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Night Flying
Georgia Hansen can fly. All the women in her family can. They fly at night, when the world sleeps, for no one must discover their secret. Georgia will soon turn 16 and make her first solo flight, taking up her birthright with a special ceremony to mark the occasion. But her anticipation is disrupted with the arrival of her rebellious Aunt Carmen. Banished from the family years before for breaking the strict code of flying enforced by Georgia's grandmother, this unknown aunt reveals the true price of her family's gift, for the Hansen rules of flying are strict and unforgiving.
In this powerful coming-of-age novel, Georgia must weigh the cost of her heritage against her passion for flight.
In this powerful coming-of-age novel, Georgia must weigh the cost of her heritage against her passion for flight.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published November 14, 2000
1 person is currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Rita Murphy
6 books11 followersRita Murphy is the author of Night Flying (2000), Black Angels (2001), Harmony (2002), Looking For Lucy Buick (2005), Bird (2008) and Hurricane Henry (2025).
Night Flying, winner of the Delacorte Press Prize at Random House Children's Books, was voted a Best Book for Young Adults by The American Library Association and Smithsonian Magazine.
Rita studied at the University of Vermont and Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She has been a creative writing instructor at The Monteverde Friends School in Costa Rica, Breadloaf Young Writers Conference in Vermont, and guest author in Vermont Public Schools.
Rita lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Night Flying, winner of the Delacorte Press Prize at Random House Children's Books, was voted a Best Book for Young Adults by The American Library Association and Smithsonian Magazine.
Rita studied at the University of Vermont and Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She has been a creative writing instructor at The Monteverde Friends School in Costa Rica, Breadloaf Young Writers Conference in Vermont, and guest author in Vermont Public Schools.
Rita lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 1, 2011
This is my all time favourite book.
Nothing has ever surpassed this and I don't think anything will.
I can't pick what it is about it but I love it entirely.
Nothing has ever surpassed this and I don't think anything will.
I can't pick what it is about it but I love it entirely.
April 17, 2020
I've read this book at least 20 times. It's a perfect quick read for a rainy day.
EDIT April 2020:
This is very cute but nothing groundbreaking. Love it for the nostalgia factor, though.
EDIT April 2020:
This is very cute but nothing groundbreaking. Love it for the nostalgia factor, though.
March 8, 2009
This is a young adult book but upon my daughter's strong recommendation I read it and loved it. The women in the story are strong and lovingly eccentric. The flying scenes that take place over Vermont are amazing and the stuff of vivid dreams. Georgia, the protagonist faces some tough choices linking her past to the present and longs to be able to fly freely-a real metaphor.
May 17, 2021
Murphy's work is new to me, so when I started reading I didn't have any high hopes. It is not a really amazing novel but still for first time readers who want to start and are developing there interest in reading this might be a good start. Her writing style is good for beginners and teenagers might like it.
September 19, 2020
Practical Magic meets The Orchid and Gumbo Poker Club
Realistically, this book is not a 4 star book. It's generic and the fact the protagonist, Georgia could not figure out one of the main "reveals" when they literally sat it in front of her, is a bit ridiculous. Surprising too, seeing as all the way through the book Georgia has a strong spirit and personality, even commenting on how boys perceive her best friend as fat and therefore ugly, which is not the case at all and that was a lovely message.
Overall, the small-town charm of the book and the themes of family and freedom really made me love this book and it's one I will probably return to in years to come as a comfort read.
Realistically, this book is not a 4 star book. It's generic and the fact the protagonist, Georgia could not figure out one of the main "reveals" when they literally sat it in front of her, is a bit ridiculous. Surprising too, seeing as all the way through the book Georgia has a strong spirit and personality, even commenting on how boys perceive her best friend as fat and therefore ugly, which is not the case at all and that was a lovely message.
Overall, the small-town charm of the book and the themes of family and freedom really made me love this book and it's one I will probably return to in years to come as a comfort read.
May 21, 2024
This is a nice short read that focuses women's independence. Georgia is a great depiction of a young independent women who breaks free from rules that she doesn't believe are right. To be honest the big plot twists in the book were really predictable but they are nicely written. I do wish that we could have seen what happened more with the grandmother at the end and see what ended up happening to Georgia in the future. This book was fun and easy to read so I give it 5 stars.
March 19, 2019
This is one of those 'feel good' books. Its about courage, love and partly about motherhood. It actually somewhat defines what actually is the true meaning of motherhood and needless to say, i actually agree with that definition!
I really liked the characters and the plot twists were really amazing!
I really liked the characters and the plot twists were really amazing!
April 1, 2020
At the best of times, this book tackles a really important concept: People can use the fear of control from an outside force to exert their own control. The grandmother sets strict rules on her own family, because if they break those rules then others will impose different, equally strict rules on them.
I wanted a bit more from the actual plot, but it's subversive as can be for it's audience.
I wanted a bit more from the actual plot, but it's subversive as can be for it's audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2022
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
July 20, 2020
A book with a majority-female cast about exploring your past and building your future. A short coming of age story, exploring the idea of choosing your own path both literally and figuratively. The beginning is a little slow but the book strengthens as it progresses. More could have been done to explore the emotions of the characters involved and the story felt very brief.
January 22, 2008
Rita Murphy, Night Flying (Delacorte, 2000)
Night Flying is one of those young adult books I happened to pick up by accident because it was in the wrong section at the Case book sale. Glad I did, because this is a fun little book. Murphy never talks down to her audience, refreshing in a YA novel, and better yet, adult readers won't gag on the sentiment. Murphy has a message, but she is as good as any novelist writing for adults (and better than most) at making it palatable.
Georgia Hansen is on the eve of her sixteenth birthday. To say her life has been something less than conventional would be an understatement. She lives in a house with only women, none of whom work (all are living off the inheritance of her great-grandfather, an inventor who died with enough to ensure that Georgia's granddaughters will never have to work, either) and all of whom can fly. They do so only under the auspices of very strict rules; each female member of the family adds a rule as time goes on. You can imagine what it's like after a few generations. All, with the exception of wayward Aunt Carmen (who lives across the country), are under the thumb of Georgia's grandmother, a stern and humorless individual whose main goal seems to be making life miserable for her offspring and their offspring.
Things start to get messy when Carmen comes back for Georgia's birthday celebration. Georgia immediately forms a love/hate relationship with her, yearning after Carmen's freedom while wondering how someone could so easily slip the bonds of family obligation. (It's not so simple as all that, of course, which Georgia finds out eventually, but so the relationship begins).
At its core, this is a pretty simple coming-of-age tale, albeit with magical-realistic elements. Murphy, as with the best of the magical realist authors, never allows the trappings to get in the way of her story, especially her character development. Everyone, major characters and minor, is well developed and has a place in the little sonata that is this novel; not a note falls out of place. The allegory is somewhat obvious (the ability to fly is gained, but suppressed until the sixteenth birthday), and the action in the climax somewhat predictable, but Murphy addresses the subject form a perspective that is not often seen; she's a young adults' author writing from the perspective of a young adult who has a brain of her own, rather than showing a young adult whose beliefs and opinions are just those of a "more mature" (read: adult) mindset. This, more than anything, lends the book its magical realism; the idea that sometimes the kids really are correct.
A fine read. ****
Night Flying is one of those young adult books I happened to pick up by accident because it was in the wrong section at the Case book sale. Glad I did, because this is a fun little book. Murphy never talks down to her audience, refreshing in a YA novel, and better yet, adult readers won't gag on the sentiment. Murphy has a message, but she is as good as any novelist writing for adults (and better than most) at making it palatable.
Georgia Hansen is on the eve of her sixteenth birthday. To say her life has been something less than conventional would be an understatement. She lives in a house with only women, none of whom work (all are living off the inheritance of her great-grandfather, an inventor who died with enough to ensure that Georgia's granddaughters will never have to work, either) and all of whom can fly. They do so only under the auspices of very strict rules; each female member of the family adds a rule as time goes on. You can imagine what it's like after a few generations. All, with the exception of wayward Aunt Carmen (who lives across the country), are under the thumb of Georgia's grandmother, a stern and humorless individual whose main goal seems to be making life miserable for her offspring and their offspring.
Things start to get messy when Carmen comes back for Georgia's birthday celebration. Georgia immediately forms a love/hate relationship with her, yearning after Carmen's freedom while wondering how someone could so easily slip the bonds of family obligation. (It's not so simple as all that, of course, which Georgia finds out eventually, but so the relationship begins).
At its core, this is a pretty simple coming-of-age tale, albeit with magical-realistic elements. Murphy, as with the best of the magical realist authors, never allows the trappings to get in the way of her story, especially her character development. Everyone, major characters and minor, is well developed and has a place in the little sonata that is this novel; not a note falls out of place. The allegory is somewhat obvious (the ability to fly is gained, but suppressed until the sixteenth birthday), and the action in the climax somewhat predictable, but Murphy addresses the subject form a perspective that is not often seen; she's a young adults' author writing from the perspective of a young adult who has a brain of her own, rather than showing a young adult whose beliefs and opinions are just those of a "more mature" (read: adult) mindset. This, more than anything, lends the book its magical realism; the idea that sometimes the kids really are correct.
A fine read. ****
July 6, 2018
This is another one of those books that I just picked up at the library on a whim because it was short and the blurb was interesting, and I am glad I did! Night flying combines the slow and introspective pace of the classic teen bildungsroman with a witchy, other-wordly element of magical realism and the result is a perfect mix of relatability and wonder.
*
2-sentence summary: Georgia Hansen comes from a long line of flying women, but her grandmother, the cold-hearted matriarch of this all-female family, sets strict rules that make Georgia feel restrained and restricted despite her gift of flight. When the rebellious Aunt Carmen, who was banished from the family for breaking the matriarch's rules, comes to visit, Georgia's fear and respect for her grandmother, as well as the rules, begin to unravel.
*
Themes include: Questioning authority and fighting against unjust rules, loving imperfect people, embracing what makes you different. As such a short book I think it was wise to keep it simple at these 3 themes, it completed them very well.
*
This is definitely a feminist story, although not in the way you might expect it. 90% of the characters in this book are female (I think there's only two men), but these women are all so, so different from each other. Some of them are empowered and some of them are timid and controlled and some of them are ruthless and controlling. That's what makes it feminist - a diverse array of realistic female characters. Georgia's down-the-road neighbor is a midwife, whose daughter Alice is Georgia's best friend, so there is a lot of frank talk about vaginas and birth: "When everyone around you is talking about vulvas and vaginas, it makes it easier to express your feelings." Georgia also mentions Alice and her mother are both fat women but that doesn't prevent them from being worthy and wonderful: "All the women in her family are large. 'It's the way God made me,' Alice says."
*
I recommend this book to teens age 13 and up, especially those who are feeling pressured by the rules and expectations of young adulthood (which is, let's face it, most of them). The length and vocabulary could be appropriate for a younger child but I think kids under 13 might not be able to relate to the story as much as a teenager would.
*
2-sentence summary: Georgia Hansen comes from a long line of flying women, but her grandmother, the cold-hearted matriarch of this all-female family, sets strict rules that make Georgia feel restrained and restricted despite her gift of flight. When the rebellious Aunt Carmen, who was banished from the family for breaking the matriarch's rules, comes to visit, Georgia's fear and respect for her grandmother, as well as the rules, begin to unravel.
*
Themes include: Questioning authority and fighting against unjust rules, loving imperfect people, embracing what makes you different. As such a short book I think it was wise to keep it simple at these 3 themes, it completed them very well.
*
This is definitely a feminist story, although not in the way you might expect it. 90% of the characters in this book are female (I think there's only two men), but these women are all so, so different from each other. Some of them are empowered and some of them are timid and controlled and some of them are ruthless and controlling. That's what makes it feminist - a diverse array of realistic female characters. Georgia's down-the-road neighbor is a midwife, whose daughter Alice is Georgia's best friend, so there is a lot of frank talk about vaginas and birth: "When everyone around you is talking about vulvas and vaginas, it makes it easier to express your feelings." Georgia also mentions Alice and her mother are both fat women but that doesn't prevent them from being worthy and wonderful: "All the women in her family are large. 'It's the way God made me,' Alice says."
*
I recommend this book to teens age 13 and up, especially those who are feeling pressured by the rules and expectations of young adulthood (which is, let's face it, most of them). The length and vocabulary could be appropriate for a younger child but I think kids under 13 might not be able to relate to the story as much as a teenager would.
May 16, 2011
An interesting family story about a girl, about to turn sixteen, in a family where the women can fly. That element is the only thing that makes this book fantasy. The book is played as realistic fiction where the family have this ability.
Georgia lives with her mother, 2 aunts, and grandmother. The grandmother rules all and is very uncompromising. Georgia will be "initiated" meaning have her first solo flight on the evening of her 16th birthday. Just before, though, her aunt Carmen, who Georgia has never met, shows up, threatening the balance of the family.
I thought this book was okay. I saw the major plot "twist" coming a mile away. And I didn't really understand the flying, though it was cool. A neat family story.
Georgia lives with her mother, 2 aunts, and grandmother. The grandmother rules all and is very uncompromising. Georgia will be "initiated" meaning have her first solo flight on the evening of her 16th birthday. Just before, though, her aunt Carmen, who Georgia has never met, shows up, threatening the balance of the family.
I thought this book was okay. I saw the major plot "twist" coming a mile away. And I didn't really understand the flying, though it was cool. A neat family story.
May 3, 2008
This Book was recommended to me by a co-worker at the public library. It is very woman-centered. It is about a family of all women who can fly. It is a coming-of-age story about a young girl (Georgia Hansen) who discovers something powerful about her real mother. It is also coming-of-age in the context of her flying because at her 16th birthday-which is coming up soon-she is scheduled to make her first solo flight.
February 15, 2010
This book could have been so much more. I loved her writing, I loved the story, it just seemed incomplete. Everything, and I mean everything, was just barely touched on. It had just enough to make you interested and then it would never be brought up again. I hope she fixes this flaw in her writing and writes more because I think she has a lot of potential.
May 22, 2011
I liked this book pretty well. It was an interesting concept and it was a page turner. However, I thought the ending was a bit premature. I picked it up because I thought my 10 year old would like to read it. I think there were some coming of age parts that I wouldn't be comfortable with her reading.
July 13, 2013
A coming of age story couched in a fantastic setting. The women in Georgia's family can fly-- but they all live under the thumb of the family matriarch. 15-year-old Georgia may be the only one with the courage to ask hard questions about her family's history, challenge the rules, and ultimately set them all free. The book feels a bit old-fashioned, but the descriptions are fabulous.
June 10, 2014
I didn't like this book at all it was way to fake. It is about this little girl who is learning how to fly getting taught by her aunt. This is really all the book was about it gets really boring after a while. I recommend this book to people who are in to fiction only. It is a good book and it shows how close this girl and her aunt are but this book is boring.
January 13, 2014
Really happy that I decided to read Night Flying.
A nutshell review would be that its wonderfully written story that picks you up and you are taken into it.
If you are looking for a good quickish read, then pick up a copy if you can. <3
A nutshell review would be that its wonderfully written story that picks you up and you are taken into it.
If you are looking for a good quickish read, then pick up a copy if you can. <3
April 25, 2008
Magical realism title about a family of witches, with a teenager as protagonist.
Read
June 9, 2008JF Mur
July 10, 2008
i just enjoyed the women in this book and wished i could fly with them!
December 16, 2008
An interesting premise for a book- a family of women fliers. I enjoyed this read, but somehow, it felt unfinished to me.
January 29, 2009
i am really enjoying this book so far. my favorite character is carmen, she really adds surprise to the story.
May 4, 2009
Kind of predictable and bland. The cover art was my favorite part.
Read
May 12, 2009A family of women who have the ability to fly at night. Grandmother is an oppressive witch, who keeps the daughters under tight control. Probably symbolic to the author...
June 20, 2009
Listened to this in the car - it grew on me - all female book made for an interesting coming of age tale- liked the lyrical writing
September 30, 2009
A Delacourt prize winner about a girl who can fly and the family of women that raised her. The flying scenes were incredible, but the story line was thin and predictable.
July 4, 2011
I LOVE this book! I've read it over and over and it's great each time.
July 12, 2012
Loved it! My only criticism -- what made Grandma such vile creature?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews