I just took "Fly Girl" by Sherri Smith home with me and devoured it. It was a beautiful read; in certain ways it reminded me of Anne of Avonlea, in others of Dragonsinger.
This is the story of a girl, Ida Mae, who loves flying. She learned it at her father's knee; she adored him, and now that he's gone, flying is her only connection to him. But Ida Mae is a black girl in 1940's Louisiana. Getting her pilot's license proves an impossible dream, especially when WWII breaks out. But after her younger brother shows her an article about the WASP (Women's Air Service Pilots) program, she dares to dream again.
After faking herself a pilot's license (which she doesn't have because a white man refused to issue one to her), she interviews to join the WASP - as a white woman. Ida Mae's subsequent adventures are vivid, realistic, and historically accurate. Her life as a black woman passing as white is not easy, and she has realistic fears, troubles and hopes. She succeeds in doing things that even men were afraid to try, and she learns that she can handle most everything life offers her.
The book ends on a hopeful but inconclusive note; her life as a WASP is ending, but the future holds further dreams. Read Ida Mae's story and don't be afraid to reach out for all that life can offer!
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