Summer Reading 2018 Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History

In a time when most women were expected to stay at home and take care of the kids, some women defied expectations and set out to conquer the skies. Fighting societal expectations, pressure from family and strangers, and overwhelming odds, they struggled to find sponsors and planes in order to compete with the men. It was no easy thing to be a successful flyer even if you were male; many popular pilots were injured or killed by accidents and mechanical failures. And the women were often banned from even entering the competitions, or else they were made into a sideshow or segregated into a Powder Puff Derby situation.

Despite all the obstacles and odds against them, the women featured in this book did not give up. They managed to set records, beat men, and find their way into history. The name most people will recognize is Amelia Earhart, but she was not the only aviatrix of her day, or even the most skilled. Read Fly Girls and find out about the others, and how they all competed with each other and the men, but also formed friendships that lasted throughout their lives. This is a great piece of nonfiction writing, full of quotes from the women and details about their lives, hopes, and dreams.

If you enjoy history, learning about strong women who go after what they believe in, or aviation in general - you need to read this book. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.