Girls of Flight City

Our Review

Frustrated by the lack of opportunities for women in aviation, Jessie Lovelace eagerly signs up to train British pilots in her small town of Terrence, Texas, in the fall of 1941. Britain has already been at war with Germany for two years and needs America’s help getting enough pilots in the skies to avoid defeat. With her own brother flying for the Royal Air Force—a decision that could cost him his American citizenship due to the Neutrality Acts—Jessie understands the importance of training the pilots well enough to not only defeat Hitler but to make it through the war alive. Though she’s already romantically involved with a local man she’s dated since high school, one British pilot in particular catches her eye, and eventually, her heart.

Meanwhile, Jessie’s sixteen-year-old sister, Kitty, eagerly attends dances with the handsome young Brits and learns that hard way that in war, there are casualties beyond those on the battlefield.

While Heath maintains the tension and keeps the reader turning pages, the novel suffers from uneven pacing. The first eighty percent or so takes place between June and December 1941, while the last fifth crams in the entire rest of World War II, leaving the ending too rushed. Two major events in Jessie’s life end up getting skimmed over in summary rather than given their due. However, this is an absorbing look into a little-known piece of World War II history, and Heath takes readers on an immersive dive into small-town Texas during the war years, particularly the fear and uncertainty felt by ordinary citizens in those first days after Pearl Harbor. Girls of Flight City satisfies.