Ida Mae Jones dreams of flying planes, but after her father passed away, a colored girl like her can hardly take to the skies without taking a dangerous trip to Chicago to take the only available pilot’s test for coloreds. But after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, her younger brother puts a new idea into her head: if she pretends to be white with her fair skin, she can try to become a WASP – but at a steep price.
I loved FLYGIRL and its protagonist, Ida Mae. I loved the discussions that the book addressed, especially the forced choice Ida had to make between being black and being white. In fact, the only thing I didn’t like about the book was the romance part. It felt out of place and uncomfortable.
At last week’s book club meetup, the book club members generally agreed that FLYGIRL was an interesting book about a topic not really discussed in U.S. history. There was a bit of a toss-up about what was the most interesting part: the Widowmakers, the WASP, or anything else.
Monica, who said she normally reads adult historical fiction instead of YA historical fiction, said it read a bit too young to her, and others agreed the tone was more appropriate for a younger audience. Amber thought it was funny when Ida and her friends stopped to use the restroom and were greeted with “but you’re dames!” Lillie thought it would be a great read for students, especially girls, who might otherwise have a hard time getting interested in reading or history in general.
Overall, readers thought FLYGIRL was an interesting read about an interesting topic, though the romance aspect felt really forced and the ending abrupt.
March 2014 Title: ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie
Our title for March – The Women in Capes Issue – tells the story of Breq, a soldier on a mission who was once the artificial intelligence of a massive spaceship.
What did you think of FLYGIRL?
