Photojournalist Janey Everett has long been fascinated by legendary aviators Irene Foster and Sam Mallory who both disappeared in 1937. At the time of their disappearances, Mallory was fighting with the loyalist forces in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, while Foster was participating in an around-the-world aviation race before she vanished somewhere over Africa. A chance meeting with an RAF pilot in 1944 leads Janey to believe that Irene not only survived but that she is living in seclusion in Hawaii. Determined to write a photo-biography of forgotten aviation pioneer Sam Mallory, Janey sets out to find Foster to fill in the gaps in Mallory’s story.
Very loosely based on the life of Amelia Earhart, author Beatriz Williams started out with Earhart's story but imagined a different ending for the famous aviatrix. Janey and Irene are both strong-minded independent women who work in male-dominated fields. Both had difficult childhoods, but Janey’s backstory is especially heart-breaking. Following dual timelines, Williams weaves the many threads of the story together to a satisfying and surprising conclusion. I much prefer her historical fiction to the historical romances that she writes with Lauren Willig and Karen White. This is one of the best books I've read in 2020.
Like many people, I have always been fascinated by Amelia Earhart, and I keep hoping that someone will finally discover what really happened to her.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in return for a review.
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