Gipsy Moth: Aviatrix

by Willy Mitchell

Gipsy MOTHGipsy MOTH is the tale of a young girl growing up, a privileged life in the north of England, during extraordinary times, an era of extremes and pioneers. The Wright brothers first flight, the breakout of war across Europe, and the burgeoning sadness of two parents, both absent for different reasons.Miss Boswell, the family’s Nanny is the single point of continuity and a profound influence on the lives of Nikki and her two brothers.Nikki meets Amy, another Yorkshire Lass at school and through their own loneliness at home they establish a unique and lasting friendship that takes them from Yorkshire to London and beyond to places that they only once ever dreamed of, and the tragic twists and turns they encounter along the way.Willy Mitchell tells the story his great Aunt shared with him after his own father’s funeral unearthing even more secrets in the Mitchell family history. Of happiness, times long gone, of sadness, and of tragedy.The lives of Nikki Beattie and Amy Johnson collide as they meet through their fathers, successful men in the own fields of business. Two pathways intertwined through friendship, school, university and together their discovery of the pioneering days of early aviation.Together they get the bug and join the ranks of probably the most influential group of women in the history of British avionics. Two extraordinary women, aviatrix, true pioneers in the golden age of aviation.Both born just five months earlier than the Wright brothers pioneering flight in 1903, Nikki’s best friend Amy becomes not just a celebrity in the evolution of flight but also a shining light for women’s rights, a national and international hero. Amy read of her rival from across the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart who in 1937 went missing during a flight in the Pacific, her body was never found.In 1940, Amy and Nikki both joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, and in 1941 Amy mysteriously crashed and disappeared above the Thames Estuary, her body never recovered.Just like many have their own and family skeletons, Nikki shares her story with Mitchell including secrets that had been long buried.

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2020

About the author

Willy Mitchell was born in Glasgow, Scotland, with origins from the shipyards of the Clyde. He has spent many an hour in hostelries around the world and heard many a story - some true, some fiction, and some of legend.

After heading south of the border to work in the steel mills of Yorkshire he is now retired in California and has turned his hand to writing some of these tales that he had heard over the years, and now bringing those stories to life.

Willy Mitchell is an indie author, a writer, and a storyteller.

Reviews

[Alta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gypsy Moth - Aviatrix, pays homage to exceptional ladies who had changed perceptions of women in aviation. Willy Mitchell leads the reader through this rich history on either side of the Atlantic during the late 1920s up to 1944. The lives of his aunt Nicky and her friend Amy Johnson, who lived in Britain, had striking parallels with that of the American, Amelia Earhart. Their stories are portrayed in historical context while embracing societal perspectives through rich layers of exquisite storytelling.

Nicky Beatty-Baxter and her childhood friend, Amy, inspired each other’s careers and personal lives. Their biographies are poignantly recounted by Nicky’s nephew, Willy. He connected congruities, which echoed their journeys with that of Amelia Earhart. Constructed masterfully, Gypsy Moth - Aviatrix grips attention and shares public and private achievements of these three remarkable women, flying de Haviland Gipsy Moth equipment, yet always reported in the media as subservient to the feats of their male counterparts. Insights gained here add an authentic luster to what female pilots experienced and had to contend with during this era. Their contributions in aviation remain unquestionable.

Eloquent detailed descriptions transport readers back in time while providing a compelling reconstruction of this bygone era. Dark family secrets and intrigue intertwine the lives of these outliers, their families, associates, and friends. Mitchell skillfully crafts the Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar as an extended metaphor and powerfully weaves this thread throughout this golden age of women’s aviation history.

The Epilogue and Author’s Notes are indispensable. Information provided as a timeline of technology evolution needed for flight, and women in aviation pays homage to numerous individuals, who received varying levels of recognition in their lifetimes. The compounding effect of their contributions have since served women in aviation well yet glaring disparity in this industry remain. Insight as to what motivated this book positions the reader to understand the passion that fueled the countless hours of research and creative storytelling. Willy Mitchell’s hand at poetry frames the overall extended metaphor. This is a compelling read for anyone, especially for those who has connections and interest in aviation.
BRAVO Willy!