I thought this was a well written book with a little bit of everything: mystery, history, coming of age story. I thought Gertrude seemed like a pretty cool lady and I learned about the WASPs. I would recommend this to teens who enjoy history.

Seized by the Sun is a biography written for young readers of Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins, the only one of the 38 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) confirmed or presumed dead who is still missing. James W. Ure tells the story of Gertrude's life, from her childhood in New Jersey, her struggle with a speech impediment, her love of flying, to her training with the WASP. Ure also writes about the ongoing search for Gertrude's plane, presumed to have gone down in the Santa Monica Bay.

After reading many fictional accounts of WWII women aviators, it was very interesting to read about a real WASP and the details of her training, work, and friendships with fellow pilots.

An inspirational story of an unsolved mystery. I honestly had no idea that this woman existed. Her story was interesting and I only wish we knew what became of her.

During World War II, women were used extensively by the United States military to free up men to fight in the war. The American military industrial complex was churning out hundreds, if not thousands, of planes per day and struggled to find a way to transport the planes to their shipping destinations so that they would be able to be transferred overseas. There weren't enough male pilots available—as they were needed to be fighting—so the civilian Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) were created. In the course of three years, these courageous women flew over 60 million miles in every type of military aircraft, ferrying planes across the country, towing targets for live air defense exercises and serving as test pilots, flight instructors and much more.

38 WASPs gave their lives for their country. One is listed as still missing. Gertrude Thompkins took off from Mine Field in Los Angeles on 26 October 1944. She was never seen again. This is her story—and the story of all the other WASPs who broke down barriers for female pilots.

Overall, this was a pretty solid book. It's meant for middle-grade or younger high school students and has cool extra notes to give extra context for readers who might not know a whole lot about World War II, the Depression or the 1920s. I felt that the writing needed a little more brushing up, as there was a lot left out or jumped over, and I wanted to know more about certain parts of Gertrude's life instead of a couple chapters on goats. Much of the book is speculation about Gertrude's day to day life and opinions, mostly from interviews from her older sister, Elizabeth. The information of the WASPs was well done, but I felt like I had gotten more information on them from YA novels like Flygirl.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

First off thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book. I love wwii and will read any book I can get my hands on. This book was no exception I had heard of Gertrude Tompkins but only about her disappearance. This book helped me learn about her life and what lead her into a service in the WASPS. She was a fascinating person and I am so happy this was written about her. I do hope the solve the mystery of her disappearance. This book is very well written and worth a read.

I received a free eARC of this work of non-fiction book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins is the only one of the thirty-eight confirmed or presumed dead Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of World War II who is still missing. The thirty-two year old fighter plane pilot took off from Mines Field in Los Angeles, California en route to Palm Springs on October 26th, 2014. Gertrude was born in 1912 to a wealthy New Jersey family. She struggled and was teased throughout school (she had a terrible stutter) and she retreated into herself. As a young woman, she raised goats as well as crisscrossed the globe in order to find her true purpose in life. When the love of her life, a Royal Air Force pilot, was killed over Holland as WWII loomed over Europe, she devoted herself to learning to fly and applied to the newly formed WASPs. She became such fantastic pilot that she was one of only 126 WASPs selected to fly fighter planes. After flying a P-51 Mustang for the first time, she overcame her debilitating stutter. Tompkins sudden disappearance is still a mystery to this day with no success at finding her remains or the wreckage of her plane.

I've always been fascinated by women's efforts during World War II, from the WASPs, WAVEs, and WACs to their work in factories on the home front. Of them, I have always been the most fascinated in the WASPs. After having visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Museum in Dayton, Ohio to see their exhibition on these brave women, I became doubly interested so I've been particularly interested in finding them in fiction and non-fiction. While I enjoyed learning more about Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins life story, I would have preferred a more focused story on her time with the WASPs, as an organization or fellow pilots. While we learn quite a bit about her early life before she joins the war effort, it a little too long to get to that point - at nearly half way through the book in fact. Regardless, this YA Non-Fiction is definitely worth reading as a jumping off point regarding the WASPs and women's involvement in WWII.

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Seized by the Sun
The Life and Disappearance of World War II Pilot Gertrude Tompkins
by James W. Ure
Chicago Review Press

Teens & YA
Pub Date 01 Jul 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing Seized by the Sun through Chicago Review Press and Netgalley:

Today's U.S Air-Force was originally called the Air-Service.

Gertrude "Tommy Tompkins" was a women's airforce pilot. Gertrude came from a wealthy family with roots deep in New Jersey, nothing that would hint that one day this well bred girl would come to fly fighter planes.

Gertrude was born on October, 16,1911. The last born child in the family. Gertrude was educated at the Bergen School for girls. School was difficult for Gertrude not due to the academics but the fact that she stuttered.

Gertrude was inspired by Roosevelt to not let her stutter stop her, and she decided to go for her own adventures.

After graduating from College, Gertrude was encouraged to travel. She was encourage to her travel to Europe.

In 1936 Elizabeth Tompkins Whitall was struck with Polio and Gertrude became her companion throughout the next year, offering her moral support and friendship, as she had a nurse to care for her physically.

In 1939 and 1940, Gertrude read in the New York Times how the nation was changing. A singer named Frank Sinatra made his debut, Animated motion pictures became popular, McDonald's opened it's first restaurant in San Bernandino.

In late 1940 or early 1941 Gertrude met Stanley Michael Kolendorski, the man she would love the rest of her short life.

On September 10, 1942 a New York Herald Tribune headline read: Women pilot to fly for army.

Gertrude arrived at the Wasp's 318th Army Air Forces flying Training Detachment, was a busy base three miles from downtown Sweetwater, a town of about 10,000 in Central Texas.

The Woman had to pay their own way through flight school but the government paid for the men to travel and for flight school. Women also had to pay 1.65 a day for their room and board whereas men got there's free.

Most of the instructors were male. Some of the men on the base were openly hostile to the women.

As 1943 progressed and more women were flying, the death's amongst wasps were mounting.

After a month in Peco's, Gertrude was assigned to pursuit school where she would learn to fly pursuit or fighter planes.

It was on Silver Wings that Gertrude Thompson discovered who she was, what she was meant to do.

Gertrude graduated fighter school in Brownsville, she would be one of 126 to be flying one of the fastest and most powerful single engine fighter planes.

On October.06 1944 Gertrude sat in the Cockpit of the new P-51 D, it had only been a month since her wedding.

The last words she was heard to speak was "Tower, this is Mustang 669. Request clearance for take off." After that she was never heard from again, and for four days no one realized she was missing.

On October 30, 1944, Gertrude was declared missing. It remains unclear if the crash were a deliberate one, or an accidental one.

I give Seized by the Sun five out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

Gertrude, or Tommy as she was better known, Tompkins was a Womens Airforce Service Pilot (WASP). But unlike the 37 other WASPs whose eventual fate was confirmed, Gertrude still remains a bit of a mystery. This is her story from childhood, as a young girl in a wealthy, encouraging family as she struggles with overcoming a stutter, and is eventually inspired by Roosevelt to seek out adventures – which she definitely achieves – all the way through to her eventual disappearance. It is told predominantly using anecdotes from people who know Gertrude, or knew of her, which was really excellent for bringing her history together but also has some interesting facts from the time period which tie in nicely to set the scene a bit better for those unfamiliar with the era.

What I really loved about Gertrude’s story was that the author has really captured how much like so many young girls she was, with all the usual worries and struggles of being a woman and wondering if you’re on the right path – I think when you think of someone so brave as to be a WASP, it’s easy to forget how ordinary they might still be; this was a really refreshing addition to the book. Equally I love how much character she showed in going against what was expected from her family and being her own person anyway – her goats were a selling point, and a good touch of humour, for me.

Before reading this book I knew very little about WASPs, which was the perfect reason to get stuck in, and Jim Ure made me feel like I lived through it! The pictures and vivid descriptions really helped me imagine what a day in the life of a WASP might actually be like; I expect those more familiar with this might not find it as exciting as I did – but I was utterly captivated by it.

Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone wanting to expand their knowledge, or to any history fan; it is written in such a way that it really could work for just about anyone who wanted to learn a little bit more about the disappearance, and ongoing search, of Gertrude Tompkins.

The story of Gertrude Tomkins is interesting, but unfortunately this book does not do it justice. The writing is poor and the many speculations about what Gertrude might have none aren't appropriate in a biography.