New in 2023 (AFW Jul/Aug 2023)
This article appeared in the July/August 2023 issue of Aviation for Women Magazine
How’s your ‘to-be-read’ list? If it’s like mine, it is long and growing with exciting additions to the cannon of books featuring women in aviation this year. I’ve highlighted some in previous articles, but here are a few more in a variety of genres and historical periods with something for every reader:
New from Eileen A. Bjorkman – Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open the Door to Fly in Combat offers new perspectives on the fight to repeal the Combat Exclusion Policy, along with the author’s own experiences as an Air Force flight test engineer. She also bridges the history of women in U.S. military service from the WASP in WWII to the 1970’s when women were admitted into the service academies and flight training.
Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot’s Lessons on Leading with Courage, by Kim “KC” Campbell, Col. USAF (ret.), offers practical advice for business and military leaders to inspire others by assessing risk, managing stress, successfully leading in a male-dominated environment, and recognizing how bravery and fear are both normal and necessary.
In Helicopter Heroine: Valérie André—Surgeon, Pioneer Rescue Pilot, and Her Courage Under Fire, Charles Morgan Evans tells the story of one of the great military aviators of the twentieth century. The first woman to fly helicopters in combat as a medevac pilot, she innovated military aviation and medicine, advocated for women’s integration in the French military, flew nearly 500 combat missions, and logged 4,000 hours in her career, retiring as France’s first female General Officer and Inspector General of Medicine.
Mary Bush Shipko’s middle-grade history The Firsts: Women Pilots and How They Changed the Airlinesplaces six of the early U.S. women airline pilots (including the author) in the context of evolving cultural change with the civil rights movement and the airlines’ reluctance to hire them, and shows how their determination opened the flight deck to the women who came behind them. (Ages 7-12)
In, Stateless, the latest aviation-themed historical novel by best-selling author Elizabeth Wein, we are immersed in 1930’s pre-war Europe with a youth air race intended to showcase peace and unity. The tensions of the day, however—a civil war in Spain and the Nazis gaining power—are unavoidable and deadly, even for main character Stella North and her competitors. Shelved as a young adult novel, Stateless is a suspenseful read for adults as well, with thrilling flying scenes, colorful characters, and rich setting. The audio book is excellent, narrated by actress Moira Quirk. (Ages 12 and up)
Former U.S. Air Force Thunderbird Demonstration Squadron pilot and keynote speaker Michelle ‘Mace’ Curran gives us an inspirational picture book in Upside Down Dreams. Lilly Padilly’s Grandpa encourages her to fly when she sees the Thunderbirds practicing outside her classroom window, but not everyone agrees that girls can fly jets. Lilly starts to have doubts until she meets a female performance pilot and decides she’s going to fly upside-down, too. (Ages 5-8)
In addition to sharing these new books, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the new Literary Aviatrix website. With the help of Shaesta Waiz and Michael Wildes of The Women Soar Group, I designed this new site with you in mind. It still serves as a central source to search and find books featuring women in aviation, with all my author interviews, Aviatrix Book Club info, and Aviatrix Writers’ Room content, but with added features to sort by genre, reading level, and tags, and the option, where available, to purchase through independent book sellers. Visit www.LiteraryAviatrix.com.
