Eagle & Crane

Suzanne Rindell’s recent novel, Eagle & Crane, explores the exhilarating world of flying circuses and the horrendous treatment of Japanese immigrant families following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1943, after a biplane crashes on Louis Thorn’s property, Agent Bonner with the FBI launches his own investigation of the deaths of the two passengers. A few years earlier, Louis Thorn joins his rival neighbor, Harry Yamada, on the plane ride of his life, which results in their joining Earl Shaw’s Flying Circus. Touring with this barnstorming group is Earl’s step-daughter Ava Brooks, whose charm has captured Louis and Harry’s attention. Together they face the unpredictable barnstorming life until a single life-altering decision is made and the repercussions of the attack on Pearl Harbor drive the three friends apart.

Rindell alternates between the two timelines — Bonner’s investigation and the flying circus — with ease and purpose. The overarching mystery of how the biplane passengers died, the drama surrounding the love triangle, and the immersive experience of reading about 1940s America will keep devoted readers of historical fiction rapidly turning pages. Rindell’s writing seems skillfully effortless, and the images she conjures feels very cinematic. Finally, the ending is nothing short of masterful.