“He always said I was more bird than girl, flitting about, leaping without looking, never afraid of the fall.”
Audrey has always loved flying. However, being a female pilot in the 1940s didn’t offer many opportunities to do it as a living. So, she dreamed and planned of owning her own airfield. However, war was looming on America and Audrey left Texas to help train pilot recruits for the military in Hawaii in The Flight Girls. She’s there when Pearl Harbor is attacked and her world will never be the same.
I saw The Flight Girls when I was looking at new releases a few months ago and quickly added it to my to-read list. I love historical fiction. It was our book club’s October book choice, but I didn’t get a chance to read it before that meeting. It became available to check out from my library just a week ago.
Nothing is going to stop Audrey from realizing her dreams – especially not a man. However, a friend of hers becomes more after they help each other with the trauma of Pearl Harbor. The Army sends him to the front and she starts ferrying planes for the Army, but neither can forget the other. Loss and destruction seem to face them everywhere they turn, leaving each wondering if they will even survive the war.
The Flight Girls covers an interesting part of history. Women pilots were key to completing the mission of WWII; however, they were not militarized and had no benefits. If their plane crashed, the family had to cover the costs of getting the remains home. It wasn’t until many decades later that their service was recognized as military service. Lovers of historical fiction will really enjoy this book. It is for adults as there is a bit of romance, some death and the tension of war.
What is your favorite historical fiction book? Share on the blog!