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With another world war brewing, women pilots from around the world made their way to England to join the Air Transport Auxiliary. The ATA was comprised of pilots who could not qualify to fly for the Royal Air Force.
Meg O'Brien, who fell in love with flying when her uncle took her up in his plane, wanted nothing more than to fly. Her family had other aspirations for the red haired girl, home, hearth, husband and children. It was not for her and as soon as the opportunity arose she joined her uncle in England, and soon joined the ATA.
Jo Laughlin, was left to care for her sisters after the death of her father. She took over the family crop dusting business in the panhandle of Texas. To supplement her income she joined other pilots and barn stormed throughout Texas and Oklahoma. When a friend, Midge Reister suggested they go to England and join the ATA, Jo finally capitulated and found herself on a tramp steamer to England.
Sarah Faulkner, dubbed by the press as a flying debutante, tried to make a time record for the fastest time between London and Sydney Australia. When she runs out of gas and lands in a field near Brisbane Australia, she meets a poor young girl whose circumstances are fraught with abuse. In time, Sarah returns to Australia and eventually brings Brenda back to England with her. Brenda learns to fly and soon the two women join the ATA.
Their lives were not easy and often filled with danger and doubt but together the women form bonds that will shape their lives forever.
With another world war brewing, women pilots from around the world made their way to England to join the Air Transport Auxiliary. The ATA was comprised of pilots who could not qualify to fly for the Royal Air Force.
Meg O'Brien, who fell in love with flying when her uncle took her up in his plane, wanted nothing more than to fly. Her family had other aspirations for the red haired girl, home, hearth, husband and children. It was not for her and as soon as the opportunity arose she joined her uncle in England, and soon joined the ATA.
Jo Laughlin, was left to care for her sisters after the death of her father. She took over the family crop dusting business in the panhandle of Texas. To supplement her income she joined other pilots and barn stormed throughout Texas and Oklahoma. When a friend, Midge Reister suggested they go to England and join the ATA, Jo finally capitulated and found herself on a tramp steamer to England.
Sarah Faulkner, dubbed by the press as a flying debutante, tried to make a time record for the fastest time between London and Sydney Australia. When she runs out of gas and lands in a field near Brisbane Australia, she meets a poor young girl whose circumstances are fraught with abuse. In time, Sarah returns to Australia and eventually brings Brenda back to England with her. Brenda learns to fly and soon the two women join the ATA.
Their lives were not easy and often filled with danger and doubt but together the women form bonds that will shape their lives forever.
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First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Erin O'Reilly
45 books22 followersFirst challenged by a friend to write a story, Erin has since written numermous online and publish works.Her story Deception,was a GCLS Finalist in 2008. That book also garnered the Sapphic Readers Award in 2009. Story creation involving strong characters always seems to dictate the story and invade her mind at all hours. It always amazes her when the characters she is developing suddenly take on a life of their own and lead the story down a completely different path. She thinks that, when all is done, the characters make an impact on the storyline the story is better for it her.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 10, 2023
The subject matter is definitely interesting and one worth tackling. The author may have tried to incorporate too many characters in the limited expanse of the book. I get that every character needs her own story, motivation, etc and that the author was probably attempting to show the diversity of the different women that served.
Maybe she should have narrowed down her character list. Regardless, I love the subject matter and give the author kudos for tackling the story.
Maybe she should have narrowed down her character list. Regardless, I love the subject matter and give the author kudos for tackling the story.
August 24, 2017
A really, really good book.
I have binge read some authors and found their formula annoying. Erin's books are very well-written and diverse in theme. It held my interest right to the very end.
I have binge read some authors and found their formula annoying. Erin's books are very well-written and diverse in theme. It held my interest right to the very end.
November 17, 2022
Worthwhile
O’Reilly’s account of women’s contribution to air superiority during World War II is worth reading. Emotional & psychological perspectives were well developed as the lives of these heroic ladies intertwined & metamorphosed under duress.
O’Reilly’s account of women’s contribution to air superiority during World War II is worth reading. Emotional & psychological perspectives were well developed as the lives of these heroic ladies intertwined & metamorphosed under duress.
September 5, 2013
I appreciate the premise. Anyone trying to honor the ATA pilots in my opinion needs a round of applause, but I really didn't like the book.
-It needs editing. Missing hyphens, typos. Some sentences phrased funny. And really, why would a heroine think of HERSELF as THE GIRL? I'm really tired of the lack of editing in books. I bought this book a good two years ago at 6.99. At 6.99 a book, you should darn well have gotten professional editing. Now, there could have been updates since then, but if you're charging 6.99, it shouldn't need updates. Book reviewers should not be your editors.
-Too many characters. It took almost 40% of the book just to introduce them all and their back-stories.
-The dialogue is weird. Be consistent. Why would the same person who says flyin' and ta instead of to not say contractions? We are. You are. I will. They will. The prose was very formal even when the person speaking was a hick.
-The characterizations are overly dramatized. Everyone is really really kind and wonderful or really really mean and nasty or annoying. They are also inconsistent...the Australian girl, for example, who spent all day collecting eggs and wasn't allowed to go to school. How did she go from not knowing how to read to knowing how to read?
-One of the chicks is just disgusting. Not sure why that plot-line is there. I like a nicely done romance--lesbians or male/female, but this thing going on with Jo and Madge/Midge/cannot-remember-her-name is not a pleasant side story.
-It needs editing. Missing hyphens, typos. Some sentences phrased funny. And really, why would a heroine think of HERSELF as THE GIRL? I'm really tired of the lack of editing in books. I bought this book a good two years ago at 6.99. At 6.99 a book, you should darn well have gotten professional editing. Now, there could have been updates since then, but if you're charging 6.99, it shouldn't need updates. Book reviewers should not be your editors.
-Too many characters. It took almost 40% of the book just to introduce them all and their back-stories.
-The dialogue is weird. Be consistent. Why would the same person who says flyin' and ta instead of to not say contractions? We are. You are. I will. They will. The prose was very formal even when the person speaking was a hick.
-The characterizations are overly dramatized. Everyone is really really kind and wonderful or really really mean and nasty or annoying. They are also inconsistent...the Australian girl, for example, who spent all day collecting eggs and wasn't allowed to go to school. How did she go from not knowing how to read to knowing how to read?
-One of the chicks is just disgusting. Not sure why that plot-line is there. I like a nicely done romance--lesbians or male/female, but this thing going on with Jo and Madge/Midge/cannot-remember-her-name is not a pleasant side story.
January 11, 2013
This novel covers women from the U.S., Ireland, Australia, and Britain as their paths take them to becoming pilots in the British ATA during WWII, and the escape of two of the pilots after being shot down over enemy territory. There is also a romance woven in, particularly in the beginning, which caught me off-guard given the description on the back of the book makes no mention of a romance at all. The book does a good job showing the characters' love of flying, the role of the ATA, and a glimpse into how war can impact a person's psyche. The adventure of two of the pilots in enemy territory held my attention and was the best part of the book in my opinion. I was not a fan of the romance included in the book as I feel it was poorly executed. If you're looking for a decent novel about female pilots, this might interest you, but if you're actually looking for a romance, definitely look elsewhere.
November 14, 2012
I reviewed this here: http://lesbrary.com/2011/08/16/laura-....
June 23, 2014
Wow. I've enjoyed earring the book. A lot of mix emotions but Couldn't put this down!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews