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A Pair of Wings
A riveting, adventurous novel inspired by the life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a Black woman who learned to fly at the dawn of aviation, and found freedom in the air.
A few years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight, Bessie was working the Texas cotton fields with her family when an airplane flew right over their heads. It buzzed so low she thought she could catch it in her hands. Bessie wasn’t afraid. Without even thinking, she spread my arms out and pretended she was flying. She knew there was freedom in those wings.
The daughter of a woman born into slavery, Bessie answers the call of the great migration, moving to Chicago as a single woman. While working as a manicurist in the White Sox barbershop, she wins the backing of two wealthy, powerful Black men, Robert Abbott, the publisher of The Chicago Defender, and Jesse Binga, Chicago’s first Black banker. Abbott becomes her mentor and chronicles her adventures, while the good-looking gun-toting Binga becomes her lover. Her first love, though, remains the airplane.
But In 1920, no one in the U.S. will train a Black woman to fly, so 26- year-old Bessie learns to speak French and bets it all on an epic journey to Europe as she begins a quest to defy the odds and gravity itself. Two years ahead of Amelia Earhart, Bessie is molded by battle-hardened French and German combat pilots, who teach her death-defying stunts. Bessie’s signature majestic loops, spiky barrel rolls, and hairpin turns, just like her hardscrabble journey, are spellbinding.
While she finds there is no prejudice in the air, Bessie must wrestle with many challenges: She nearly dies in a plane crash, one of her brothers seems to be crumbling under the weight of Jim Crow, and as she grapples with tough truths about Binga, Bessie begins to wonder if the freedom she finds is the air
means she must otherwise fly solo.
With tenderness and verve, Carole Hopson imagines the breathtaking moxie that led Bessie Coleman to strap up knee-high boots and don a self-designed flight suit to become “Queen Bess” of the sky.
A few years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight, Bessie was working the Texas cotton fields with her family when an airplane flew right over their heads. It buzzed so low she thought she could catch it in her hands. Bessie wasn’t afraid. Without even thinking, she spread my arms out and pretended she was flying. She knew there was freedom in those wings.
The daughter of a woman born into slavery, Bessie answers the call of the great migration, moving to Chicago as a single woman. While working as a manicurist in the White Sox barbershop, she wins the backing of two wealthy, powerful Black men, Robert Abbott, the publisher of The Chicago Defender, and Jesse Binga, Chicago’s first Black banker. Abbott becomes her mentor and chronicles her adventures, while the good-looking gun-toting Binga becomes her lover. Her first love, though, remains the airplane.
But In 1920, no one in the U.S. will train a Black woman to fly, so 26- year-old Bessie learns to speak French and bets it all on an epic journey to Europe as she begins a quest to defy the odds and gravity itself. Two years ahead of Amelia Earhart, Bessie is molded by battle-hardened French and German combat pilots, who teach her death-defying stunts. Bessie’s signature majestic loops, spiky barrel rolls, and hairpin turns, just like her hardscrabble journey, are spellbinding.
While she finds there is no prejudice in the air, Bessie must wrestle with many challenges: She nearly dies in a plane crash, one of her brothers seems to be crumbling under the weight of Jim Crow, and as she grapples with tough truths about Binga, Bessie begins to wonder if the freedom she finds is the air
means she must otherwise fly solo.
With tenderness and verve, Carole Hopson imagines the breathtaking moxie that led Bessie Coleman to strap up knee-high boots and don a self-designed flight suit to become “Queen Bess” of the sky.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2024
About the author
Carole Hopson
1 book78 followersCarole Hopson is a captain on the Boeing 737 for United Airlines, based in Newark, New Jersey. After a twenty-year career as a journalist and executive for iconic brands like the National Football League, Foot Locker, and L’Oréal, Carole followed her dream to become a pilot. A century after Bessie Coleman soared over seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Black women in the U.S. account for less than one percent of all professional pilots. Inspired by Bessie’s spellbinding accomplishments, Carole founded the Jet Black Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to sending one hundred Black women to flight school by the year 2035.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
February 26, 2024
A Pair of Wings tells the life story of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman.
In 1915, Bessie leaves oppressive Texas for Chicago where two of her brothers already relocated, and where she also reconnects with her college friend Norma. The two are opposites. Norma avoids risks, Bessie rushes toward adventure. All of them are part of the Great Migration that left agricultural South for opportunity in the North.
Bessie works at barbershop where she meets a man who supports her dream of flying. But the problem is no one wants to accept a Negro female student. He helps her to apply to different schools, and he finds one that accepts her. It happens to be in France. That doesn’t deter her from following her dream. She learns the language and travels to France.
In France, she learns much more. She converts wargame maneuvers into graceful performances which earn her the nickname of Daredevil in the US.
It is a fascinating story of a remarkable woman and set against interesting historical background of the Great Migration. However, the style of writing is informative, making it a dry read, and the progression of the story is slow. I wished there was more to the backstories at the beginning to get attached to the main character.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In 1915, Bessie leaves oppressive Texas for Chicago where two of her brothers already relocated, and where she also reconnects with her college friend Norma. The two are opposites. Norma avoids risks, Bessie rushes toward adventure. All of them are part of the Great Migration that left agricultural South for opportunity in the North.
Bessie works at barbershop where she meets a man who supports her dream of flying. But the problem is no one wants to accept a Negro female student. He helps her to apply to different schools, and he finds one that accepts her. It happens to be in France. That doesn’t deter her from following her dream. She learns the language and travels to France.
In France, she learns much more. She converts wargame maneuvers into graceful performances which earn her the nickname of Daredevil in the US.
It is a fascinating story of a remarkable woman and set against interesting historical background of the Great Migration. However, the style of writing is informative, making it a dry read, and the progression of the story is slow. I wished there was more to the backstories at the beginning to get attached to the main character.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2022
Amazing novel based on Bessie Coleman! Carole Hopson does an incredible job describing life in the early 1900's when Bessie became the first American civilian to be certified to fly by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale.
While reading A Pair of Wings, I felt completely immersed in the story as if I was walking alongside Bessie as she walked 18 miles round trip each day to her flying lessons.
Hopson captures exquisite detail of world and national events, clothing, food, relationships, and romance.
Highly, highly recommend!
While reading A Pair of Wings, I felt completely immersed in the story as if I was walking alongside Bessie as she walked 18 miles round trip each day to her flying lessons.
Hopson captures exquisite detail of world and national events, clothing, food, relationships, and romance.
Highly, highly recommend!
August 25, 2024
3½ Stars
Bessie Coleman was a fearless woman who overcame an amazing number of cultural, racial, and economic obstacles in her quest to learn to fly. I would love to go back in time to meet her.
I feel the author did a great job describing Bessie's life on the pages of A Pair of Wings. What she went through to get anyone to give her a chance to learn how to fly, and then to finally LET her fly were riveting.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel the explicit sex scenes added anything to the book. There was so much about Bessie I wanted to learn about! Becoming the first African American/Native American female aviator was huge and that was where my interest lay.
Most of the book was fascinating, however. What an inspiration Queen Bess was!
Many thanks to both HenryHolt&Co and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of A Pair of Wings. The expected publication date is August 20, 2024.
Bessie Coleman was a fearless woman who overcame an amazing number of cultural, racial, and economic obstacles in her quest to learn to fly. I would love to go back in time to meet her.
I feel the author did a great job describing Bessie's life on the pages of A Pair of Wings. What she went through to get anyone to give her a chance to learn how to fly, and then to finally LET her fly were riveting.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel the explicit sex scenes added anything to the book. There was so much about Bessie I wanted to learn about! Becoming the first African American/Native American female aviator was huge and that was where my interest lay.
Most of the book was fascinating, however. What an inspiration Queen Bess was!
Many thanks to both HenryHolt&Co and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of A Pair of Wings. The expected publication date is August 20, 2024.
September 5, 2024
Review to follow.
August 20, 2024
Refreshing this for publication day!
This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Carole Hopson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.
The narrator of this audiobook is Alaska Jackson. Alaska did an exceptional job as this book took place in France, Germany, the North, and the South with each resulting accent. This had the function of placing the narration in the background to the story being told. It was a very successful choice for this novel.
This was really, really good. It was significantly better than I was expecting, and I had fairly high expectations. I was an adult when I found out about Bessie Coleman. I grew up learning about Ms. Earhart, but not a peep about Ms. Coleman. So, as an adult, I was amazed that she managed to go all of the way to Paris for flight training. I honestly assumed she was from an at least moderately wealthy and well-connected Black family. I was shocked to discover she was raised as a share cropper, and her mom was single head of household at least part of her growing up life. I've been hungry for a quality historical fiction novel about her life ever since.
I have to say this novel was well worth the wait.
The novel starts with Bessie in the air and then flashes back to her move to Chicago from Texas before her flight training in France. This covers her meeting with the men who helped her to arrange her training in France as well as helped fund her travels. This covers her training in Europe and her struggles to establish herself back in the US after her successful training.
Bessie emerges from this story as a breathing, laughing, flesh, and blood woman. The skills of this author are superb. I know nothing about aviation, nor am I particularly interested in it, but I was riveted to the details in this story.
In a way, it reminded me of when I read Pillars of the Earth because I equally don't care about church building. However, in both novels, the information is offered in such interesting ways and tied to such beloved characters, I know it'll live in my memory a surprising amount of time.
I hope this author writes more historical fiction. This was phenomenal.
Thank you to Carole Hopson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Carole Hopson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.
The narrator of this audiobook is Alaska Jackson. Alaska did an exceptional job as this book took place in France, Germany, the North, and the South with each resulting accent. This had the function of placing the narration in the background to the story being told. It was a very successful choice for this novel.
This was really, really good. It was significantly better than I was expecting, and I had fairly high expectations. I was an adult when I found out about Bessie Coleman. I grew up learning about Ms. Earhart, but not a peep about Ms. Coleman. So, as an adult, I was amazed that she managed to go all of the way to Paris for flight training. I honestly assumed she was from an at least moderately wealthy and well-connected Black family. I was shocked to discover she was raised as a share cropper, and her mom was single head of household at least part of her growing up life. I've been hungry for a quality historical fiction novel about her life ever since.
I have to say this novel was well worth the wait.
The novel starts with Bessie in the air and then flashes back to her move to Chicago from Texas before her flight training in France. This covers her meeting with the men who helped her to arrange her training in France as well as helped fund her travels. This covers her training in Europe and her struggles to establish herself back in the US after her successful training.
Bessie emerges from this story as a breathing, laughing, flesh, and blood woman. The skills of this author are superb. I know nothing about aviation, nor am I particularly interested in it, but I was riveted to the details in this story.
In a way, it reminded me of when I read Pillars of the Earth because I equally don't care about church building. However, in both novels, the information is offered in such interesting ways and tied to such beloved characters, I know it'll live in my memory a surprising amount of time.
I hope this author writes more historical fiction. This was phenomenal.
Thank you to Carole Hopson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
August 25, 2024
Thank you @macmillian.audio #macaudio2024 for my gifted ALC!
4.5⭐️ From the very first page I knew I would love this one. The way CH vividly told the story of aviatrix Bessie Coleman made me feel as though I was there watching Bessie fly the airplane. Seeing the cockpit, the sky, and having the rush of doing something she loved! I was able to feel her love of airplanes and flying through the words on the page! While I did have some background on Bessie Coleman being an African American aviatrix flying an airplane, it was interesting following her story of how she got there.
This story told as well as showed how Bessie Coleman did not let anything or anyone stop or get in the way of her dream of flying. She also wanted to show other Black people that they can, too, fly planes. This showed her determination and drive. So much so, it talked about a time where she walked 9km (5.6m) to get to flight school on a badly sprained ankle. We also get a glimpse of her romantic stories along the way.
This historical fiction was amazing to say the least. I would highly recommend the audiobook to get the vivid pictures of Bessie’s story told by Carole Hopson just as I did!
4.5⭐️ From the very first page I knew I would love this one. The way CH vividly told the story of aviatrix Bessie Coleman made me feel as though I was there watching Bessie fly the airplane. Seeing the cockpit, the sky, and having the rush of doing something she loved! I was able to feel her love of airplanes and flying through the words on the page! While I did have some background on Bessie Coleman being an African American aviatrix flying an airplane, it was interesting following her story of how she got there.
This story told as well as showed how Bessie Coleman did not let anything or anyone stop or get in the way of her dream of flying. She also wanted to show other Black people that they can, too, fly planes. This showed her determination and drive. So much so, it talked about a time where she walked 9km (5.6m) to get to flight school on a badly sprained ankle. We also get a glimpse of her romantic stories along the way.
This historical fiction was amazing to say the least. I would highly recommend the audiobook to get the vivid pictures of Bessie’s story told by Carole Hopson just as I did!
August 30, 2021
I was thrilled to interview pilot and author Carole Hopson about her gorgeous historical fiction A Pair of Wings about the life of pioneering Aviatrix, Bessie Coleman (which you can listen to here Aviatrix Book Review website or on the Aviatrix Book Review podcast.) Already an Oprah Daily best pick for July 2021, A Pair of Wings is so incredibly well done, it feels as if Carole was hand-picked by the universe to deliver Bessie’s story. As she shares in our interview, she provided the ‘glue’ to hold the biographical facts together with her fictional drawing of Bessie’s interpersonal relationships and emotions, making this feel like a deeply personal memoir. Her exhaustive research is evident throughout the book, to include walking the nine-mile route that Bessie traveled daily, on-foot, to and from her flight school in France to achieve her ambitious dream of flight.
I have been so inspired and fascinated reading about our many women aviation pioneers, but Bessie stands apart with her incredible determination and defiance of every social norm and expectation of her day, not only related to gender, but also race. Carole very skillfully and thoroughly places Bessie in the full context of her times—both within the dawn of aviation and the Great Migration of Blacks from the rural South to the North and West. The characters’ voices ring true and distinct, the descriptions are vivid, and the history cleverly woven through newspapers—"the social media of the time”—and Bessie’s active engagement in the world.
On top of all of the wonderful things I feel about this story, I have to gush about Carole and her vision for this book contributing to a larger mission. Carole is working to raise funds for her One Hundred Pairs of Wings initiative, which will launch this November with a goal of sending 100 Black women through flight training at the Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers Junior Flight Academy by the year 2035. This may sound like a small number, but when you consider that there are fewer than 150 licensed Black female pilots in the US, it feels at once achievable and ambitious. 20% of book sales go to support this project.
I have been so inspired and fascinated reading about our many women aviation pioneers, but Bessie stands apart with her incredible determination and defiance of every social norm and expectation of her day, not only related to gender, but also race. Carole very skillfully and thoroughly places Bessie in the full context of her times—both within the dawn of aviation and the Great Migration of Blacks from the rural South to the North and West. The characters’ voices ring true and distinct, the descriptions are vivid, and the history cleverly woven through newspapers—"the social media of the time”—and Bessie’s active engagement in the world.
On top of all of the wonderful things I feel about this story, I have to gush about Carole and her vision for this book contributing to a larger mission. Carole is working to raise funds for her One Hundred Pairs of Wings initiative, which will launch this November with a goal of sending 100 Black women through flight training at the Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers Junior Flight Academy by the year 2035. This may sound like a small number, but when you consider that there are fewer than 150 licensed Black female pilots in the US, it feels at once achievable and ambitious. 20% of book sales go to support this project.
September 14, 2021
A Pair of Wings, an historical fiction novel about the life of early 1900’s Black and Native American pilot Bessie Coleman, is incredible! Denied entrance to American flight schools, she learned French and moved to France where she was welcomed at one of France’s most prestigious flight schools.
Bessie Coleman was famous in her day. She became the first American (Black, white, Native American, male or female) to earn an International Civilian Pilots License. She did stunt flying shows all over the US. When she died, 5,000 people attended her funeral in Florida. Over 10,000 people attended her funeral in Chicago including Ida B. Wells.
And yet, I’d never heard of her until I came across Carole Hopson’s book. Amelia Earhart, known by most Americans, was the 16th woman to earn the International license. Bessie Coleman was the first, yet she was left out of history. Leaving black history out of textbooks is a racist act. It is racism.
The Author, Carole Hopson, a pilot herself, painted an incredibly rich backdrop of the 1920’s and I felt sad when the novel came to an end because I was enjoying it so much.
Beautiful book.
Bessie Coleman was famous in her day. She became the first American (Black, white, Native American, male or female) to earn an International Civilian Pilots License. She did stunt flying shows all over the US. When she died, 5,000 people attended her funeral in Florida. Over 10,000 people attended her funeral in Chicago including Ida B. Wells.
And yet, I’d never heard of her until I came across Carole Hopson’s book. Amelia Earhart, known by most Americans, was the 16th woman to earn the International license. Bessie Coleman was the first, yet she was left out of history. Leaving black history out of textbooks is a racist act. It is racism.
The Author, Carole Hopson, a pilot herself, painted an incredibly rich backdrop of the 1920’s and I felt sad when the novel came to an end because I was enjoying it so much.
Beautiful book.
September 11, 2021
I LOVE this book! I took my time reading it because I didn’t want to reach the end. Author and aviator Carole Hopson combines black history during the Great Migration with the dawn of aviation in the early 20th century. Fashioned around the real life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a young African American woman who became the first American (black, white, male or female) to hold an international civilians pilots license, this rich historical fiction tells the story of an era simultaneously fostering technological progress while fiercely suppressing the advancement of black and brown Americans. Bessie Coleman’s journey is an inspiration for anyone with a dream and aspirations that feel out of reach. Persevere and let your passion be your guide!
September 8, 2024
“To become the first female Negro flyer I would have to conquer not only gravity but also America’s rules about what I could or could not achieve. In order to do that, I had to possess just two things: optimism and fearlessness.”
4.5 Stars. A fascinating and important history, well told. What kept it from being 5 stars is that it could have been edited down a bit — it is clear there was so much history to relay that the story got a little dense — and also some of the main character reflections and reactions about encountering racism and sexism sounded a little naive or contrived at some places. But a hands-down fantastic debut novel that I hope gets widely read.
Bessie Coleman “is the only American flyer who has ever flown over the ex-Kaiser’s palaces at Berlin and Potsdam, and the only woman possessing an international license entitling her to make flights anywhere on the globe. She has the distinction of flying the largest plane flown by any woman in the world. She made exhibition flights at the American Legion convention in Kansas City, in the presence of Lloyd George of England, Prime Minister Briand of France, and other world notables—enviable recognition among flyers of both sexes throughout the world.”
About being among an illustrious groups of contemporaries who were also visible pioneers and icons during the early 1900’s:
“And like the scientific progress that was taking place, we were next in line to ascend. Our own institutions—newspapers, banks, entertainment, education, and politics—were all being designed by us and invented from scratch. I was going to be part of this new group of mavericks.”
The author’s note provides some of the answers I was curious about, about how the author came to know and care about this topic and how much of the story are factual. The author’s own relationship with the story is deeply personal and authoring this book was clearly a deep labor of love and act of service.
“When I was thirty-four years old, I went to a Women in Aviation and an Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals Convention. I wanted to learn how one would become a professional pilot. From the outside, the club of aviators appeared an impenetrable line to someone who looked like me, because I had never seen a Black woman, or a woman of any hue, walk the flight line or the corridors of an airport before…
I was a college graduate, I had earned an Ivy League master’s degree, and yet I, an arguably well-read Black woman, who yearned to fly, had never even known that Bessie Coleman existed. She was missing from every textbook I’d ever read, and twenty years ago, she was missing from the common lexicon of greats who stoke our imagination and make us believe that there is greatness in our being, because we have seen what greatness looks like in them, our heroes. How could the fact that Coleman existed be hidden in plain sight?”
I agree. There’s no reason for Bessie Coleman’s name to not have the same recognition and historical prominence as Amelia Earnhardt or George Washington Carver… I hope Carole Hopson is successful in sparking more writing, attention, lesson plans and general awareness of this courageous and impactful woman.
August 2, 2024
I was really excited to read A Pair of Wings by Carole Hobson, especially because Bessie Coleman is a hero to my daughter. My daughter admires Coleman so much that she even petitioned Piccolina to feature her in their trailblazer collection. I hoped this book would be a great way for her to learn more about her idol.
Unfortunately, I found the book quite disappointing. The excessive and unnecessary foul language, along with a scene that describes Bessie Coleman in an inappropriate manner, feels completely out of place in a biography of such an inspiring figure. This content makes the book unsuitable for my daughter, which is a major letdown.
Moreover, the book often reads like a disjointed collection of newspaper clippings from The Defender rather than a well-crafted biography. It delves into irrelevant details, such as the porters and the White Sox, which don’t contribute meaningfully to Bessie Coleman’s story. I was also surprised and disappointed by the omission of her time at Langston University in Oklahoma, with the narrative jumping from her life in Texas straight to Chicago.
Overall, A Pair of Wings did not meet my expectations and, unfortunately, does not effectively honor the legacy of Bessie Coleman.
I received the ARC from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
Unfortunately, I found the book quite disappointing. The excessive and unnecessary foul language, along with a scene that describes Bessie Coleman in an inappropriate manner, feels completely out of place in a biography of such an inspiring figure. This content makes the book unsuitable for my daughter, which is a major letdown.
Moreover, the book often reads like a disjointed collection of newspaper clippings from The Defender rather than a well-crafted biography. It delves into irrelevant details, such as the porters and the White Sox, which don’t contribute meaningfully to Bessie Coleman’s story. I was also surprised and disappointed by the omission of her time at Langston University in Oklahoma, with the narrative jumping from her life in Texas straight to Chicago.
Overall, A Pair of Wings did not meet my expectations and, unfortunately, does not effectively honor the legacy of Bessie Coleman.
I received the ARC from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
January 27, 2024
“A Pair of Wings” is a wonderful five star read - if I could give it ten stars, I would. It is a tremendous story of strength and determination, masterfully told by Ms. Carole Hopson who herself is one of today’s rare Black, women, commercial pilots, flying as a Captain for United Airlines.
It is the true story of Bessie Coleman’s travails to become a pilot in the early 20th century. Ms. Coleman was a young Black woman who was determined to learn to fly. She managed to overcome all the obstacles put in front of her - her race, her sex and her poverty, all of which made it hard for her to realize her dream. There was no one in the States that was willing to teach her, so she learned French and learned to fly in France, becoming the first American (of any race or sex) to receive a license to fly from the French authorities. Then she moved to Holland and Germany to learn aerobatics from World War I veterans. On her return to the United States she started barnstorming around the country to show fellow Blacks that anything, including flying, was possible.
Her tale is told in the first person, which brings a sense of immediacy to the story. It lets the reader experience more closely the difficulties, setbacks and triumphs that Bessie encountered. I also love the way the author wraps the story in the American society of the time, so segregation is ever present, and Bessie lives the South to North migration, leaving Waxahachie, Texas for Chicago, where jobs and money were easier to find. Black society of the time was evoked so effectively that I felt a part of it myself.
I was getting a little restless as Bessie spent her formative years in Chicago with no flying in sight, but one has to be patient and trust that the author knows her craft. During this time we come to understand what drives Bessie, the unique Black Chicago society of the time and also the enormous changes that occurred in her life when she left for France and flight school. I cannot over-state how much this book enveloped me so that I experienced all of Bessie’s ups and downs, fears and exhilarations for myself.
Thank you, Ms Hopson for the wonderful experience of flying along with Bessie. And thank you, also, for founding the Jet Black Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, aiming to send one hundred Black women to flight school by 2035.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Henry Holt Company for providing me with a free ARC in return for my unbiased review.
It is the true story of Bessie Coleman’s travails to become a pilot in the early 20th century. Ms. Coleman was a young Black woman who was determined to learn to fly. She managed to overcome all the obstacles put in front of her - her race, her sex and her poverty, all of which made it hard for her to realize her dream. There was no one in the States that was willing to teach her, so she learned French and learned to fly in France, becoming the first American (of any race or sex) to receive a license to fly from the French authorities. Then she moved to Holland and Germany to learn aerobatics from World War I veterans. On her return to the United States she started barnstorming around the country to show fellow Blacks that anything, including flying, was possible.
Her tale is told in the first person, which brings a sense of immediacy to the story. It lets the reader experience more closely the difficulties, setbacks and triumphs that Bessie encountered. I also love the way the author wraps the story in the American society of the time, so segregation is ever present, and Bessie lives the South to North migration, leaving Waxahachie, Texas for Chicago, where jobs and money were easier to find. Black society of the time was evoked so effectively that I felt a part of it myself.
I was getting a little restless as Bessie spent her formative years in Chicago with no flying in sight, but one has to be patient and trust that the author knows her craft. During this time we come to understand what drives Bessie, the unique Black Chicago society of the time and also the enormous changes that occurred in her life when she left for France and flight school. I cannot over-state how much this book enveloped me so that I experienced all of Bessie’s ups and downs, fears and exhilarations for myself.
Thank you, Ms Hopson for the wonderful experience of flying along with Bessie. And thank you, also, for founding the Jet Black Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, aiming to send one hundred Black women to flight school by 2035.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Henry Holt Company for providing me with a free ARC in return for my unbiased review.
March 5, 2024
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A Pair of Wings is an inspiring novel about Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilots license. We learn about the steps Bessie had to take and hurdles she had to jump through to go from picking cotton in Texas to learning to fly in France and Germany, and eventually performing stunts at rallies and fairs throughout the United States before her untimely death at the age of 34.
I always get excited when I learn about a figure in history I’ve never heard of before. I’ve never really thought much about the history of aviation, but this book piqued my interest from the jump. I also really enjoyed learning more about the mechanics behind flight. I loved learning about Bessie and this book made me want to do some more research about her.
I also LOVED some of the other people we were in introduced to in Bessie’s life: Norma, her mother, Rene Caudron, Anton Fokker, Tristan, her brothers, and everyone else that played a positive part in her journey to become an aviatrix. Even the tailor who made her flight suit in France was a delightful person to read about! The author also did an amazing job of painting a picture as I was reading. I felt like I was with Bessie as she experienced everything.
I wish there was more about the aftermath of Bessie’s fatal accident and her legacy. What happened to the people she had such connections with throughout her life? (Jesse, Mr. Abbott, the Hills, the DeWalts, Norma, her instructors) I enjoyed learning how Bessie’s life inspired the author, but since this was the first time I had heard of her, a little more about her legacy would have been welcomed.
I also struggled a bit with some of the content. The explicit sex scenes just didn’t seem to have a place here. I understand the need to detail her relationship with Jesse Binga, but there were a handful of pages dedicated to Bessie losing her virginity to him, and that just felt out of place.
I also wish the author included some sort of note regarding the fact that this wasn’t a biography, but rather a novel inspired by Bessie’s life. We have no way of knowing what was fact and what was fabricated or embellished for the sake of the story. Maybe I missed it in the acknowledgments at the end, but it seemed like a lot of her research was done by following her footsteps, perhaps reading a biography about Bessie, and reading any other materials from that time period, including newspapers. This may be due to a lack of materials (she admitted not even being able to track down the eulogies from Bessie’s funerals) but I’m curious, since this was written as if Bessie was telling the story of her life, how the author was able to get into Bessie’s mind in order to write all of the dialogs and thoughts that were throughout the story. Were there any letters she found between Bessie and her family? Any diary entries? How much did her great niece and nephew know about Bessie that they were able to relay to the author? I’m just curious what kind of materials the author consulted to get a read on Bessie’s personality. And if it was all or mostly a fabrication, I think a note is needed informing the reader that this is the case.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read and an inspiring story!
A Pair of Wings is an inspiring novel about Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilots license. We learn about the steps Bessie had to take and hurdles she had to jump through to go from picking cotton in Texas to learning to fly in France and Germany, and eventually performing stunts at rallies and fairs throughout the United States before her untimely death at the age of 34.
I always get excited when I learn about a figure in history I’ve never heard of before. I’ve never really thought much about the history of aviation, but this book piqued my interest from the jump. I also really enjoyed learning more about the mechanics behind flight. I loved learning about Bessie and this book made me want to do some more research about her.
I also LOVED some of the other people we were in introduced to in Bessie’s life: Norma, her mother, Rene Caudron, Anton Fokker, Tristan, her brothers, and everyone else that played a positive part in her journey to become an aviatrix. Even the tailor who made her flight suit in France was a delightful person to read about! The author also did an amazing job of painting a picture as I was reading. I felt like I was with Bessie as she experienced everything.
I wish there was more about the aftermath of Bessie’s fatal accident and her legacy. What happened to the people she had such connections with throughout her life? (Jesse, Mr. Abbott, the Hills, the DeWalts, Norma, her instructors) I enjoyed learning how Bessie’s life inspired the author, but since this was the first time I had heard of her, a little more about her legacy would have been welcomed.
I also struggled a bit with some of the content. The explicit sex scenes just didn’t seem to have a place here. I understand the need to detail her relationship with Jesse Binga, but there were a handful of pages dedicated to Bessie losing her virginity to him, and that just felt out of place.
I also wish the author included some sort of note regarding the fact that this wasn’t a biography, but rather a novel inspired by Bessie’s life. We have no way of knowing what was fact and what was fabricated or embellished for the sake of the story. Maybe I missed it in the acknowledgments at the end, but it seemed like a lot of her research was done by following her footsteps, perhaps reading a biography about Bessie, and reading any other materials from that time period, including newspapers. This may be due to a lack of materials (she admitted not even being able to track down the eulogies from Bessie’s funerals) but I’m curious, since this was written as if Bessie was telling the story of her life, how the author was able to get into Bessie’s mind in order to write all of the dialogs and thoughts that were throughout the story. Were there any letters she found between Bessie and her family? Any diary entries? How much did her great niece and nephew know about Bessie that they were able to relay to the author? I’m just curious what kind of materials the author consulted to get a read on Bessie’s personality. And if it was all or mostly a fabrication, I think a note is needed informing the reader that this is the case.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read and an inspiring story!
August 27, 2024
A Pair of Wings was a different pick for me because with historical fiction I usually go back to the times of kings and castles and courtly intrigue and tend to avoid American history, but something drew me to this book! Bessie Coleman was essentially a footnote in my history classes in school and was often overshadowed by Amelia Earhart, and I’m sure it’s because Amelia was white and Bessie was Black, despite Bessie being older and being granted an FAI license first.
Reading about Bessie’s life not only taught me about her experience becoming a female pioneer in aviation, but also painted such a clear picture of Black life in America in the early 1900s as the author, in Bessie’s voice, would give historical context, often going into exposition on other Black pioneers and activists, and I really appreciated that aspect of the storytelling! The book is mostly written in first person POV with Bessie stating she was given pages to write her story while she healed from a terrible crash, so I liked that it felt like a conversation with Bessie herself.
In her short life, Bessie worked so hard to achieve her dreams, never once accepting defeat or giving in to despair and what she accomplished was truly impressive! Her story was so inspiring, and not just for aviators, but honestly for anyone with dreams, goals, and the passion to succeed!
The end of this five star book absolutely wrecked me because that was not something I remembered from the little I knew about her, and I appreciate that the author gave an Afterward about her own life and experiences—Hopson hadn’t even heard of Bessie Coleman until she had begun pilot school and a friend gave her a book about Coleman! Hopson founded an organization dedicated to sending one hundred Black women to flight school by the year 2035!
P.S. I really enjoyed the narrator’s ability to do various accents!
Reading about Bessie’s life not only taught me about her experience becoming a female pioneer in aviation, but also painted such a clear picture of Black life in America in the early 1900s as the author, in Bessie’s voice, would give historical context, often going into exposition on other Black pioneers and activists, and I really appreciated that aspect of the storytelling! The book is mostly written in first person POV with Bessie stating she was given pages to write her story while she healed from a terrible crash, so I liked that it felt like a conversation with Bessie herself.
In her short life, Bessie worked so hard to achieve her dreams, never once accepting defeat or giving in to despair and what she accomplished was truly impressive! Her story was so inspiring, and not just for aviators, but honestly for anyone with dreams, goals, and the passion to succeed!
The end of this five star book absolutely wrecked me because that was not something I remembered from the little I knew about her, and I appreciate that the author gave an Afterward about her own life and experiences—Hopson hadn’t even heard of Bessie Coleman until she had begun pilot school and a friend gave her a book about Coleman! Hopson founded an organization dedicated to sending one hundred Black women to flight school by the year 2035!
P.S. I really enjoyed the narrator’s ability to do various accents!
June 22, 2024
I received a copy for review purposes; all opinions are honest and mine alone.
Adventure, aeronautic history, The Great Migration and heart - these are the hallmarks of A PAIR OF WINGS, by Carole Hopson. Because Hopson is a pilot herself, the prose dealing with flying, planes and maintenance are detailed, sometimes to the point of being manual like. I found myself skimming, at times. This propensity for being highly organized comes thru in the overall format of the story which reads more like a textbook than a biography. Those issues aside, this is an inspiring story that should be part of popular history: aeronautics, women, (black or not), Great Migration, 20th century milestones; SO. MANY. OPPORTUNITIES. MISSED. by our history books…
Bessie Coleman lived 34 short years but achieved a gargantuan amount of success in that time. She earned the FAI certification, the first American, female or male, to do so, on 15 June 1921. It was a few years before another American was able to accomplish it. Bessie had to learn French and earn enough to live in France for almost a year to make this happen; nothing short of a miracle as a black woman in the early 20th century.
The story of her tenacity and ability to rally folks to support her life’s purpose for flying and freeing black people from the insidious tentacles clinging from slavery, had me cheering out loud. She was visionary and recognized that reading, education and rising from generations of poverty was the real answer to freedom for her family, community and her people. Coleman devoted her life and death to this pursuit. Her story should be read and shared by all. I’d love to see a YA, middle reader and picture book version of this book📚
Read and reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks
Adventure, aeronautic history, The Great Migration and heart - these are the hallmarks of A PAIR OF WINGS, by Carole Hopson. Because Hopson is a pilot herself, the prose dealing with flying, planes and maintenance are detailed, sometimes to the point of being manual like. I found myself skimming, at times. This propensity for being highly organized comes thru in the overall format of the story which reads more like a textbook than a biography. Those issues aside, this is an inspiring story that should be part of popular history: aeronautics, women, (black or not), Great Migration, 20th century milestones; SO. MANY. OPPORTUNITIES. MISSED. by our history books…
Bessie Coleman lived 34 short years but achieved a gargantuan amount of success in that time. She earned the FAI certification, the first American, female or male, to do so, on 15 June 1921. It was a few years before another American was able to accomplish it. Bessie had to learn French and earn enough to live in France for almost a year to make this happen; nothing short of a miracle as a black woman in the early 20th century.
The story of her tenacity and ability to rally folks to support her life’s purpose for flying and freeing black people from the insidious tentacles clinging from slavery, had me cheering out loud. She was visionary and recognized that reading, education and rising from generations of poverty was the real answer to freedom for her family, community and her people. Coleman devoted her life and death to this pursuit. Her story should be read and shared by all. I’d love to see a YA, middle reader and picture book version of this book📚
Read and reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks
July 31, 2024
A Pair of Wings is a historical fiction book that follows the life of Bessie Coleman.
I was SO excited to read this book. Earlier this year I read the book American Wings ( which I highly suggest) which followed the history of Black Aviators. I learned about Bessie Coleman from that book and how much of an incredible person she was. So when the publisher sent me a copy of this book I was extra excited to read a book all about her. THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!! As someone who is half black and studied both History and Women's studies in college, this was the perfect book for me. Also, I loved that this book was written by a black woman who is a captain for United Airlines. Not only that but the author also founded the Jet Balck Foundation which is an organization dedicated to sending 100 Black women to flight school. That is just so inspiring to me. You could tell how much Bessie Coleman inspired the author of this book. I loved this book. It made me love Bessie Coleman even more. I did not want this book to end. The book started off with so much action and just kept getting better as I kept reading it. I can't wait to reread this one. I love reading books that focus on inspirational women who are written by inspirational women. But this book on your list!
Thank you so much Carole Hopson, and Henry Holt books for the ARC of this wonderful book!
I was SO excited to read this book. Earlier this year I read the book American Wings ( which I highly suggest) which followed the history of Black Aviators. I learned about Bessie Coleman from that book and how much of an incredible person she was. So when the publisher sent me a copy of this book I was extra excited to read a book all about her. THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!! As someone who is half black and studied both History and Women's studies in college, this was the perfect book for me. Also, I loved that this book was written by a black woman who is a captain for United Airlines. Not only that but the author also founded the Jet Balck Foundation which is an organization dedicated to sending 100 Black women to flight school. That is just so inspiring to me. You could tell how much Bessie Coleman inspired the author of this book. I loved this book. It made me love Bessie Coleman even more. I did not want this book to end. The book started off with so much action and just kept getting better as I kept reading it. I can't wait to reread this one. I love reading books that focus on inspirational women who are written by inspirational women. But this book on your list!
Thank you so much Carole Hopson, and Henry Holt books for the ARC of this wonderful book!
August 19, 2024
Thank you Henry Holt for the #gifted ARC and thank you Macmillan Audio for the #gifted listening copy of A Pair of Wings! #MacAudio2024 #henryholt #henryholtbooks #APairOfWings #CaroleHopson
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐎𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
This was such an interesting historical fiction novel and I’m so glad I read it and learned more about such an important historical figure. A Pair of Wings provides such an insightful look at the life of Bessie Coleman, and while this is a historical fiction novel, you know you are still getting such great biographical content and I loved learning more about Bessie’s life. This book is a must read for anyone who loves history and aviation and I am so disappointed that I am just now learning about Bessie Coleman. I thought the book was very well done, but my only criticism is that at times it felt a little drawn out.
🎧I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Alaska Jackson. I absolutely LOVED listening to Jackson narrate this audiobook. I found her to be truly remarkable and I just could not get enough! I highly recommend this one on audio! The physical book does contain some photographs so it was nice to pair the physical and the audio together.
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐎𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
This was such an interesting historical fiction novel and I’m so glad I read it and learned more about such an important historical figure. A Pair of Wings provides such an insightful look at the life of Bessie Coleman, and while this is a historical fiction novel, you know you are still getting such great biographical content and I loved learning more about Bessie’s life. This book is a must read for anyone who loves history and aviation and I am so disappointed that I am just now learning about Bessie Coleman. I thought the book was very well done, but my only criticism is that at times it felt a little drawn out.
🎧I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Alaska Jackson. I absolutely LOVED listening to Jackson narrate this audiobook. I found her to be truly remarkable and I just could not get enough! I highly recommend this one on audio! The physical book does contain some photographs so it was nice to pair the physical and the audio together.
September 12, 2024
This historical fiction novel follows the life of pioneer aviatrix, Bessie Coleman. It is told in first person by Bessie in four parts, covering her life after she moved from Waxahachie, Texas to Chicago in 1915, where she lived with family and found work in a barber shop as a manicurist to her time in France training to fly since no one in the US would agree to train a black woman to fly planes at that time. The last two parts cover her career flying as a barnstorming stunt flier and her comeback after the injurious crash that kicks off the prologue in 1923 Santa Monica.
I admit that I had never heard of Bessie Coleman before receiving the offer for this audiobook, but I thought it would make an educational read and I was right. I found the jobs available and treatment of a black woman during this time in both Chicago and Waxahachie to be informative. The audiobook was narrated by Alaska Jackson, and I really enjoyed her portrayal of this brave courageous woman who traveled the world to follow her passion despite those who would seek to hold her back due to her race and gender. Her story was truly inspiring.
The early parts of the book introduced her family and background, her determination to become an aviatrix and defy the traditional roles designated by others. Her family was both loving and supportive as well as complicated and antagonistic at times. I really enjoyed her time spent studying in France and the relationships she developed with her colleagues there as well as the time she spent in the Netherlands and Germany learning more about exhibition flying. I particularly enjoyed her return to Waxahachie for an air show.
Recommended to readers looking for an inspirational read about a strong female character, aviation, and/or interested in race relations and living situations during the early twentieth century.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.
I admit that I had never heard of Bessie Coleman before receiving the offer for this audiobook, but I thought it would make an educational read and I was right. I found the jobs available and treatment of a black woman during this time in both Chicago and Waxahachie to be informative. The audiobook was narrated by Alaska Jackson, and I really enjoyed her portrayal of this brave courageous woman who traveled the world to follow her passion despite those who would seek to hold her back due to her race and gender. Her story was truly inspiring.
The early parts of the book introduced her family and background, her determination to become an aviatrix and defy the traditional roles designated by others. Her family was both loving and supportive as well as complicated and antagonistic at times. I really enjoyed her time spent studying in France and the relationships she developed with her colleagues there as well as the time she spent in the Netherlands and Germany learning more about exhibition flying. I particularly enjoyed her return to Waxahachie for an air show.
Recommended to readers looking for an inspirational read about a strong female character, aviation, and/or interested in race relations and living situations during the early twentieth century.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.
August 13, 2024
A Pair of Wings is a novel about the impressive and fascinating life of Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilots license. Because of her gender and race, Ms. Coleman had to jump many hurdles to chase her childhood dream of flying. Bessie had to move to France and learn French to accomplish her goal and become an aviatrix. In 1921, she became the first African American to accomplished earning the FAI certification- an international pilot's license.
Through the story we also get a glimpse into African American history in the early 20th century with references to the Great Migration, W.E.B. DuBois, Bessie Smith, Marcus Garvey, and Booker T. Washington. We learn about Ms. Coleman through this fictionalized account of her life, and the author does a great job of drawing the reader in as we follow her life and her pursuit of her dream.
Thank you to Henry Holt and Co, the author, and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Through the story we also get a glimpse into African American history in the early 20th century with references to the Great Migration, W.E.B. DuBois, Bessie Smith, Marcus Garvey, and Booker T. Washington. We learn about Ms. Coleman through this fictionalized account of her life, and the author does a great job of drawing the reader in as we follow her life and her pursuit of her dream.
Thank you to Henry Holt and Co, the author, and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2024
“A Pair of Wings” by Carole Hopson is an incredible story about the life of pioneer Aviation hero Bessie Coleman. I must admit before reading this book I never heard of Bessie Coleman who was born into slavery and spent her life figuring out how to become a pilot during a time in American history when no one would train an African American women to fly. Her breathtaking journey takes her from Chicago to Europe and describes in detail the challenges & hardships she faced living in the early 1900s in the US. This is a powerful story about another forgotten female hero, and the whole time I was reading this book I was thinking this needs to be a movie!
Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 17, 2024
The best historical fiction novel is the one that sends me down a dozen rabbit holes of research -- a double bonus of time well-spent in an at least somewhat fictionalized world and in the world of history. Carole Hopson's A Pair of Wings did just that.
I had a passing idea of who Bessie Coleman was in American history, specifically the story of women and African Americans between the two World Wars, but I didn't know a lot about her. This novel taught me about her, about her contribution to America, and about tangential parts of history and even about aviation history and how it changed the world.
I can't speak to all the details of what Hopson created and what she found when she was writing Bessie's story. I'm not knowledgeable enough about that. What I can speak to is the value of this novel as, at the very least, a starting point for learning more about someone and something who deserves more space in the annals of American history.
The narrative is compelling and strong (I was reading other books at the same time when I started this one & I put them aside to focus just on it) and the lessons and philosophy of following your dreams and fighting for them because that is how you live are powerful.
And there's no better 'teacher' than Bessie Coleman to tell a reader that you can read about something random and you can achieve it. At the very least, you've got to try.
--------
I received a copy of A Pair of Wings through NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. in exchange for an honest & original review. All thoughts are my own.
I had a passing idea of who Bessie Coleman was in American history, specifically the story of women and African Americans between the two World Wars, but I didn't know a lot about her. This novel taught me about her, about her contribution to America, and about tangential parts of history and even about aviation history and how it changed the world.
I can't speak to all the details of what Hopson created and what she found when she was writing Bessie's story. I'm not knowledgeable enough about that. What I can speak to is the value of this novel as, at the very least, a starting point for learning more about someone and something who deserves more space in the annals of American history.
The narrative is compelling and strong (I was reading other books at the same time when I started this one & I put them aside to focus just on it) and the lessons and philosophy of following your dreams and fighting for them because that is how you live are powerful.
And there's no better 'teacher' than Bessie Coleman to tell a reader that you can read about something random and you can achieve it. At the very least, you've got to try.
--------
I received a copy of A Pair of Wings through NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. in exchange for an honest & original review. All thoughts are my own.
August 11, 2024
Incredible story about a pioneer in aviation. Bessie Coleman lead a fascinating life. I enjoyed the parts about her life in Waxahachie, TX as I have been there. A free spirit and a fire in her made her the first African american to hold a pilots license.
July 17, 2024
I received a digital ARC from the publisher (Henry Holt & Company) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed learning more about Bessie Coleman and the world of aviation. The sections describing all of the training that Bessie did were among my favorites because the passion for flying (both from Bessie as a character ans from the author herself) was so apparent. I also liked the exhilarating, tense way that the book began. However, the beginning section (Bessie's life before beginning flight training) dragged and had several awkwardly placed sex scenes that felt more gratuitous than anything and introduced a relationship that seemed extraneous. I also felt like the ending began too abruptly--as soon as I started to read the last chapter, it had a feeling reminiscent of a movie narrator imparting one last, grand life lesson as the camera pans out of the final scene and the credits begin to roll. Interestingly, I enjoyed the afterword the most, and I am also intrigued by the author's story of how she decided to become a pilot and what her journey to achieve her goal looked like. I wonder how a book more reminiscent of a memoir, which also discusses Bessie Coleman's life and training in detail, would go over. I did appreciate this book's historical setting and the vivid portrayals of the many obstacles Bessie Coleman faced (and overcame). I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical aviation.
I enjoyed learning more about Bessie Coleman and the world of aviation. The sections describing all of the training that Bessie did were among my favorites because the passion for flying (both from Bessie as a character ans from the author herself) was so apparent. I also liked the exhilarating, tense way that the book began. However, the beginning section (Bessie's life before beginning flight training) dragged and had several awkwardly placed sex scenes that felt more gratuitous than anything and introduced a relationship that seemed extraneous. I also felt like the ending began too abruptly--as soon as I started to read the last chapter, it had a feeling reminiscent of a movie narrator imparting one last, grand life lesson as the camera pans out of the final scene and the credits begin to roll. Interestingly, I enjoyed the afterword the most, and I am also intrigued by the author's story of how she decided to become a pilot and what her journey to achieve her goal looked like. I wonder how a book more reminiscent of a memoir, which also discusses Bessie Coleman's life and training in detail, would go over. I did appreciate this book's historical setting and the vivid portrayals of the many obstacles Bessie Coleman faced (and overcame). I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical aviation.
June 18, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. There is a small spoiler after the dotted line below.
A remarkable account of Bessie Coleman, the first documented black Aviatrix. Her story from Texas to Chicago to her training in Europe is remarkable, and her demise incredibly sad. How far would she have gone if fates were different? I loved that this book was written by a pilot, as the desciptions of the engines, the training, and the flying of the planes rang true.
--------spoiler-------
Her story fascinated me as did the authors notes, I just found the book to be long and too detailed on some things. I know she had to have met some fascinating and famous people, but sometimes the interactions didn't do much for the story and could have been thinned. I was completely turned off by the graphic sex scene fairly early on. It was unnecessary and frankly I don't really want to imagine the real people in my historical fiction novels this way. It made the book cheaper and it will be hard for me to recommend it to my patrons who are historical fiction fans. The age group for this reader in my library explicitly say they don't want this. It really nearly ruined the book for me and I have a pretty high threshold - but I do also read for my book club and my patrons, so this will always factor into my reviews.
So while I really enjoyed the book, I will give it a 3*
A remarkable account of Bessie Coleman, the first documented black Aviatrix. Her story from Texas to Chicago to her training in Europe is remarkable, and her demise incredibly sad. How far would she have gone if fates were different? I loved that this book was written by a pilot, as the desciptions of the engines, the training, and the flying of the planes rang true.
--------spoiler-------
Her story fascinated me as did the authors notes, I just found the book to be long and too detailed on some things. I know she had to have met some fascinating and famous people, but sometimes the interactions didn't do much for the story and could have been thinned. I was completely turned off by the graphic sex scene fairly early on. It was unnecessary and frankly I don't really want to imagine the real people in my historical fiction novels this way. It made the book cheaper and it will be hard for me to recommend it to my patrons who are historical fiction fans. The age group for this reader in my library explicitly say they don't want this. It really nearly ruined the book for me and I have a pretty high threshold - but I do also read for my book club and my patrons, so this will always factor into my reviews.
So while I really enjoyed the book, I will give it a 3*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2023
Very intresting life, a bit lengthy book
July 6, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From the publisher Henry Holt Co: An airline captain crafts a riveting, adventurous novel inspired by the remarkable true life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a Black woman who learned to fly at the dawn of aviation and found freedom in the air
A few years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, Bessie was working the Texas cotton fields with her family when an airplane flew over their heads. It buzzed so low she thought she could catch it in her hands. Bessie was fearless. She knew there was freedom in those wings.
But in 1920, no one in the United States will train a Black woman to fly. So, twenty-eight-year-old Bessie learns to speak French and sets off for Europe. Two years ahead of Amelia Earhart, Bessie earns her pilot's license, and later she learns death-defying stunts from French and German dogfighting combat pilots.
While she finds no prejudice in the air, Bessie wrestles with other challenges on the ground. A plane crash nearly kills her, her brothers seem to be crumbling under the weight of Jim Crow, and, while grappling with tough truths about Binga, Bessie begins to wonder if the freedom she finds in the sky means she must otherwise fly solo.
****************
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️My review: Historical fiction with a known figure is one of my favorite genres. Books like The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, The Lost Daughter, The Secret Wife, The Personal Librarian and In the Time of Butterflies really bring history alive and always make me research more. Research = learning.
I knew a little about Bessie Colman from teaching elementary school and reading about her when we studied the history of Chicago. But her life, fictionalized or not, was remarkable.
While Bessie worked hard and took her education and training very seriously, she also had the added weight of being "the first". She was well aware of this and it made her even more determined.
In our era of instant everything, Bessie had to plan for years to reach her goal of flight school. Her drive and persistence were clear. I also learned about early flight and planes...literally putting one's life on the line. I did some research about Jesse Binga and Robert Abbot--both real and both helped Bessie. No information on Jesse and Bessie and their private life. That's the great thing about historical fiction--an author can make you believe and make more come alive.
Amazing story about an amazing woman with ties to Chicago. :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.
May 13, 2024
On 15 June 1921, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in France granted a black female aviator named Bessie Coleman her pilot’s license. Coleman - the tenth of thirteen children born in Waxahachie, Texas to a family with African American and Native American heritage - became the very first person of color to obtain an official FAI pilot’s license. Inspired by the courage of European female aviators (and having been denied admission by flight schools in the US), this fearless young woman learned to speak and understand French (and later German), and made a journey from Chicago to France to pursue her dream. A Pair of Wings is a fictionalized account of her life, thoroughly researched and written in an engaging first-person style that draws the reader into Coleman's life and time, a period of American history when women remained relegated to a status as second-class citizens, and opportunities for women of color were especially limited.
Bessie's dream of flying through the air was sparked by an incident in her childhood when a plane flew close overhead while she was working in the field with her family picking cotton. Bessie spontaneously raised her own arms and pretended to fly, recognizing the freedom flight could bring. As a young adult, she joined many other Black people from the South in the Great Migration to the North, traveling to Chicago, where her two older brothers had already settled. Working as a manicurist and obtaining sponsorships from Prominent and wealthy Black entrepreneurs, she accumulated the funds she needed to travel to France and enroll in flight school. Besides basic pilot training, she also traveled to other parts of Europe to learn from other famous aviators the techniques and tricks that allowed her to become a barnstormer, entertaining large crowds with daredevil feats once she returned to the stats. Her lifelong goal, though, was to capture the imaginations of others like herself, and open her own flight school for students of color, to enable others of her race and gender to avail themselves of opportunities that had once been denied to her.
Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Co, and to #NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an objective review. I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating novel, and appreciate the opportunity to learn about this brave young woman. 4-1/2 enthusiastic stars.
Bessie's dream of flying through the air was sparked by an incident in her childhood when a plane flew close overhead while she was working in the field with her family picking cotton. Bessie spontaneously raised her own arms and pretended to fly, recognizing the freedom flight could bring. As a young adult, she joined many other Black people from the South in the Great Migration to the North, traveling to Chicago, where her two older brothers had already settled. Working as a manicurist and obtaining sponsorships from Prominent and wealthy Black entrepreneurs, she accumulated the funds she needed to travel to France and enroll in flight school. Besides basic pilot training, she also traveled to other parts of Europe to learn from other famous aviators the techniques and tricks that allowed her to become a barnstormer, entertaining large crowds with daredevil feats once she returned to the stats. Her lifelong goal, though, was to capture the imaginations of others like herself, and open her own flight school for students of color, to enable others of her race and gender to avail themselves of opportunities that had once been denied to her.
Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Co, and to #NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an objective review. I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating novel, and appreciate the opportunity to learn about this brave young woman. 4-1/2 enthusiastic stars.
February 18, 2024
In 1915 Bessie Coleman was among the many African American that came along with the Great Migration, those Black people leaving the South and migrating to northern cities looking for jobs and better opportunities for better lives. Bessie settled in Chicago and after living with her two brothers and their wives, she found a small apartment and became a manicurist at a men’s barbershop However Bessie had a dream, a dream to become an aviator. In the 1920’s the nation was changing and the South was steeped in racism with the Jim Crow laws taking affect, where lynching was common place. While women earned the right to vote, it was not so for the Black people in these Southern communities.
With her dream in place, through the help of two friends, James Binga a black banker and Robert Abbott, founder and publisher of the “Chicago Defender” a newspaper for Black readers, she was able to have her dream become a reality. As women, no matter race, were not allowed to attend flight schools in America, through the financial help of her two friends, Jessie made her way to France and study abroad.. By 1921 she received her pilot’s license; this made her the first American and black women to achieve this status as her dream became a reality. Following her time in France, she studies in both Holland and Germany where she learned the “art” of barnstorming.. Returning to the United States, she put on air shows and garnered much fame and admirers.
Bessie Coleman was a strong, independent woman who let nothing stand in the way of her desire to fly. Fearless and determined, she wanted others to follow in her path; perhaps she would start a school where she could teach. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as at the age of 34 she died in an accident.
This book was amazing in its telling while I learned about someone I never heard of. It brought me to the times in the 20’s where hardship for these Black minorities was swept under the carpet. While Bessie Coleman didn’t always have it easy, it gave her community hope with the thought that they too could have a dream to follow.
My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With her dream in place, through the help of two friends, James Binga a black banker and Robert Abbott, founder and publisher of the “Chicago Defender” a newspaper for Black readers, she was able to have her dream become a reality. As women, no matter race, were not allowed to attend flight schools in America, through the financial help of her two friends, Jessie made her way to France and study abroad.. By 1921 she received her pilot’s license; this made her the first American and black women to achieve this status as her dream became a reality. Following her time in France, she studies in both Holland and Germany where she learned the “art” of barnstorming.. Returning to the United States, she put on air shows and garnered much fame and admirers.
Bessie Coleman was a strong, independent woman who let nothing stand in the way of her desire to fly. Fearless and determined, she wanted others to follow in her path; perhaps she would start a school where she could teach. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as at the age of 34 she died in an accident.
This book was amazing in its telling while I learned about someone I never heard of. It brought me to the times in the 20’s where hardship for these Black minorities was swept under the carpet. While Bessie Coleman didn’t always have it easy, it gave her community hope with the thought that they too could have a dream to follow.
My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2024
Synopsis: Bessie Coleman is one of America's unsung Aviation heroes. Born to former slaves in Texas, Bessie knows what it feels like to toil in the fields picking cotton and suffering under the Klan and white supremacy. She, however, has a dream! When she was just a young girl, Bessie heard of the fantastic exploits of the Wright Brothers, and ever since then, she has dreamed of flying. She knows that if she stays in the deep South, that dream will never come true. So, she embarks on a lifelong journey to reach the sky. Starting with life up north in Chicago, Bessie quickly learns no one in America will teach an African American woman to fly, so she heads to France. Bessie is the first African American and American of any race to obtain an international aviation license from France. She continues learning barnstorming and aviation aerobatics in Holland and Germany.
Thoughts: Before I picked up this book, I had never heard of Bessie Coleman, which is a shame. Bessie was a brave and courageous soul whose story should be inspiring millions; instead, until now, she has been hiding away, forgotten in the history books. This book does not hold anything back, and I love it. It fully describes the challenges that an African American living in the early 1900s would have faced, from lynchings, beatings, and rape to the day to to day humiliation our African American brothers and sisters faced. But, through it all, Bessie held her head high and made her dreams come true! Carole Hopson has written an excellent historical fiction novel of Bessie's life. While some parts seemed to drag on, I could not put this book down. With each victory, I cheered for Bessie! Hopson, a pilot herself, keeps Bessie's dream of encouraging African American women to take to the skies! Hopson has founded a non-profit scholarship for African American pilots, hoping to send 100 women to flight school by the year 2035.
https://www.jetblackfoundation.org/
Thoughts: Before I picked up this book, I had never heard of Bessie Coleman, which is a shame. Bessie was a brave and courageous soul whose story should be inspiring millions; instead, until now, she has been hiding away, forgotten in the history books. This book does not hold anything back, and I love it. It fully describes the challenges that an African American living in the early 1900s would have faced, from lynchings, beatings, and rape to the day to to day humiliation our African American brothers and sisters faced. But, through it all, Bessie held her head high and made her dreams come true! Carole Hopson has written an excellent historical fiction novel of Bessie's life. While some parts seemed to drag on, I could not put this book down. With each victory, I cheered for Bessie! Hopson, a pilot herself, keeps Bessie's dream of encouraging African American women to take to the skies! Hopson has founded a non-profit scholarship for African American pilots, hoping to send 100 women to flight school by the year 2035.
https://www.jetblackfoundation.org/
August 16, 2024
“A Pair of Wings” by Carole Hopson is Ms. Hopson’s debut novel. This is an awesome story about Aviatrix and heroine Bessie Coleman. Bessie was the tenth of thirteen children born in Waxahachie, Texas to a family of African American and Native American heritage.
As one would deduce, life for Bessie Coleman was not easy. Her dream was to fly planes. No flight school in the United States would train an African American woman. This did not stop Bessie. She learned French and made her way to France tin order to fulfill her dream. She became the first black female aviator earning her FAI (Federation Aeronautique International) pilots license on June 15, 1921. (A full two years prior to Ms. Earhart obtaining hers)
Ms. Hopson does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into Bessie’s life and time. While the story itself is considered historical fiction, Ms. Hopson has thoroughly and meticulously researched Bessie’s life. The story is written in the first person so the reader feels what Bessie feels with all it’s ups and downs. Bessie gives the reader a glimpse of fortitude not found in many people. To follow her dreams she left everything she knew behind which is not an easy thing to do. While she didn’t have the financial backing of the other famous Aviatrix she never let lack of funding deter her. Her other goal after learning to fly was to spark the imaginations of others to open and own a flight school for students of color. She wanted to create the opportunities that were denied to her.
I think one thing that struck me was how vivid Bessie’s flights were. Well I always heard that you should write that of which you know. Well, Ms. Hopson in her second act, decided to fulfill her life long dream to become a pilot. She is now a Captain for United Airlines. I highly recommend this debut novel. I totally enjoyed this fascinating novel and was delighted to learn about Bessie Coleman.
As one would deduce, life for Bessie Coleman was not easy. Her dream was to fly planes. No flight school in the United States would train an African American woman. This did not stop Bessie. She learned French and made her way to France tin order to fulfill her dream. She became the first black female aviator earning her FAI (Federation Aeronautique International) pilots license on June 15, 1921. (A full two years prior to Ms. Earhart obtaining hers)
Ms. Hopson does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into Bessie’s life and time. While the story itself is considered historical fiction, Ms. Hopson has thoroughly and meticulously researched Bessie’s life. The story is written in the first person so the reader feels what Bessie feels with all it’s ups and downs. Bessie gives the reader a glimpse of fortitude not found in many people. To follow her dreams she left everything she knew behind which is not an easy thing to do. While she didn’t have the financial backing of the other famous Aviatrix she never let lack of funding deter her. Her other goal after learning to fly was to spark the imaginations of others to open and own a flight school for students of color. She wanted to create the opportunities that were denied to her.
I think one thing that struck me was how vivid Bessie’s flights were. Well I always heard that you should write that of which you know. Well, Ms. Hopson in her second act, decided to fulfill her life long dream to become a pilot. She is now a Captain for United Airlines. I highly recommend this debut novel. I totally enjoyed this fascinating novel and was delighted to learn about Bessie Coleman.
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