Category: Historical Fiction Publisher: Story Creek Books
Pages: 164
Copyright: January 24, 2012
Liddy Hall is a determined young woman living in the U.S. during WWII and has applied to the Women Airforce Service Pilot program. Full of adventure, heartbreak and joy, Wings is an engaging and moving story that transports readers to a life-altering time in history.
Liddy Hall is a determined young woman living in the U.S. during WWII. Like many women during this time, Liddy has to deal with the heaviness of the war while she tries to provide for herself and her family. Unlike many women, she’s applied to the Women Airforce Service Pilot program. Her excitement about the possibility of being accepted into the WASP is mixed with the apprehensions of leaving her ailing father and the only home and life she’s ever known.
War complicates life and life complicates war as Liddy’s journey brings new friendships and love into her life that will change her forever.
Full of adventure, heartbreak and joy, Wings is an engaging and moving story that transports readers to a life-altering time in history. Liddy Hall and the other characters in this funny and moving story will endear and entertain as they learn what it means to truly have wings.
Excerpt
Liddy’s backside was perched in the air and her head plunged deep inside the cockpit of a shiny new civilian Fairchild PT. Her hands explored the body, while she studied every detail of the ship’s guts with her eyes.
Jerry Bluff entered the hangar. “Liddy, you climb down from there!”
She ignored the order and continued her inspection. “Can I take her up?”
“No, definitely no,” Jerry yelled. His aggravation chopped his breathing, pushing his middle-aged paunch in and out in a quick rhythm. His effort to cross the hanger taxed him, his exhales stressed his shirt buttons, and perspiration broke out on his forehead.
Liddy looked at Jerry from over her shoulder. “The engine hasn’t been broken in, has it?”
“Yes, it has and listen here, you’re not taking up this plane or any other until you reconcile your account.” Jerry folded his arms across his chest, not realizing his tie had flopped clumsily over his arms.
Liddy dug into her pocket before remembering her take from the show that day was gone. She jumped down from the plane and approached Jerry. He tightened up the lock of his arms as if he was creating a shield from Liddy.
“You don’t want me to head off to serve your country having only flown those old ships of Crik’s and the skeletons you’ve been letting me fly, do ya’?”
“Skeletons? None of my planes...” Jerry held his ground. “This is a business, Miss.”
“I have a big show coming up. I’ll get caught up, I promise.”
Jerry maintained his stern disposition but was quick to give Liddy some slack. “At Crik’s place?”
“Yeah,” Liddy fudged and thought, I’ll start the day at Crik’s place.
“What’s so special about this show?”
“There’s four or five buses coming over from Genner Springs,” still fudging. Surely someone might be there from Genner Springs. There could be a bus.
“Completely paid up?”
“In full,” Liddy said with the kind of confidence that was hard to doubt.
“Okay, but I’m not blocking any time for you. You only go up when the schedule’s clear, and no more, definitely no more.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Liddy trotted back to the plane and jumped up on the wing, “So, can I take her up?”
“No, definitely no.”
Autumn 1940. Germany invades Britain. Newport is blitzed. Danny O’Shea’s house is bombed, his wife is killed. While taking his young son Adam to neutral Ireland, they witness an attack on a German convoy. The result is brutal.
Fourth Book in the Southern Swallow Series finds the Academician Li K'ai-men in exile on Hai-nan Island. China has a new invasion threat. A showdown between ingenuity and technology explodes as the Sung Dynasty tries to preserve itself.
