FLYING FILLIES

In this debut middle-grade novel, a tween girl in the World War II era finds inspiration in female fighter pilots.

Dawn Springfield’s family moves from Chicago to Sweetwater, Texas, to be closer to her grandfather. The 12-year-old girl is devastated by the recent losses of her grandmother and a beloved horse, and she dreads visits from her perpetually angry, always working salesman dad. But things soon look up. She makes a new friend; she gets a new horse; and she reunites with her fighter pilot aunt. Georgia Wells had flown planes for the British Royal Air Force since before America’s involvement in the war. Unfortunately, once the United States joined the conflict, her squadron of female pilots was told to “go home.” Still, the women can offer their skills in Texas, where they’ll ferry damaged, new, and repaired planes to wherever they’re needed. That’s also where Dawn becomes a volunteer for the Women Airforce Service Pilots program. While she’s already in awe of her “fearless,” adventurous aunt, Dawn befriends myriad women who fight to sit in the cockpit, despite the country’s apparent reluctance to accept female pilots. Though Hui’s novel is primarily from a tween’s perspective, there are plenty of spotlights on the historically based pilots. The varied bunch includes those who flew with Georgia in Britain and new recruits in Texas. They face obstacles not just as women grappling for their place in aviation, but as individuals with their own personal lives as well. Dawn, meanwhile, is a superb young hero who takes jerks in stride, be they bullies or her father. Her ambition and her admiration for these pilots are infectious. Sadly, this short novel neither shows the women in the pilot’s seat nor describes the feelings and sights they experience in the air. The author caps off her book with intriguing particulars about real-life WASPs who bravely handled numerous challenging and dangerous assignments in wartime.

An engrossing tale of women fighting for a chance to defend their country.