often, often in the nude; women, on the other hand, were expected to remain modest, using bathing machines for a quick dip in the drink. After public pools and bathhouses became popular, women were welcomed to watch the aquatics, thus learning that swimming could help keep them fit – though the tight costumes that female swimmers wore weren’t perceived as “respectable.” By the turn of the century, however, the unabashed “’New Woman’ hiked her heavy skirts and entered squarely into… more ‘male’ spaces…”

Especially the aquatic ones. So the plan is to dig your toe in the sand this summer, or watch the world pass by at the side of a pool. Either way, you’ll want something to read, and “Swimming Pretty” is perfect.

If you’ve only got time for a quick dip, author Vicki Valosik lets you get your feet wet with many pictures to browse, which will make you long to go deeper into this fascinating pocket of hidden culture. Brush the sand off your bottom and dive in, knowing that this book isn’t just about taking to the water: within its pages, you’ll wade into world attitudes, women’s suffrage, the rise of American interests in exercise and fitness, and a look at the way we like our vacations and our leisure. Wave good-bye to your time.

If you enjoy reading about movies, theater, and other pop culture, this is the book to have; if you like history, you’ll be right in your depth. Pack “Swimming Pretty” and a waterproof bookmark in your beach tote and jump right in.