Lady Icarus: Balloonomania and the Brief, Bold Life of Sophie Blanchard

by Deborah Noyes

A riveting middle-grade biography about Sophie Blanchard, the first woman to work as a professional aeronaut in France in the late 1700s, set against the thrilling backdrop of early flight.Before Amelia Earhart, there was Sophie Blanchard, the first woman to earn her living in the air. While no one knows the fate of Earhart, a terrified crowd of thousands looked on as French aeronaut Sophie Blanchard met her end in a tragic blaze of glory over the streets of Paris in 1819.But first, Blanchard made nearly 70 spectacular flights, survived a revolution, and become a court favorite of the emperor Napoleon (who gave her the title, "Aeronaut of the Official Festivals") and later of the King of France. Set against the backdrop of the history of flight, watch as Balloonmania-- a phenomenon that riveted all of Europe-- took hold and inspired a great many artists authors, and dreamers. This lively scrapbook-style biography with more than fifty black-and-white photos throughout, introduces a frightened, nervous girl who became a fearless legend in the skies.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Middle Grade

155 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Deb writes for adults and children and is also an editor and photographer. She lives in Massachusetts with her family.

Reviews

[Laura Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before airplanes were invented, balloons were the first way humans went airborne. Lady Icarus tells the story of early ballooning and the excitement it created around the world. Hot air balloons and hydrogen balloons were not invented until the late 1700s in France. From the start, ballooning captured the imagination of the general public. While enterprising individuals could try to charge for “good seats” to watch the balloon go into the air, it was easy for common people to find a nearby park where they could watch the balloon. The author neatly ties together ballooning with the American and French revolutions and the ideas of freedom and liberty that were circling the world at the time. Eventually, the book’s titular figure, Sophie Blanchard, would take to the skies and become the first woman to make her living in the air. After her husband’s death, she continued her career as a sensational solo ballooner who was named by Napoleon “Aeronaut of the Official Festivals.”
Includes over 50 black and white photographs, numerous inset boxes with extra information to add context, a timeline, a bibliography, and extensive source notes.
Lady Icarus is well written, interesting nonfiction about a topic about which I knew nothing. Readers who are interested in the science and history of flight will be fascinated by this book – especially by the mistaken idea that humans would die at the altitude of a balloon flight (they sent animals up first to test it). Oh, and I love the cover!


All that said, I feel a bit misled by the title; Sophie Blanchard doesn’t begin ballooning until more than ¾ of the way through the book. I think this is meant to be a biography, but I will shelve it with other nonfiction books about flight. That said, I really enjoyed this book!

[Susan Metallo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years before the French revolution, a girl named Marie Madeleine-Sophie was born to a peasant family. Despite the war, her family's poverty, and the obstacles of gender-inequality, she would grow up to be one of the most famous aeronauts of her generation.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review.

This middle grade nonfiction title delves into a fascinating aspect of French history that was entirely unknown to me. Because little is known about Sophie Blanchard's childhood, the first 75% of the book focuses on the history of ballooning, the political backdrop of the French Revolution, and the aeronaut who would eventually marry Sophie, Jean-Pierre Blanchard. Therefore, this title is more likely to hook readers who are interested in the history and science of early aviation than those looking for a biography. (Or, since it is a biography, it could be an ideal choice for students who are required to read a biography for class but are more interested in broader histories or science.) Despite the dearth of information about Blanchard's life before her marriage, Noyes makes sure to include mentions of young Sophie's age and family situation at the time of significant historical events to speculate as to how they might have affected her. She also includes interesting and useful asides about the science of ballooning and related history and legends. This book will be a solid addition to middle grade nonfiction collections.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book's title and cover with a woman standing in the basket of a hot-air balloon are intriguing, its contents are more about the history of flight than about Sophie Blanchard, its presumed subject. While Sophie's story is told here, set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and the popularity of flights via hot-air balloons, readers may finish it with a slight sense of dissatisfaction because they don't know much about Sophie, the book's presumed subject. While I loved the archival photographs of balloons and other flight-related inventions that introduce each chapter as well as enjoying the history of this activity, I wish the author would have included more about Sophie, her personality and influences, and how she was able to overcome her shyness to perform alongside her husband, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, becoming quite a showman. The fact that she made almost 70 flights in the early 1800s is astonishing in and of itself, but I longed to unlock the mystery behind this woman's willingness to participate in daring feats in the air. Despite this concern, the text and images effectively capture the frenzy (and sometimes, even fear) that seemed to surround hot-air balloons. That story and Sophie's is told with passion and investment, and will surely prompt readers to want to learn more about balloonmania and the many failed and successful attempts to take to the air.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great informational read outlining the science of ballooning as it developed throughout the 1700s. This was told through snappy vignettes of successful and failed attempts at ballooning which made it a quick and interesting read. Although this is a focus on Sophie Blanchard, it tells the stories of many of the beginning balloonists.

It's incredible how much science has changed. People were genuinely concerned that if humans traveled to too high an altitude it may kill them, so animals were sent first. Another story that stuck out to me were the two men who were traveling over the English Channel by balloon and began dropping altitude. They threw everything overboard including their pants to be able to make it to the other side.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical topics, scientific developments, or biographic stories of strong women throughout history.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book. I love a good girl power book, breaking barriers and saying "Girls can do anything" book.
But I thought it was boring. From the cover to the pages to the writing.

It didn't have any flavor. The information was good, but this is not a book I would recommend. You don't get to know Sophie very well and for a book about her, you get to know about her aeronaut career, but nothing truly personal. Maybe there is no history of what she was like or how she felts but a little creative license and it could be really interesting.

I guess I want to connect with her on a more personal level.. if it is something like, "She always had black coffee and a stale donut before each flight" I wanted to feel like I was in the balloon with her... flying over the countryside and I was clearly on the ground.
*SIGH!*

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a well-researched look at the hot-air balloon craze that started in France in 1783 and swept Europe and the Globe. It also explores what is known of the "aeronaut" Sophie Blanchard, explaining how she became a world-famous solo hot-air balloonist. She died tragically at the age of 41 in a ballooning accident over Paris.

This is not a typical read for me, but I did find the subject very interesting. I especially appreciated the author's introduction explaining the lack of info about Sophie's early life.

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very engaging read and a good length for a middle grade narrative nonfiction. I was a little disappointed that for most of the book, the author was just guessing about Sophie Blanchard’s life, since the title implied the book was a biography. However, I enjoyed reading about the early history of ballooning and some of the major players and milestones. I wish it had been titled differently, but I will still strongly consider purchasing this book for my library.

[Tweller83 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half rounded down on Goodreads. This was an interesting book about the history of ballooning, but not much about Sophie Blanchard. Interesting but not super compelling unless one loves ballooning.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information on the history of ballooning, with a focus on pioneering women.

[Silena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the life of Sophie Blanchard and the rise of Balloonimania in France in the late 1780s.