Fly Girls: The Daring American Women Pilots Who Helped Win WWII

Only in the last chapters of this book is the theme revealed. This is a book about historic brave women, but the larger theme is that it is a miracle that any such women were able to achieve such feats given the culture of harassment, intimidation, and obscuration under which these women and others lived (and still live).

The women were Fly Girls. They were the pioneering women in aviation who risked their lives to fly planes, test them, and perform missions, many of which were too difficult for the men. The beginning of the book could use better editing. Also, the book suffers from a lack of depth about the biographies of these women. But that being said, it would have created a much larger book. These women were interesting, and the reader is left wanting to know more about their stories, their beginnings, and what caused them to pioneer a field with so many obstacles. Despite their contributions to World War II, these women were hidden in sealed records and unable to receive the benefits and accolades that were then reserved for men. The image of the male pilot was a dashing handsome barnstormer; the women were relegated to ignominy. This is a perfect gift for the young girl who so badly needs role models of achievement and daring who are also female. A very interesting story that badly needed telling.