This fact based historical novel tells us about the unsung heroes of World War 2; the women of WASPs: Women Airforce Service Pilots. These brave women signed up to fly planes, freeing up men to fly in battle., while the WASP corp delivers planes of all types to wherever they are needed. In 1944 Eva Scott signs up to be a WASP,, and heads to Camp Davis, North Carolina for training. It is brutal training in a brutal place; the weather is terrible, the accommodations even worse, the uniforms are made for men and don't fit, and many of the instructors (men!) are contemptuous of these brave young women,. But Eva makes friends, her best friend Nina has also been accepted for training, and the hardships only bring the WASPs closer together and make them determined to prove all the doubters wrong. But when the war is over, the women are denied military benefits, and the recognition due them in spite of their critical contribution. Now in her later years, Eva goes to Washington to testify before Congress in an attempt to win the benefits that the WASP corp deserves.

Beyond the Horizon is a story of the friendship and love that survives the decades despite loss, distance and adversity. Ella recounts her story and that of her friends, alternating between the past as she lived it and the present as she testifies to doubters in Congress. It's a heartwarming story that shines the light on the contributions of these wonderful women. Everyone should read this book!

I really wish Goodreads would allow awarding half stars when contributing to books I review. While I can't fully acknowledge this story as a four star read, I am going to give it three and a half stars. Learning more about the WASP pilots of WWII is enough to push this title further than average. That said, I can't really commit to a full four stars because I didn't enjoy this book as much as my fellow readers. Why? For starters, I did not connect with Eva, the protagonist, who I found slightly whiney. Eva was a hot mess of contradiction. I feel like Carey wrote Eva, one of thirty eight female pilots during WWII, to be strong willed and brave. But, I wouldn't define Eva as strong as her female counterparts. In fact, I wish Carey would have chosen Rita or Helena as her protagonist. Now, those women had leading lady potential. I dunno. Eva seemed meek; a follower. Did she become a female pilot to please her BFF and her love interest or was she just going along with their desires? I do give Eva props for volunteering her services to our nation. However, Eva was extremely weak when it came to personal choices. I was frustrated with her inability to SPEAK UP. I really wanted to whack Eva for not being able to form the word "no" on her lips. I despised her controlling mother. Eva has zero fear of flying a dozen different type of aircraft but lacks the balls to tell her mother to shut her mouth. (FYI: Eva's mother resides in 1944, when women were expected to marry at eighteen and produce nineteen kids...and counting.) So, yeah. That aspect of Eva annoyed me. I couldn't get past it. Nor can I get past stories that have relationships developing at breakneck speed, with little build up. Which brings me to another point: time frame. Carey creates a climatic moment and races through it so fast that I'm hurrying the pages backwards to see WTF I missed. Turns out—nothing. Pivotal moments become after thoughts, as if the author got tired of that scenario and quickly moved on. I would have liked to have had a bit more elaboration. I feel like dramatic moments deserved better recognition. Instead, Carey focused on goopy romantic interests. Bleckkk. Ok. So, what did I like about this storyline?

I was originally attracted to <i>Beyond the Horizon</i> for its historical content. Ella Carey did some real-life investigating and based some of her story on actual events. My father, sister, uncles, and youngest son served in the military. I salute each of them. Especially on Veterans Day — a day to honor all branches of military and its servicemen/women. My uncle was an air force pilot. He was pretty tough; quite the badass. I became intrigued by the women pilots of WWII. I suspect it takes a badass woman to forego the traditional roles of yesterday. I can't begin to fathom towing a target while being fired upon...in a plane I'm piloting. During WWII!! In case you're unfamiliar, these courageous women went unrecognized as military until President Jimmy Carter formally recognized them in 1977. Carey tells her story through Congressional hearings, as one WASP relives her training in Sweetwater, Texas at Avenger Field, and her station at Camp Davis in North Carolina. The story focuses on a group of women who become sisters in war. I liked this portion best and enjoyed getting to know each woman individually. Carey turns real-life into fiction and creates a likeable, supportive cast of characters to reenact actual events. Of course, this led me on my own journey of discovery. I found myself Googling female participation during WWII and it slowed my reading pace down more times than I can recall. I thank Ella Carey for sparking an interest in the important roles women played in wartime, highlighting a fierce sisterhood of pilots.

Overall, I believe this was an entertaining read. Historical fiction fans seem to agree. 🌟🌟🌟 and 1/2.



* Many thanks to publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone.

At the height of WWII when many boys were drafted into service, Eva Scott’s sights were set on doing anything she could for the war effort, despite her being female. While her mother wished she wanted to stay close to home and find a husband, Eva’s happy place was in the air, flying an airplane.
To her mother’s dismay, Eva Scott was accepted to Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and went to train in Texas, and ultimately at Camp Davis in North Carolina.
The WASP involvement in WWII is one that is not well known. I loved learning about this particular part of history, of these women in wartime who were wildly outnumbered and degraded by men, treated like second class citizens and not truly being recognized for their military service until 30 years later. The story seemed to drag at times; the flight jargon took away from the plot when it was concentrated, and the interactions between characters felt unnatural and unrealistic in places.
Overall, Eva’s courage and that of her fellow pilots was inspiring. Beyond the Horizon shed light on the women of WASP and their heroic efforts in WWII, as well as their fight to finally be recognized for their military efforts. This book was eye opening and a refreshing perspective to WWII.
3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Historical fiction time! I feel like celebrating every time I get the opportunity to read one of these, seriously. I don't ever pick them for myself (like, when I'm perusing Thrift Books or Barnes & Noble), so I appreciate being given the opportunity to do so through LSBBT blog tours!

Beyond the Horizon is a fictional book set during WWII, but it does involve real places and events. Specifically, this novel is about Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the group of women who assisted the military during combat. I had absolutely no idea that this group of women existed, so I was especially ecstatic to find out about this wonderful group of women through this beautifully told story.

There are several characters in Beyond the Horizon, but the story itself centers around Eva. It begins with the process of learning to fly with the help of her friend Harry. Both Eva and her friend Nina apply and are accepted to WASP and it begins this tale of learning how to maneuver life outside of their community and into the much larger world of combat and flying.

Ella Carey has done a gorgeous job of writing a story that not only gives us a singular example of strength and courage in the character of Eva, but also gives us intricately woven story of a group of women who fight against the odds. Beyond the Horizon transports the reader to the time of WWII, but it also takes us to a time where women were learning their way in the world and their discovery of the freedom that was there to grasp. I am, above all, a character-driven reader. This novel answers that call most definitely. I can feel that these characters are almost tangible. Perhaps it's the backdrop of flying and the military, but it is entirety of Carey's writing that brings life to these characters. And it goes without saying that the backdrop and story of this novel is as intense and intricate as the characters we come to love.

Page-turning and fantastically written - all readers should pick up this novel!

There is so much in history that I don't know and this book brings to light another aspect of WWII, the female pilots in the US that helped support our military troops. I'm talking about WASP - Women Airforce Service Pilots. This group of women did things to assist the military in training the men for combat - like pulling targets in the air for men to shoot at to perfect their aim. That takes some guts to be willing to drag a target and be shot at in the air!

While this book is fiction it is based on real places and events. This enabled me to learn more while enjoying the story about a band of women that forged a bond over planes and their love of flying. These women endured many hardships during their five month training at Avenger Field in Sweetwater Texas, but it made them stronger both physically and mentally.

The story opens in 1977 at a farmer's market and Eva's son rushes up to her informing her that someone is trying to get the WASP recognized as part of the military for everything they did during the war. This simple action brings back some memories for Eva but not many as we learn she was in a horrible accident which wiped that event from her memory. Eva's story unfolds as she decides to assist by testifying in front of Congress about her time in the WASP. Each chapter opens with a question from Congress followed by Eva's response. If you have ever listened to inquiries by a congressional committee, they are very dry and sometimes you have to wonder if someone thought about the question before asking. We are then brought back in time as events unfolded in Sweetwater, California, and North Carolina over the span of about a year and followed a small band of women - Eva, Nina, Rita, and Helena as the primary group. We follow their lives, the rough conditions they endured while training, the lack of respect from many men, the fear of washing out from the slightest impropriety, to the success of earning their wings at the end of the training.

Eva is the main focus of the story, and for a woman in the 1940s, she is progressive thanks to the influence of her father. Her mother is fairly typical of the time and only wants to see Eva married with children. Thankfully, Eva's dreams a bigger and brighter. Eva's mom was annoying at times, but that is my perception based on being born and raised decades later. Eva has two close friends, Harry and Nina. Harry works with Eva at the Lockheed facility and teaches her to fly, including some intense training once she is accepted as a WASP. Harry is also Eva's first love but unfortunately he doesn't see her in the same light. Nina has the same dream as Eva, to fly through the skies. Both women feel a sense of peace when up in the clouds. Being accepted to the WASP program is a way for Eva and Nina to spread their wings beyond their community in Burbank CA.

I was enraptured by this story from beginning to end. The intertwining of stories from the past to the present, the joy and heartbreak that the characters endure. There were some surprising twists and turns that caught me by surprise and Eva too since it affected her life. Because many of these happened near the end I won't go into detail since some of it is spoilers. But suffice it to say that I wondered about the motivation of some of the characters, especially Jack who Eva eventually marries.

There were a few lines that stood out to me while reading that I feel captured the essence of the story the author is telling.

"Mom, Dad, have you ever experienced a true taste of freedom? Have you ever known what it feels like to soar, high over the land? Its as if nothing matters when you are up there. It's as damned close to infinity as you can get."

"Ever since Meg died, I feel like I've been just existing. Pushing one foot after the other. Nothing feels alive anymore. But when I'm up in the sky with you...."

"It's an opportunity that women of my generation would never have had. That's why I say it's doubly important."

"The freedom to fly and be paid for it. The chance to contribute in a real way to our country and to the war."

"We need to keep today with us. Always. We need to remember the women who dies flying for the WASP. We must not pretend our time as WASP never happened."

"The gavel came down on the WASP bill, and the House of Representatives moved straight on to the next matter in two seconds flat."


This is a story for anyone that loves to fly or enjoys learning about WWII history. I learned a lot and enjoyed the author's notes at the end that told about her personal connection and interest in this subject. We give this book 4 paws up.

I loved the dual timelines of this book and I really didn't know anything about WASPs so I learned a lot in the process. This is just one of many in the historical genre that deals with WWII and it is one of the better done books.

It's a story of love and friendship and of bravery of the women and the job they performed that was critical to the overall success of the war. I thought the descriptions of the book were well done, some made me feel like I was there and I thought the characters were very well developed and thought out.

Overall, a really good book. I enjoyed reading it.

This dual time line historical fiction book is about the WASPs - Women Airforce Service Pilots - that were created during WWII. The goal of this group was to free up male pilots for overseas combat by using female pilots in the US to fly planes from the factories to the US military bases. There had never been any female pilots in the military and they were met with prejudice and worse by the male service members. Beyond the Horizon is about this brave group of women who defied history and did their part to help the US during WWII. The book is the story of Eva during WWII and in the 1970s when the WASPs were trying to get military benefits.

Eva and her best friend Nina loved to fly and when they read about the new women's group being formed, they both knew that they wanted to be part of it. When they received their acceptance letters on the same day, they were elated and went to training in Texas together. In training they met Helena who became a close friend and they were all thrilled when they were sent to the same base after training. They were able to encourage each other both on the ground and in the air as they were faced with prejudice and sometimes sabotage from the male military personnel. Eva loses her memory after a devastating crash and moves back home, loses contact with all of her friends and tries to put the war out of her mind. Her memories all come flooding back when she goes to Washington DC to testify before Congress to try to get military benefits for the WASPs.

This is a heartwarming story about women who tried to make a difference during WWII. Eva is a great character and her enthusiasm about becoming a pilot is exciting while her confusion after the war is difficult to read about. Seeing her open her mind and her life back to her memories is a significant part of the story. This is a story about love and friendship ; courage and sacrifice about the brave women who did their part in the war effort.

If you enjoy well-researched historical fiction, you don't want to miss this novel. Thanks to the publisher for a copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Well written engrossing novel about the Wasp Women of Ww2.I was drawn right in to their world their lives a fascinating group of women.#netgalley#lakeunionpublshing

Thanks net galley for the advance copy of this nicel. Ella Cart crafts an excellent historical fiction novel in this one. Curl up with a warm blanket and get lost with her vivid descriptions that start right from the first page.

I found Beyond the Horizon to be a particularly poignant story about the obstacles confronting the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. I knew the WASP existed, but this novel taught me a great deal about their mission, as well as the fortitude of this special group of pilots.

When I was in the military, I gave my female superiors just as much respect as my male superiors. Actually, whenever I read a novel including military characters, I already have a particular mindset that I apply to them, based on my experience. However, this story did a complete revamping of that mindset.

This author, Ella Carey, was not a WASP, but it was very apparent that she has a special connection to the WASP. In the Afterword - which I found very informative - she tells us that her mother was in a similar organization in Australia (kind of similar) during the war.

The Telling of Beyond the Horizon

The author took an interesting approach to this story. I’ve seen this approach before, but I don’t think it’s been overused (yet). The story was told in flash back sequences of the main character, Eva, who was a WASP.

Although the WASP was disbanded at the end of the war, it was never classified as a “military” organization. This non-recognition brought a plethora of problems to these pilots. Their pay was considerably lower than male counterparts, they had no type of insurance, etc.

In reality, however, they were very much like a military organization. They did not fly airplanes in combat, but they did pretty much everything else military pilots did. Further, they had to know how to fly several types of aircraft, whereas most military pilots only flew one type.

When the U.S. Air Force began training its first female pilot in 1977 - 30 years after the WASP disbanded - Eva goes to Washington with some other surviving WASP members for congressional hearings related to giving WASP a military status.

I know it took me awhile to get here, but it is under this umbrella - a congressional hearing - that the story is actually told.

All of the middle chapters in the book begin with the “committee” asking Eva a question, followed by Eva’s response. Then, Eva’s mind goes into flashback mode. Lucky for the reader, Eva’s flashbacks are pretty much sequential, so this is how the real story is told.

Technically, the story is told in the third-person, but I preferred to think of it as Eva telling the story as she looked back on her younger self. Regardless, the third-person POV was fine with me.

Technically Speaking

The copy I read was not a final copy, so any SPAG problems (of which there were next to none) are moot.

This story has two distinct, yet equally significant (in my opinion), climaxes. However, the climaxes do not impact the same character(s) equally. In the realm of characters, I thought the character arcs were well defined, and a few of them were surprising. I thought the pacing was well done, and this story held my interest from the very first page, except that I personally felt that a certain “plot leap” should have been a bit more defined. (Hence, the deduction of a half-star.)

The author did a great job of bringing the 1940s back to life. With Carey’s description, I felt like I could “see” the dresses worn by the women. I could envision the haze upon entering a room and smell the stench of cigarette smoke. Further, the author used language very typical to that era. If you like being immersed in the nostalgia that was the 1940s, this is the story for you. There are no scenes of war, but the reader gets a good idea of what life was like here in the states.

Aside from going into detail about “how” the story was told, I really didn’t say too much about the plot. That was intentional. I don’t want to deprive potential readers about the surprises to be found within these pages.

Do I recommend this story? You bet!

And about the ending: I didn’t see it coming. Will you?

Beyond the Horizon is so impressively well-researched that, at times, it read more like a biography than a historical fiction novel. Ms. Carey impressed with her attention to detail and breadth of knowledge about women pilots and the highly technical subject of aviation. The real-life dramas of gender discrimination in the military, of friendship and sisterhood, of complicated family dynamics, and of love and loss, greatly enhanced that initial impression.

It surprised and delighted me how strongly I personally related to Eva Scott in the early pages of the book. Such is Ms. Carey’s storytelling talent that her work triggers an emotional response from the reader. It certainly did with me.

While I enjoyed the majority of this novel, I still found a couple of things that could have been improved. The pacing is a tad inconsistent. It was slow during the training parts and rushed towards the end. Jack’s character frustrated me in that he came out like a Hollywood villain. Finally, as a romance author, I wish there was more development before Eva’s happily-ever-after.

This is the first book by Ella Carey that I’ve read and I can say this is a wonderful introduction. I was already predisposed to like this novel due to my connection with the US Air Force and my burgeoning interest in World War II historical fiction, but her writing skill convinced me to check out more of her backlist and watch out for her future work.

I enjoyed reading Beyond the Horizon and learning about the women flyers off WWII in the WASP unit. The book is written in two time periods. We follow Eva during WWII and her courage, difficulties, and friendships she has as she is approved to fly and transport planes in the U.S. This unit is not considered part of the military service. The second time period is set in 1977 as Eva and her fellow pilots testify before a committee in Congress to get the congressman to vote in favor of giving benefits and recognizing the service of these historic women. I learned a lot about these heroic women who served our country. I did feel at times the book moved very slowly. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion. I loved it. The writer always delivers a twist. The story is based on the real life WASP women pilots. It was fascinating and hard to put down! I was hooked from the first page until the last.

This is remarkably wonderful book about women pilots in WWII. It is particularly timely as it covers the subject of discrimination , sexual abuse and lack of recognition of women's contribution to WWII even decades after the war ended. It is utterly captivating. .

I thank the publisher and Net Galley with gratitude for the opportunity to read this book for review. My review opinions are my own . Review to be cross posted upon publication to Good Reads, Net Galley, Barnes & Nobel and Amazon platforms.

This is one of the most outstanding historical fiction books I have read about women in WWII. I hope this book will be made into a movie because it is that great.

Beyond the Horizon is about Eva Scott and a group of brave women who all joined the Women's Air Force Service Pilots. At that point in the war the male pilots were flying the skies over England . In America during WW II women that wanted to be pilots had to transfer planes to different air bases, to test fly planes that have been repaired and new planes. They were used first as test subject pilots while the men were graduated from flight school and went right on to fly.
Eva and her very determined fellow pilots , Nina, Helena, Rita, Nancy and Beatrice start five months of intense training at Avenger Field in Sweetwater Texas. They have very poor living conditions and have to wear equipment designed for men. They are all equally capable and determined to succeed. This builds a bond between them and they become friends. These strong friendships will help them all deal with the rampant discrimination they face as they are transferred to yet another camp where they endure sabotage and soon fear for their safety. When a mission goes wrong and Eva's plane crashes she cannot forgive herself when tragedy strikes. As Eva blames herself it is not until decades later when she faces the truth of what may have happened.

She provides evidence in an investigation into how badly the members of the WASP's were treated in WW II
and what they faced in training. She finally discovers what happened with her plane crash . Will she be able to move on and reconcile that the crash was not her fault ?

This is riveting. I loved the complex nature of the training, their friendships and learning of the great women that contributed to the war effort albeit even fiction we know these women existed in WWII in reality . The writing is excellent as always by this wonderful author. I loved this book and highly recommend it for all women to read about the brave women that were in WWII and their experiences. Very well done to the author.

"I guess war makes either fools or heroes of us all."

Beyond the Horizon by Ella Carey will draw you in and take you on an unforgettable ride across the sky, across relationships, and across time. Eva Scott wants to do her part for the war effort, but being a Rosie the Riveter is not enough. She wants to fly! Eva's friend and secret childhood crush, Harry, teaches her to fly and prepares her to apply to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program. When Eva and her best friend, Nina, are accepted into the program in 1943 and journey to Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, their fascinating, incredible, and extremely dangerous adventure finally begins.

But in the 1940s, at the height of WWII, the life of a female pilot is anything but rosy. Ella Carey paints an interesting and often frustrating picture of the struggles, heartache, and triumph of these brave girls, who simply want to fly and do their part for their country. Beyond the Horizon follows two paths. At the beginning of the book and at the start of each chapter, Eva is appealing to Congress to have the WASP recognized as military personnel, with all the benefits that entails. It is 1977, and Eva recalls all the details of her time as a WASP, except for the accident that ended her career as a female pilot during WWII. The chapters then outline her experience as a trainee at Avenger Field and as a pilot at her first and only assignment at Camp Davis in North Carolina.

First and foremost, this story is about the indestructible bond of friendship that withstands both time and death. While Beyond the Horizon is a work of fiction, it is ultimately a tribute to the real women who weathered the harsh training conditions to learn to fly any military aircraft, the discrimination for being a woman doing a man's job, and the dangerous missions that took grit and fortitude to carry out. These women deserve respect and acknowledgement, and Beyond the Horizon does just that.

Ella Carey's writing is solid and substantial, delivering some 1940s lingo and amazing characterization that make the overall story believable, entertaining, and crazy hard to put down. According to Nina, "Sounds like a gas," and Beyond the Horizon is definitely a gas. All fun aside, the story is well researched and well executed. This intricate and fabulous tale will appeal to both history buffs and people who simply enjoy a good story about love, life, loss, and self-discovery. The ending chapters are filled with enough emotional turbulence to bring down a Helldiver and to blur your vision with tears as Eva finally discovers the truth about that long-ago accident and as she safely lands in the exact spot in which she was always meant to be.

Beyond the Horizon by Ella Carey is an historical fiction that tells the story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. The concept is intriguing and the format of the novel gives the reader a sense of the ongoing battle women have to be recognized for their accomplishments. Although it is an interesting idea, the story does seem to drag in parts.

Books that feature female involvement during World War II have always captured my attention. There are so many untold stories about the courageous and selfless women in history. Beyond the Horizon definitely sheds some light on the intense and valiant efforts that the WASP made for the US army. From detailed training experiences to the heartbreak of losing comrades, the novel will evoke emotions.

❀ DUAL TIMELINES

The story is written in dual timelines (1977 and 1944), which gives an interesting look at the way women were perceived during both time periods. At the start of each chapter, the reader is given snippets of a 1977 hearing where Eva is being questioned about the WASP. Then the chapter goes back to 1944 and the reader dives deeper into the events that took place.

❀ EYE-OPENING DETAILS

While I love the idea and the eye-opening details about these female pilots, the story really begins to move slowly about a quarter of the way through. The pacing of the book really affected my enjoyment of the novel. Although I appreciated the very comprehensive facts about flight, at times it became quite tiresome to read.

Fans of historical fiction, and especially women during World War II will want to give this book a try. It has a very unique concept that will appeal to many.

A Warm Blanket. Ok, so I’m ripping off a video game review I just read with that title for this review, but it fits. This book has exactly one feature that others of its type -WWII flygirl stories -released in the last year or so did not, and while that one feature winds up enhancing the story pretty dramatically, it can be a bit jarring at first due to mostly not having any time cues. The effect turns out to be mostly cool, as I personally came to see the fades in a very cinematic fashion. It just took a few chapters to pick up on what was happening. If you have read some of the other WWII flygirl stories this year, you’ll enjoy this one. If you’re new to this particular type of tale, this is still a solid entry in that line. It isn’t overly new or revolutionary, but it is a solidly comforting warm blanket. Very much recommended.

I. had hoped this book would be better. I have tried Ella Carey before and not found her other books to my liking, but had hoped that this book would be better..

This was an engaging read, historical fiction based on women who trained to be pilots during World War II as WASP or Women Airforce Service Pilots, the friendships they formed, and the hardships they faced, only to be sent home without recognition and forgotten. I loved Eva and her attitude, and, that when the time came, she stood up for all women that should have been given full military recognition.
Told mainly in the past, the chapters are introduced with scenes from Eva’s present. Ella Carey did a wonderful job creating and fleshing out her characters, as well as describing the settings in detail and weaving both of these and the action of her story together. This was a story of courage, and overall, friendship.
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
#BeyondtheHorizon #WASP #EllaCarey #LakeUnionPublishing

A very good book based on the WASP women pilots of WWII. I really did not know much about the WASPs and it was interesting to learn more about how they trained and the fact they were not recognized as military until many years later. A good book for those that enjoy war genre and historical fiction.