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Grace O'Gorman, the star-bright aviatrix of Helen Humphreys's debut novel, Leaving Earth, adores her Moth--a two-seat, open-cockpit biplane. It's the 1930s, and together they have wowed the world with stunts, solo long-distance flights, and other record-breaking trips. Glamorous "Air Ace" Grace feels most at home aloft, as opposed to down on Earth, in Toronto, with her husband. That, along with her competitiveness and affinity for fame, is why she's setting out to break the world flight endurance record. She teams up with a young female flyer, Willa Briggs, to circle Toronto for 25 days in August 1933.
In a spare yet warm style, Humphreys unfurls the pair's airborne life. She conjures the physical miseries it inflicts on the body--brought on by rain, cramped space, exhaustion--and makes the subtleties of that exhaustion clear as a cloudless sky. But beyond descriptions of physical discomfort is the emotional distress and elation Willa goes through, to which the author gives exquisite nuance. There's loneliness that forces introspection, yet joy washes over Willa, too--joy for a stripped-down life in the sky with Grace, with whom she is falling in love. Over the roar of the wind Grace and Willa develop a poetic sign language. Around this and around the experience of the sky, Humphreys winds Willa's highs and lows.
Following the Moth's flight is 11-year-old Maddy, whose father and Jewish mother work at a fading amusement park on the Toronto Islands. Maddy worships Grace and so naturally spends her August days tracking the circling biplane. Meanwhile her parents worry about work in the face of the depression and watch a growing anti-Semitism invade their home. From the earth and the sky Humphreys shapes a keen story about human frailty and potential, set when aviation was all about glamour, and World War II not so far away. Here, fear spreads and intimacy blooms. --Katherine Alberg
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. As they take to the air, the focus shifts to Maddy, a young girl who idolizes the two women whilst fearing for her safety as the Canadian Nazis move in. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780747542292
Book Description Condition: New. pp. 214. Seller Inventory # 55189342
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. Seller Inventory # B9780747542292
Book Description Condition: New. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. Num Pages: 214 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 196 x 257 x 14. Weight in Grams: 188. . 1999. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9780747542292
Book Description Condition: New. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. Num Pages: 214 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 196 x 257 x 14. Weight in Grams: 188. . 1999. Paperback. . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780747542292
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # FV-9780747542292
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. As they take to the air, the focus shifts to Maddy, a young girl who idolizes the two women whilst fearing for her safety as the Canadian Nazis move in. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780747542292
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. As they take to the air, the focus shifts to Maddy, a young girl who idolizes the two women whilst fearing for her safety as the Canadian Nazis move in. Set in 1930s Canada, this novel tells the story of Willa and Grace, two female pilots attempting to break the world record for non-stop flight. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780747542292