The Lady Flyer

Set in Saplingville, Georgia, during the 1930’s, “The Lady Flyer” delivers a captivating tale of grit, determination, and pure stubbornness, as Lisbeth Douglas fights to make a name for herself in a profession that is dominated by men, many of whom believe women have no place around aircraft, let alone flying them. Lisbeth is different. She’s been trained as an aircraft mechanic by her coworker, and she was taught to fly by her brother who was a military fighter pilot. Lisbeth wishes to be like her idol, Amelia Earhart, and is willing to do anything she can to make it happen. When Yankee, Paul Williams, arrives at their small airport and uses it as the base of his operations, sparks fly between him and Lisbeth, but will his dismissive attitude towards her skills and dreams of being a pilot change? Or will his disbelief in her abilities extinguish the sparks before they have chance to catch fire?

Jane Lewis has crafted a truly engaging tale. Lisbeth is a strong heroine, her determination admirable. The gender-bias she faces seems historically accurate, and many a reader will be able to relate to it. The historical information about aircraft in the story is interesting, although a little overly detailed in some places. The chemistry between Paul and Lisbeth fairly crackles; readers will root for them to work things out. The story feels a little rushed in some places, and other spots could use a break indication, as one paragraph doesn’t immediately follow what’s come before. Besides that, “The Lady Flyer” is an enjoyable story that will leave readers with a smile on their faces.

Katy Nielsen