Crossing the Horizon
A Novel
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Soar back to the fearless 1920s with #1 New York Times bestselling writer Laurie Notaro—beloved author of The Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure Club—in a “captivating historical” (Kirkus Reviews) novel that tells the true, little-known story of three aviatrixes in a race to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic.
It’s 1927.
Charles Lindberg has inspired millions but no woman has yet embarked on trans-Atlantic flight. Three women, based on real aviatrixes from the early years of aviation, determine to make their mark on history and set out on a thrilling but dangerous mission.
Elsie Mackay, daughter of an Earl, is the first Englishwoman to get her pilot’s license. Mabel Boll, a glamorous society darling and former cigar girl, is ardent to make the historic flight. Beauty pageant contestant Ruth Elder uses her winnings for flying lessons and becomes the preeminent American girl of the sky.
Inspired by true events and real people, Notaro vividly evokes this exciting time as her determined heroines vie for the record. Through striking photos, meticulous research, and atmospheric prose, Notaro brings Elsie, Mabel, and Ruth to life, pulling us back in time as the pilots collide, struggle, and literally crash in the chase for fame and a place in aviation history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Notaro (The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club) leverages her humor and keen eye for human foibles in an ambitious fictionalized account of three real-life aviatrixes whose daring exploits catapulted them into global headlines prior to Amelia Earhart's record-setting flights. This action-packed, character-rich romp through the 1920s' transatlantic race captures the era's excitement and sense of possibility. With cash prizes and fame glittering on the horizon, men and women on each side of the Atlantic rushed to be the first to successfully complete the treacherous, storm-ridden flight across it. Notaro shines a spotlight on the now largely forgotten stories of the three women: Elsie Mackay, a courageous and kind-hearted English heiress who braved her family's disapproval to follow her dreams; Mabel Boll, the scandalously renowned "Queen of Diamonds" and aspiring "Queen of the Air," who used her wealth and influence to buy herself the fame she craved; and Ruth Elder, a young Southern beauty queen who lifted herself from poverty and obscurity through the strength of her own convictions. Initially slow to get off the ground, the story lumbers through ponderous backstories and hits rough patches of stilted dialogue before soaring into a page-turning, stomach-churning, hilarious, and heartbreaking adventure. Elsie, Mabel, and Ruth defied the odds stacked against them, and their indomitable spirits and vibrant, larger-than-life personalities provide much inspiration.
