Member Reviews

This is a novel that shares with us the courageous contribution women made in both England and the USA towards the WW2 endeavours. These women were willing to put their lives on the line and take on piloting planes to where they were needed. And... they were very successful.

Soraya M. Lane does and excellent job helping us get inside the lives of such young women. Often they were up agains 'the establishment' and the attitudes and prejudices of the populace. Yet despite these niggles these women were amazing.

The story is told of May who leads the English group, she is asked to take on the task of organising and training. She has heartache of her own - everyone is touched by the war in some way, never to be the same again. Then there is Ruby - a tiny woman who can eventually fly the biggest planes - she too has her own heartaches and worry. Lastly Lizzie the outspoken American who is so confident and ready to voice her opinions and every corner.

As the reader I came to love these women, I liked the small details of the drawbacks that women faced flying these planes, and that they overcame with good spirit. I enjoyed the love interests each of them had and that added so much to the story. I especially enjoyed the epilogue - icing on the cake!

Informative, inspiring and well worth the read. Yes women can do anything, which reminds me I had the pleasure once of meeting a woman USA astronaut. I think May, Ruby and Lizzie would have been right there if they lived in a different era. However their push for gender equality enabled women of the future to aim high.

Was this review helpful?

The Spitfire Girls is a perfect example of historical fiction detailing women who deserve respect. May, Ruby and Lizzie ferried planes during WWII. Based on actual people, the story is fascinating. Of course these women were treated inferior. The story shows the strength of these women during an horrific time period. It's informative and engaging. There are many things to love about the characters. Read it!

Was this review helpful?

I loved this story from the very first chapter. This is a fictional story centered around a real life group of women. Some of the main characters were based on real ladies in history. It shows you how far women’s rights have advanced in the last 50-60 years. Not only legal rights but how people view women. Great story! Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Took me a little while to get fully involved in the plot but once I did, I loved it. Good characters for the most part and an interesting story. Looking forward to more from the author!

Was this review helpful?

Very similar to other books on this subject. The important role women pilots played in the war flying planes around England was not fully appreciated until near the end of the war. The lives and loves and deaths of these daring young girls make for an extremely interesting read.

Was this review helpful?

This is a work of historical fiction detailing the relatively unknown story of female pilots ferrying war planes in WWII. I had no idea women played such a pivotal role.
The book could also be categorized as women’s fiction for the emotion shown by the characters and their families. May reminded me very much of JD Robb’s Eve Dallas character because she got too far into her own head, thought too hard, and shouldered a lot. A bit too heavy on the introspection with that one. But I thoroughly enjoyed Ruby, who was indeed a spitfire, humbly piloting war planes with immense skill.
All in all a good read. I recommend this one.

Was this review helpful?

A fascinating insight into the role played by the ATA and WASPS during WW2. The women who flew spitfires, bombers, seaplanes etc during the war, transporting them across Britain and US, to ensure that they had the planes required for combat. A little known part of WW2 history, these women were some of the first to strive for equality, and were determined to help their country in war. The one subtle difference was that in Britain they had to fly without radio support or navigation aids, using only maps and roads, train lines, rivers etc to find their way - a significantly more difficult and challenging operation. These were truly courageous women, putting their lives at risk, who were then expected to go home when peace was as declared.

Was this review helpful?

What an amazing story and the fact that. It's based on factual events makes it more interesting as I never knew or heard about this group of fantastic women. The author pays them the credit and gratitude that they deserve for their heroic acts while still writing a lovely story around the characters. I will be definitely checking out more books by this author.

Was this review helpful?

A beautifully written story based on the true story of the brave women pilots of WW2.
We follow May, Ruby and Lizzie as they fight prejudice on both sides of the Atlantic. Along the way they face loss and find love and these women are true pioneers of women's rights.
Aust for anyone who loves books about strong women and is interested in the work of women I. The war

Was this review helpful?

Read this if you need women of strength and courage to motivate you. Our foremothers put themselves out there to open doors for generations to come, to prove the worth, power and ability of women. You wish for the characters to have that happy ending, with respect and romance from some supportive men to draw you into what their futures may hold

Was this review helpful?

I adored this book!! These characters had such strong personalities and I feel in love with each and every one!! I also learned so much from this story!!! You will not be sorry you read this book!!

Was this review helpful?

A work of fiction based on a true story about the women aviators who flew the Spitfire planes during WorldWar II. What a remarkable story this is!
It tells of female pilots recruited in both the United States and England to serve as noncombatants so that more male flyers would be available for combat duty.
Picking up damaged planes from war zones to bring to home air-fields for repair was difficult and dangerous, but these women did it with skill and determinations.
Their efforts were an inspiring display of heroism and patriotism but they received very little recognition until near the end of the war.
These brave women were ignored or looked upon as secondary to their male counterparts.
It was during the end of the war that the honors and accolades they deserved were given to these fine females.
Their exploits played an important role in history as to why the members of the 40's decade were called "The Greatest Generation".
Definitely a good, well written book!

Was this review helpful?

This book is different from other historical books of a similar era. The book is very well written and it also told me facts that I didn’t know
The story is very easy to follow and the characters are very likeable
A great historical fiction book

Was this review helpful?

A timely tale in the RAF’s centenary year, which weaves fact with fiction to celebrate the incredible sacrifices and ground-breaking achievements of female pilots during the Second World War. The narrative is woven around the friendships forged between the three central characters of diffident Ruby, stoic May and outspoken American, Lizzie. We follow their lives as they support the war effort by piloting planes, finding romance whilst enduring sexism, tragedy and the adversities incumbent on their roles as pioneers of the female pilot squadrons: the ATA and the WASP. This story will strike a chord with anyone old enough to have experienced the war first-hand or have an interest in women during the war. The writing style is accessible and I recommend this book. The Author’s Note also details the facts underpinning the fiction and is extremely interesting. The end result is that I now really want to read more about the inspirational real lives of Jackie Cochrane and Pauline Gower.

Was this review helpful?

A fascinating story together with a cast of trail-blazing women pilots who came together to overcome prejudice and societal stereotypes, changing the face of history, and whose daring contribution helped win a world war. A winning combination.

Was this review helpful?

I read a lot of WWII books and it's always great to find one with a different perspective and to learn something new. This novel looks at the war from the view of the British Air Transport Auxiliary . These brave women were pilots who shuttled planes to the bases where they were needed and to free up the male pilots for combat. At the same time, a similar group was being started in the US. These women were faced with discrimination from almost everyone -including the male pilots and often times, their own families. They work to fly the planes while they are fighting for respect and equal pay as they try to do their part in helping their county's war efforts.

There are three main characters: May, the group commander in England who is fighting demons of her own due to the loss of her brother; May, a petite woman who is engaged to an RAF pilot and Lizzie, an American who went to England to fly with the BATA and learn more about the program so that she could replicate it in the US. All three women bring great flying skills but vastly different personalities to the group. Can they overcome their differences and work together to help aviation in their country during wartime?

I definitely enjoyed learning more about what these brave women did during WWII and how they showed their countries what they could accomplish. This is an enjoyable book that will teach readers more about women's roles during the 40s. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?