Fly Girl

by Ann Hood (Author, Narrator)

In 1978, in the tailwind of the Golden Age of air travel, flight attendants were the epitome of glamor and sophistication. Fresh out of college and hungry to experience the world, Ann Hood joined their ranks. She carved chateaubriand in the first-class cabin, found romance on layovers in London and Lisbon, and walked more than a million miles in high heels, smiling as she served thousands of passengers. She flew through the start of deregulation, an oil crisis, massive furloughs, and a labor strike.

As the airline industry changed around her, Hood began to write—even drafting snatches of her first novel from the jump-seat. She reveals how the job empowered her, despite its roots in sexist standards. Packed with funny, moving, and shocking stories of life as a flight attendant, Fly Girl captures the nostalgia and magic of air travel at its height, and the thrill that remains with every takeoff.

Listening length: 8 hours, 11 minutes

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Travel, History, Biography, Biography Memoir

9 pages, Audible Audio

First published May 3, 2022

About the author

Ann Hood is the editor of Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting and the bestselling author of The Book That Matters Most, The Knitting Circle, The Red Thread, Comfort, and An Italian Wife, among other works. She is the recipient of two Pushcart Prizes, a Best American Spiritual Writing Award, a Best American Food Writing Award, a Best American Travel Writing Award, and the Paul Bowles Prize for Short Fiction. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED.......EVERY SECOND .....of listening to "Fly Girl"!!!!
WHO KNEW.......it could be sooooo interesting to listen to sooooo many details involving being a FLY GIRL (stewardess) during the days --when 'weigh-ins' created fear of being FIRED on the SPOT, anxiety, and eating disorders.
WHO KNEW -- how sore those poor women's feet were?
WHO KNEW -- how MUCH training it took to become a FLY GIRL in the SKY ...
WHO KNEW --who knew? who knew?? ....dozens and dozens of details we learn?
..... These poor flight attendants --with their lipstick and ready smiles --
were stinky from all the sticky soda splashed on them --and cigarette smoke they left work with --
Try getting the smell out of their uniforms...
Oh --and the rules --were ENDLESS.... and the REAL responsibility --SAFETY --(with a smile) --"Want a cocktail, Sir?"
The Training was harder (much harder) than getting a 4 year degree -- I BELIEVE IT!!! (this book --Ann Hood -- had me in the palm of her hands taking in all she had to say)
oops....Forgot to mention...
I LISTENED to this book:
....Audiobook ....read by Ann Hood (Ann is *outstanding*!!!)
....8 hours and 11 minutes

You know a book is good -- when you want to (go back) -- and read every book the author has written. I'd love to have Ann over for dinner! I'm a forever fan -- Love this woman --
loved Ann's voice, how authentic she was -her stories - and giving me a chance to look at my own history -reflect on the changes -- etc.

For me.....the STANDOUT was ANN HOOD'S personal STORIES....(unbelievable) >>
There was once a passenger on the plane who was Breast-feeding her cat. (okay?) -- lol --
Another funny was when Ann asked Richard Gere if he wanted 'nuts' on his ice cream.
Too funny! I hope Richard Gere read this book!

The stories are endless!!!! (entertaining, engrossing, even reading about holding a coffee pot was interesting)
--WHO KNEW that looking through our own lifetime-history -- from the LADIES in the SKY--
could be so FASCINATING...
with parts so horrendously injust -- of the way women were treated -(yet most of us didn't give it a second thought of how wrong it was) -- makes me sick thinking about my own blindness in the area of civil rights for women.
And....
..... My feet hurt just imagining walking up and down those aisles in high heel shoes.

-I'll never think about flight attendants the same again after this book!!!
-- Be it in the 70's or even now --today!

Stewardesses had be slinky, sexy, wholesome, tall, have beautiful legs, never look tired (biggest lie of all), and SMILE -SMILE - SMILE ..... making the job look GLAMOUROUS......

I remember the days of flying when the service was better, meals were better, more seat room, ...
but the MILE HIGH CLUB?? --- Boy --I am sooo naïve: I didn't even know WHAT that term 'was' until this book....
WHO KNEW????? of all these varied shenanigans of things Ann Hood shares --
Our FLY GIRLS lived a life -that most of us NEVER-REALLY knew!!!

Flying to Vegas? --
The Fly Girls were trained in sooooo many odd aspects of what to do, what to say, what never to say, what to wear, what to weigh, how to serve food, and drinks properly, resolve conflicts, handle babies, creepy men, jealous wives, keep everyone safe....etc. etc. etc.
and if flying to Vegas --never expect a Flight Attendant to say "Good Luck"...
BECAUSE --most passengers lose money… not win!

WONDERFUL MEMOIR..... wonderful history to look back on for some of us old farts!

Thank you Ann......YOU'RE just TERRIFIC!!!!

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever imagined that flight attendants experience an easy and perhaps glamorous job, Ann Hood's charismatic memoir of her time as a flight attendant will heighten those ideals, while at the same time also disillusioning you of your fancy notions. It's clear that Hood genuinely enjoyed her job and she does make it seem easy and glamorous, even though she unmistakably shows us that that is not the case at all. There's so much to learn and know, all while maintaining the perfect image of grace and hospitality.

It was gratifying to read about the golden age of airplane travel, as well as of someone who truly enjoyed their work and the resulting lifestyle. I would have liked to been part of Ann's flight crew, exploring new cities with her while on layover, and just generally living a good life with an adventurous companion.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I flew, I had just had my 5th birthday, my older brother had his 8th three days after mine, and my younger brother had just been born, and in two days it would be Halloween. It was years before I made the connection between that first trip - to Disneyland with my older brother and my father - that we’d left the day after my mother, and my then new-born brother had come home from the hospital. I remember that flight more than I would remember our stay there, and our visiting Disneyland had it not been for the photographs my father took. What I remember about the flight - on a TWA plane - was that I was sitting next to an older couple, I had no idea where my older brother was sitting, and my father was the pilot. The older couple kept insisting I should be sitting with my parents, and called the flight attendant over. She asked if I knew where my mother was, and I told her she wasn’t on the plane. The older woman huffed at that. Then she asked where my father was, and, in tears, I said he was flying the plane. I was immediately moved to a seat alone by a window. Later on, my father came back to check on me sometime after we’d reached altitude, and after that, I was invited by the flight attendants working that flight to join them in their private space, with a small-ish semi-circular couch. There I was taught the whole ‘drill’ that we all have heard by now, “in case of emergency” etc.

When I saw this title and the cover, I knew I wanted to read this. Ann Hood joined TWA in the 1970’s, and began working as a flight attendant during the glory days of TWA, an era when people would still dress up to fly, and flying had become more commonplace than in earlier years. My mother had been an ’Air Hostess’ for PCA Capital Airlines, and although I rarely heard stories about those days from her, somewhere I have a copy of a telegram sent to her by a male passenger, sent via her supervisor at Capital. So I wasn’t surprised to read about the amorous requests for dates from passengers, but there was more to this story than that. Long days, of course, but so much more. I was happily surprised when I read that Ann Hood had also worked as a flight attendant, albeit briefly, for Capital Airlines during a TWA strike.

Ann Hood had been obsessed with the idea of flight since she was young. The story of Laika, the dog that the Russians had launched into space in Sputnik 2, and the race to be the first in space was on the minds of everyone. For Halloween, Ann dressed as a space girl, wrapped in a costume made of aluminum foil and pipe cleaners for her antennae. As a young girl, her family would go to watch the progress being made as the new airport in Chantilly, Virginia was being built. It was another era, progress was being made - visibly - in the race for space, as well. When she was eleven, she read a book called ’How to Become an Airline Stewardess’ and was enamored with the idea of being able to have a career flying. At the age of sixteen, traveling with a friend, she flew for the first time. Her first ’great adventure.’ Another dream of hers was to become a writer, and with her belief that all writers needed to experience great adventures in order to have worthy tales to tell. Her desire to fly would, indeed, allow her many opportunities, many places to visit, and many stories to tell.

Thus began her love of flying, born in the years before TSA checkpoints, in the years when people could still meet you at the gate upon your arrival, or watch your plane as it taxied away from the gate, and watch as your plane took to the skies. The glamour of flying has faded somewhat over the years, more so after 9/11 and the last couple of years as reports of people needing to be restrained, or flights needing to land so an unruly passenger can find a more appropriate place to remain.

I loved every minute of reading this, even though I never dreamed of being a flight attendant, I loved reading her story, and the memories it brought back of the era, and more.


Published: 03 May 2022

Many thanks for the ARC provided by W.W. Norton & Company

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a pre-teen I wanted to be many different things, mostly influenced by the books I was reading. At one point, after reading about the Saints, seeing the movie,The trouble with angels,and attending Catholic school, I even contemplated becoming a nun. I would have been a horrible nun!
Becoming a flight attendant never entered my mind. Made this book all the more fascinating, I knew so little about this career choice. Reading about Ann Hood, her early career as a TWA flight attendant, and the reasons why she so badly wanted and made this choice, was a novel experience.

Had no idea all these young women had to learn, how regulated it all was, opened my eyes to just how much they were tasked with, the responsibility they carried. Of course, much has changed, but she discusses these as well. Also interesting how her insights into people, all the travel experiences she had, were all used in her current occupational an author.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

FLY GIRL soars: Ann Hood’s memoir of her experiences as a flight attendant is a love letter to the years when flying was a dream — and the 747s ruled the skies. I was catapulted back in time and savored every second and every story from 35,000 feet in the air.

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ann Hood became a flight attendant at TWA in 1978 and worked there for many years. In this book, she recounts the places she saw and the people she met, and how the shifting culture of air travel at the time affected her and her job.

I do like to travel, even though riding in economy in airplanes is not precisely a lovely experience. However, I have long been fascinated by the heyday of jet-setting, back when flying places was a glamorous, expensive business. This book is not quite about that, as Hood became a flight attendant just as air travel was deregulated, allowing airlines to set their own prices and routes. But it was a fascinating read all the same.

The author did a great job conveying how being a flight attendant changed her, helping her gain confidence in herself. It was also interesting to learn the nitty-gritty details of being a flight attendant, ranging from what training they received to how they bid on routes to decide which flights they would end up flying.

However, I did think the recollections became scattered in the second half of the book, likely because there were just so many things that she could have written about that we dart, bird-like, from one morsel to the next in no particular order.

Overall, a nostalgic look back at air travel in the 70s and 80s, told through the eyes of a likable protagonist.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Kelly Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author states that she wrote this memoir partly because she would find that when she mentions that she is a former flight attendant, so many people are eager to hear about her experiences.
I, too, was interested to read, what I assumed, had to be countless stories about mile-high mayhem in the early days of flying.
Unfortunately, a lot of this book was pretty boring. She spends a lot of time describing the process of applying to be a flight attendant, the training she undertook to become a flight attendant, and all of the routes and layovers she did as a flight attendant. What there wasn’t a ton of was stories of mayhem or even great interest. She did include the occasional funny or sad tidbit while on the job, but they were few and far between.
Thanks to #netgalley and #wwnortonandcompany for this #arc of #flygirl in exchange for an honest review.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ann Hood worked as a TWA flight attendant from 1978 until the mid 1980's. (It was strange reading this book so soon after I read another soon-to-be-published book, The Great Stewardess Rebellion, which detailed the abysmal treatment and disrespect the women endured from the beginning through the late 1960's.) In 1978, the flight attendants had made gains, but could still be fired for going above their starting weight (she was 5'7" and 120 pounds). Ann talks about her love of travel, some of the odd occurrences on her flights, and what a wonderful job it was until greedy corporate raider Carl Ichan bankrupted the airline. Hood has written an entertaining memoir of a time which is long gone. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this advance copy.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Ann Hood’s writing, it’s like sitting with your sister or very best friend and chatting about everything!
Ann talks about her early career as a flight attendant for TWA back in the 80’s, right after the deregulation of airlines.
Since I’m of similar age to Ann, I remember all the events and facts of that time, and experienced at the same age.
Fun facts about airline travel and the industry itself if you enjoy a bit of history.

Overall a relaxing, fun and interesting read I really enjoyed.

Thanks to Edelweiss and W.W. Norton and Co.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

My disappointment is heightened by how much I anticipated loving this book. Like so many, I love to travel and miss it in the age of covid. But this book felt superficial and completely unedited. How many times did we have to hear about drinking a glass of chablis, serving Richard Gere, Eero Saarinen's design of the TWA terminal and the fact that some book of the authors was part of a Bantam book launch. These things all have their place (and I love Saarinen!) BUT they did not warrant multiple mentions. I learned little and probably should have DNF'd, but I kept hoping it would get better.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author spends a lot of time trying to convince us that there is more to being a flight attendant than being a glorified waitress.

When, really, it's about being a pretty girl. Of a certain weight. With a fun personality!

There is false modesty through which we must wade.
We read several times that she was a model at 16. And, we are reminded that she must be smart because she was an English major! And she likes word games like Boggle! And she read the same book as a passenger!

She lets us know that it is not all fun. For instance there was the crazy schedule and being on call. They had pagers, and one flight attendant might stay home to babysit the phone in case the airline called. Though written as if this were a hardship, it is difficult to be sympathetic when she writes that she's making more money than her non-flight attendant friends, and she's making money while being on call.

The few on-plane incidents that she includes, spilling salad into a male passenger's lap or spilling a drink on a nun's white habit, yes, it happens. But can this carry a book? No.

I felt that much of the dynamic of the book was an attempt to justify her choice of the job.
Own it, and get over it.
But give us something entertaining that we can discuss at book club.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does as it says it will, an in depth ( occasionally repetitive ) detailed memoir of an air stewardes turned successful author
It is, of course, interesting as we travel round the world and see the sights and meet passengers, although less talk and explanations of scheduling would have been better as when not your career only a small section is needed on that before ot becomes monotonous
Loved the parts on the ‘Golden Age’ of flying when passengers dressed to impress and it was full silver service all the way and how this rapidly changed due to deregulation
As a petrified flyer, even though flown many times I cant stand anything about it from the minute arrive at the airport and am never settled until we leave the airport the other side, journey complete, its fascinating to me how someone can love something so much that petrifies me, in the main well written and enjoyable read

8/10
4 Stars

[Jacqie Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about Flight Attendants in this book, especially back int he 70s and 80s. It's crazy how much flying has changed since then, and there was so much I didn't know about airlines. Highly recommend if you love flying, or are interested in learning about Flight Attendants.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Hood's 8 years as a flight attendant were coming to an end just as my flight attendant career was starting in 1986. She was lucky enough to be hired when flying was still an elite way to travel and the job was glamorous--or so it appeared! With meals served on almost every flight and other amenities offered that are now gone, we truly worked our heinies off back in the 80s and early 90s. I enjoyed her reminiscences and was keen to compare her experience as a TWA flight attendant with mine as an American Airlines flight attendant (of now almost 36 years.) I remember reading a book review of Ann's first novel "Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine" right after it was published and marveling that she'd found a way to not only fly, but found the time to write. This memoir is a love letter to the golden age of flying.

[Lisa Leone-campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Ann Hood has had nothing short of an incredible adventurous and at times heartbreaking life. Fly Girl answers in part where her incredible imagination came from.

Even at the young age of six, Hood wanted to travel to places she had always dreamed about, and not just by her family’s station wagon. She wanted to go where the trains would take her, never thinking there would ever be any other mode of transportation. Until one day when she was told to look up and couldn’t believe her eyes.

Then this incredible mode of transportation was born, called the airplane. It fascinated and excited Hood. So, when she was in High School and told her guidance counselor that she wanted to be a flight attendant and a writer she was told to think more realistically.

But in 1978 as Ann was graduating from college and her parents were expecting her to become a teacher, Hood made a bold decision. She wanted to be a flight attendant and travel and write books. In her mind not only would she be able to do two things she loved, but she could get paid for them as well. So, while all her friends were entering workforces at schools and businesses, she was applying to airlines to become a flight attendant.

Unfortunately, it was not as easy as you would imagine getting hired into the airline industry. For every one hire there were thousands of applicants. There were many interviews and hoops a person had to go through. But when it finally happened for Hood, she chose to become a TWA flight attendant. And she was ready!

After the rigorous training the attendants endured, they were prepared, willing and able to fly the friendly skies. They are much more than the person one sees serving drinks and meals and putting on a show as to where the emergency exits are and what to do in case of a crisis.

Flight attendants are therapists, problem solvers, emergency handlers and sometimes even baby deliverers. All with a smile on their face and an I know how to handle this attitude. Thus begins the truly funny, interesting sometimes heartbreaking anecdotes which Hood witnessed throughout her years of flying.

From a passenger breastfeeding their cat, yes, read that again, to a man who took such a tantrum because they had run out of lasagna that the plane had to be met at the gate by police, or the man who flew pantless because he had a job interview and didn’t want to look wrinkled. We learn of her romances some of which began high in the sky. But for every funny story, there are some which were heartbreaking. When a man boarded the plane with red eyes from crying Hood consoled him as he told her he had just lost his brother. Hood had no idea in just a few short months she would be the one being consoled on a flight for the same reason.

Of course, as one would expect there was sexism not only by the passengers but also some men who worked in the industry. Some thought flight attendants were stupid, or just waiting to meet Mr. Right. Hood to this day corrects someone when they say stewardess. They are flight attendants.

But between flights to London, Cairo, Greece, the United States and beyond, Hood wrote when she could. On the plane, going to the plane on layovers. Even when she actually sold her first book she still continued to fly, loving the freedom of air travel so much. Something she still loves to this day.

Included in the memoir is an interesting retrospective of the history of stewards flying and how certain ways things are done came to be.

Hood’s memoir is wonderfully well-written, funny, sentimental with a glamorous flair of the time period in which she flew. She explains the reason she wrote the book was because her friends would always beg her to tell stories of when she flew and always seemed riveted when she told one. I can understand why.

Thank you #NetGalley #W.W.Norton&Company #AnnHood #FlyGirl for the advanced copy.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sure at some point it gets interesting but I couldn’t get there.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does an excellent job of describing her experiences of being a TWA Flight Attendant ( don’t ever use the term stewardess. ) I think I would have enjoyed this memoir more in audiobook form though. But either way, I’m glad I chose to read it.


⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Krista | theliterateporcupine · Rating 5 out of 5]

From learning how to apply mascara to mixing drinks to putting out a fire on a plane, being a flight attendant was the ultimate multi-tasking job. It was fascinating to read how sexist the role of "stewardess" was. Women had to be a certain height or weight and have a flirtatious look so that male passengers would want to fly, which caused extreme dieting, mental illness, and depression. Flight attendants were viewed as pretty but dumb, and often looked at as housewife material. It was so common for flight attendants to meet their future husband on a flight, that big name airlines marketed their planes as a matchmaking service in the sky. Throughout her narrative, the reader gets snippets of Hood's personal life and how her career shaped who she is today. As an aspiring writer, she would jot down stories in her notebook on long flights, dreaming for the day that her work would be published. Her career saw many changes in flight services, such as the rise and fall of Pan Am and TWA, male flight attendants, and terrorist hijackings.

Ann Hood gives the reader a personal and in-depth look into the world of flying from the perspective of a flight attendant. She admits that it was exciting to be in Cairo one day and LA the next, often with layovers that allowed for time to explore. Hood was able to see cities that most Americans at that time could only read about in books. As a flight attendant, she saw it all, like the businessman who wouldn't wear pants because he didn't want them wrinkled. Her role didn't come without hardships, however. As a TWA flight attendant, she was required to provide hospitality and flirt with the rudest misogynists in first class, cater to every single want of the passenger, and be ready to work at a moment's notice which required staying within an hour's drive of the airport. Hood and her colleagues cooked hot meals in the air while on a time crunch, hand tossed salads in front of passengers, and provided world class service on long and short flights alike.

Exhilarating, Bold, and Remarkable, this is by far one of my favorite memoirs.

Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy of this ARC!

[Jquick99 · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author starts the book with how everyone loves my stories and when I say “when I was a flight attendant…”. Well, hurry up in telling some stories! Don’t care about the history of flight attendants, nor jets, nor TWA…tell us fun stories!

Still 25% into the audiobook and at the section where we learn such gems as her #1 job is safety and to get people off the plane if there’s an emergency, how many seats are on various jets (and how many are first class), how many exits on each jet, where to stand in the aisle during pre-flight safety talk, how she was taught to point 2 fingers in the vague direction of the exits….

At 33% into the book, we learn that her job is to make sure everyone has their seatbelts fastened, and bags are stowed completely under the seats, ….

Instead of giving up, I upped the speed to 1.5 and fiddled in the yard while listening.

The author finally got to a very few “stories”. When there is a rude or entitled celeb or politician story, the author doesn’t name names.

Then there’s even more airlines and/or attendant history.

The author was a flight attendant for just seven years. She quit in 1986. Over 35 years ago. Why write the book now?

Side snit: the book is read by the author, who mentions several times that she is an author. The book she mentions writing while being an attendant is a roman a clef novel, and the author pronounces the F.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have several books by the author Ann Hood, but somehow they have never made it to the top of my list. That changes after reading this deeply entertaining and engrossing book about the author's time as a flight attendant for TWA. The author is an excellent writer and I enjoyed every second of this book, feeling all the joy and sorrow and frustration that she went through during their time with TWA. I have always loved travel and seeing new places and thought for a time that being a flight attendant would be so awesome, but you know, people and therefore, not a job for me. ;-) After reading all they had to do for training and then all they did on each flight PLUS dealing with said people, made me realize that job would have never been for me. I am in complete awe at what they must know, remember and do for each flight. It is mind-boggling, and people need to shut it when thinking that they are nothing but empty-headed bimbos doing an "easy job".

I am so glad the publisher granted my wish to read this; it was one of the most entertaining and informative memoirs I have read in a very long time. So well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Hood, and W.W. Norton & Company for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1959 my family flew from Seattle to Hawaii (on a prop, no less!) and I so admired the "stewardesses" that I wanted to be one. Unfortunately, as I grew older and had to wear eyeglasses (plus became a bit chubby), I realized it wasn't in my future so I had to revise my career aspirations and became a waitress, then a librarian, so I guess it all worked out.

Anyway, since then I love to read about the work of flight attendants (remember 1968's Coffee, Tea or Me? The Uninhibited Memoirs of Two Airline Stewardesses ) I was excited to read about the world of flight attendants during the heyday of air travel as told through the lens of a respected literary author. Hood covered everything associated with the career including expectations (glorified waitress), training (as rigorous as I had heard), appearance (weight and uniforms), passenger experiences, travel around the globe, and how it affected her personal life. For the most part, I loved her writing but I did find it a little repetitive near the end.

Readers who enjoyed The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian will find this interesting. Other enjoyable books that involve working in the air are Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet, and Plane Insanity, and to a lesser degree, Cabin Fever: The Sizzling Secrets of a Virgin Air Hostess.

[Ginny Messina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, honest, and intelligent look at what it was like to be a flight attendant in the early 1980s when many of the most sexist practices of the industry had been dropped, but you could still lose your job if you gained 2 pounds. The book would have been greatly improved with more careful editing since it was extremely repetitive. Still an enjoyable read.

[Margie Dewind · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's recollections of her time as a flight attendant were interesting, but the writing (and editing) were uneven.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ☆ breathtaking and fascinating

Ann Hood recalls her time as a flight attendant during the "glory days" of aviation.

i thoroughly enjoyed this memoir! the writing drew me in so quickly and i was transported into the past - back when going on a flight was as sophisticated as can be.

think styled passengers, lavish meals, and luxury top-tier service that remind one of the glamour and romantic air that flying once possessed. Hood's writing demonstrates her passion for the airline industry while also shedding light on the harsh reality of the flight attendant experience.

underneath the sparkling exterior of flying during the '70s, Hood tells her personal experiences of rigorous training, endless preparation for the unexpected, and, on top of that, rude and often misogynistic passengers.

i thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the profession and the "behind the scenes" of a plane ride. i also loved the individual stories that offer many lessons to be learned.

ultimately, Hood's insight into life soaring the sky takes me back in time and gives a strong sense of nostalgia (even though she writes of a past that i never experienced). her story also encourages one to live - to embrace dreams, adventure, and take on the unknown.


***


pre-read: second nonfiction of the year - i’m not big on this genre, but i am trying to branch out. saw this one at my local library, and i just needed to pick it up! not entirely sure what to expect, but from the blurb I think this will be fun 🤞💕

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light, quick reading memoir - nostalgic with some interesting history and behind the scenes tales from early airline travel.

[Linda Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have always loved to travel by plane, and even at 60+, it is still my primary form of transport. Fly Girl by Ann Hood is a memoir of her years as a flight attendant during the more glamorous days of airplane travel. I remember when I was younger traveling in stockings, a Sunday dress, and makeup. Flying meant looking your best. Ann takes us through the early years of TWA employment with mandatory weigh-ins, high heel shoes, and the ability to make a mean Mojito. She described the heady experience of walking through an airport with a team of stewardesses getting ready to fly to the next stop. The air travel business has changed dramatically since the 70s, when many attendants were flying solely to get their MRS degree. This memoir was fun to read, and descriptions of TWA’s designer uniforms, training, and international travel sounds so appealing. The author shares the bold behavior of some passengers (the Mile-High club) and the crazy and unusual things that flight attendants had to attempt to control. Ms. Hood’s stories were fun and took me on a sweet journey of a time when travel was grand. #FlyGirl @netgalley @w.w.norton #annhood #airplanes #twa #travel #flightattendant #stewardess (Pub. Date: May 3)
✈️
Thank you to W.W. Norton books, Ann Hood, and NetGalley for this free ARC; my thoughts and review are my own and without bias. #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #author #instabooks #literature

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Hood, thank you forever for writing this book. And many thanks to the publisher for providing the arc ebook.
I grew up a pilot's kid in the seventies, and witnessed the many changes of that decade.
My life's ambition was to be a stewardess. You were all so beautiful and kind. I didn't realize at the time what sex objects you all were or how stressful it could be. But I did see how hard you worked and knew how hard you trained. And Dad told me how little money they paid you .
I made it to the second interview at American around 1984 and have always been disappointed that I didn't realize that dream. Your book has released me from that disappointment. Now I know that I really was not suited for that lifestyle. You however were perfect for it. Thank you for sharing your adventures!
Deregulation truly was the beginning of the end. My father, now in his nineties, saw it coming and witnessed every dreadful event. He sadly had to take an early medical retirement in the mid eighties.
A note to all who believe that flying before deregulation was only for the rich: many took advantage of discounts that were regularly offered when you flew at night. That was the "red eye special".
Also, routes and quality of service and safety were far superior to what is offered today.

[Jen W · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Listened to the audio book. While I liked some aspects of this memoir (history of flight attendants) I found it rather repetitive. I also felt the way it was told left significant gaps which made me want more details and wonder why details were shared for some things and then completely glazed over for others.

[Leah DeCesare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love Ann Hood's stories and FLY GIRL is full of them. We're immersed into that era and get to fly alongside Ann and her fellow flight attendants with a behind-the-scenes look at their challenges and adventures. So much fun!