The Flight Girls
A Novel
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4.2 • 1.5K Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
A USA TODAY and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY bestseller—for fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz!
“I read well into the night, unable to stop. The book is unputdownable.”—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Heart-breaking, validating, exciting.”—Hypable
“Rich historical detail...this saga has it all.”—Woman’s World
Shining a light on a little-known piece of history The Flight Girls is a sweeping portrayal of women’s fearlessness, love, and the power of friendship to make us soar.
1941. Audrey Coltrane has always wanted to fly. It’s why she implored her father to teach her at the little airfield back home in Texas. It’s why she signed up to train military pilots in Hawaii when the war in Europe began. And it’s why she insists she is not interested in any dream-derailing romantic involvements, even with the disarming Lieutenant James Hart, who fast becomes a friend as treasured as the women she flies with. Then one fateful day, she gets caught in the air over Pearl Harbor just as the bombs begin to fall, and suddenly, nowhere feels safe.
To make everything she’s lost count for something, Audrey joins the Women Airforce Service Pilots program. The bonds she forms with her fellow pilots reignite a spark of hope in the face war, and—when James goes missing in action—give Audrey the strength to cross the front lines and fight not only for her country, but for the love she holds so dear.
Don't miss Noelle Salazar's next sweeping story, THE LIES WE LEAVE BEHIND, where a fearless nurse must leave love behind when duty calls her back to the front...
More from Noelle Salazar: The Roaring Days of Zora Lily The Flight Girls
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Noelle Salazar’s meticulously researched historical novel tells the true story of World War II’s Women Airforce Service Pilots—WASPs, for short—who took over U.S. pilots’ jobs while they were fighting overseas. The book’s heroine, Audrey, is a determined young woman from Texas, and we follow her as she goes through training, flies warplanes across the country, and makes and loses friends along the way. We loved Salazar’s portrayals of gutsy, courageous women, ranging from adventurous moms to glamorous daredevils. This inspiring book celebrates female friendship and women who aren’t afraid to break the mold.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Salazar gives the history of the relatively unknown Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during WWII a glossy treatment in her uneven debut. In the days leading up to Pearl Harbor, Audrey Coltrane is a civilian flight instructor for military trainees in Hawaii. While off-duty at the beach, she meets handsome flyboy Lt. James Hart, and due to her personal code of living for flying only, tells him that they can't be more than friends. After December 7, Audrey volunteers to be a WASP, whose job is to ferry planes around the country thus freeing male pilots for combat and undergoes rigorous training at Avenger Field in Texas. Through the training and as an active WASP, Audrey corresponds with James, who is based in England. But when he is reported missing in action, Audrey's life goes into a tailspin, and she later ferries a plane to France in hopes of being able to find him. The author does an excellent job of dramatizing the camaraderie among the WASPs. But she doesn't fully address the sexism the female flyers faced, and the central relationship is like something out of a 1940s movie, except that Audrey strikes too contemporary a note. This novel can't quite get itself off the ground.
Customer Reviews
5 stars
This book was so good I read it during s Lind car ride and loved it did not put it down.
Eh.
It was fine. I stuck it out because some of the storyline was decent, but it was undercut by the sub par, shallow (and at times super cheesey) writing. The main character leans way too far into the “so pretty she attracts attention but hates the attention” and “I’m a strong independent woman and I’ll never get married because love is frivolous” caricature. Her family is super rich and well connected, and she uses that throughout the book to her advantage. In fact, it’s half the reason why/how she ends up “accomplishing” her dream of owning an air field. Not really a prime example of “independence.” It’s also just exhausting waiting through all the idiotic, nonsensical, and narcissistic reasons why she won’t admit to having feelings/pursue her feelings for her love interest. She literally gets mad at him for not writing more frequently while he’s fighting in WWll?!?! All in all, I feel like this story could have been told much better. It didn’t really do justice to the historical inspirations the book is based on.
Great story of women during WWII
Loved this WWII story of women who showed their strength and did their part during the war. Loved the ending.