A WWII Missing Pilot and a Jazz Age Mystery

At the end of WWII, Ellie Morgan is engaged and hoping to move up from the job as a secretary at the San Francisco Chronicle to become a journalist. Then she receives the news that her adored pilot father was shot down of the Adriatic Sea and may not be alive. Ellie is devastated. She keeps hoping her father will come home, but when his effects arrive a mystery surfaces.

In the pocket of his uniform jacket, Ellie finds a bundle of love letters, but the woman is not her mother and there is the possibility that a child is involved. Ellie’s mother is locked in her own world so Ellie goes to her aunt Iris and persuades her to go with her to New York to find out about this mysterious woman and her daughter.

Iris agrees to help her niece, but with trepidation. Her past will come out. She was a Zigfield showgirl and worse, she thinks she may have been involved in the murder of another showgirl.

This is an excellent historical novel. Ellie is a strong character. She’s at the cusp of doing things women before WWII only dreamed of, but she’s also tied to the patterns of behavior inculcated by her strict mother. Iris is also a good character. She obviously lived her life to the full and accepted the price at the end of her show career.

The historical content is accurate and based on an actual Jazz Age murder in 1920 in New York. Both time periods came to life in the narrative. If you enjoy historical fiction and a good mystery, this is a good choice.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Ellie, who works as a secretary for an editor at a San Francisco newspaper is desperately seeking news of her air pilot father who is reported as missing in action during WWII.
This is a dual timeline novel that goes from Ellie's life in 1940 war time to her aunt's as a Ziegfeld Follie showgirl dancer. Not to give any spoilers, and it is hard not to so I am not going to say much. The relationship between Ellie and her aunt Iris as shown through the letters exchanged is hear-touching and sincere. This story is extremely emotional, I must advise tissues be handy. The connection I felt to Ellie was very strong, my heart broke for her and her experiences at times, but also rejoiced with her at others.
A truly beautiful story about love, loss and family. I recommend this novel highly for all.
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return

The Pilot's Daughter
by: Merideth Jaeger
Penguin Group Dutton, Dutton

This book is outstanding historical fiction, set in New York during the 1920s. Ellie, a newspaper secretary in San Francisco, seeks to learn more about her missing pilot father and travels to New York in search of answers. It is a well-written, captivating novel.
Thank you to Net Galley and for the advance reader's copy and the opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
 #ThePilotsDaughter #NetGalley

Two storylines in one book. One takes place in San Francisco as World War II is winding down and a young woman is trying to find her father who was a pilot that was shot down during the war. The other storyline goes further back in time to the 1920s in New York City as her aunt is enjoying the glitz and glam as a Ziegfeld Follie showgirl.

I went into this book knowing that I wanted to really dive deep into the Ziegfeld Follie storyline as I can't remember ever reading anything else about this particular subject and I have deep appreciation for all things theater related and want to know so much about the evolution of live performances, especially in New York City. I love that the author didn't hide the connection between this storyline and the other as that wasn't the purpose of the book, it was obvious from the start - but there were still things that could unfold and surprise!

The other storyline was at moments hard to read and heartbreaking. Without spoiling the reason for this aunt and niece adventure, the letters that are returned from her missing father's belongings have a mystery that needs to be solved. There were a few times when reading these chapters where I felt so bad for Ellie and wanted so much for her to have a different story. But what I loved most about those chapters was reading the relationship between this niece and aunt and how much their relationship mattered to each of them. I am an aunt and there were times where I may have teared up as I hope my niece feels for me as Ellie felt for Iris and I hope that we have many adventures in the future.

A historical fiction book that tackles two moments in time, but they are expertly woven together and they compliment each other so well. This was my second Meredith Jaeger read and I loved that one also, have one in her backlist that I need to read (and soon!) and I hope she has more to come!

Thanks to Dutton for an advanced copy of The Pilot's Daughter by Meredith Jaeger.

This was my first Meredith Jaeger novel and I loved it. It was a wonderful historical fiction set in NYC in the 1920s and San Francisco/NYC in 1945. Ellie Morgan's father is a WWII pilot and when his plane was shot down she tries everything to uncover any evidence that her father was still alive. When a packet of letters arrives with his belongings, she finds love letters to a different woman than her mother. She goes to her aunt Iris, who recognizes the other woman as a fellow Ziegfeld Follies dancer. When Ellie convinces Iris to go to NYC to learn more, Iris's past is brought to the future.

This book was inspired by an unsolved Jazz age murder and the missing Americans from WWII. I loved the author's note at the end and how seamlesly she ties together both stories. This was such an interesting and unique story, I couldn't put it down.

If you like family secrets, love and trusting in yourself in a historical fiction setting you'll love this book!

“Their loss became a shared connection, and their wounds remained fresh. It was as if they shared a story with no ending…”

I was in the mood to get back to a historical fiction novel and was pleasantly surprised that this one had a real unsolved mystery layered in. With timelines set in the Jazz Age of NYC and the final months of WWII, this atmospheric novel had me hooked from the first chapter.

Ellie Morgan, an aspiring newspaper columnist in 1945 San Francisco, is searching for answers. Her father, an MIA pilot, is presumed dead and Ellie sets off on a quest (with her Aunt Iris in tow) to learn the truth. Revelations of tragic and sinister relationships from 20 years prior bring past, present and future, into focus.

I absolutely loved the details about the Ziegfeld Follies, and Ms. Jaeger’s descriptions of NYC in the 1920’s had this reader weepy with nostalgia. The subject of an actual cold case was the perfect springboard and kept the plot moving. I could not put this book down, and took a deep dive into Google (hello haunted Broadway theater stories!) after turning the final page.

Similar books include: The Show Girl: A Novel by Nicola Harrison, The Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy and The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

So I honestly requested this book because I am a pilots wife/- I have a pilots daughter! And tho the story is much different from our lives - that connection felt important.

I love a novel set in WWII & it’s been a while since I’ve had my historical fiction fix!

This is my first Jaeger and I was impressed- I’ll definitely be back for more!

This was a page turner that kept me interested and wanting to know exactly what happened to Ellie’s father. So many unknowns.

The characters were so well done - Ellie was someone I was rooting for the entire time and it was hard not to be invested in her every decision.

There were more layers to this book then expected. The murder cold case, missing father, the scandal, a love story and coming home to oneself.

I think anyone who is a fan of historical fiction will enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to review this book ! @duttonbooks @netgalley

Good historical fiction read set in New York and San Francisco about a young woman, Ellie, trying to find out if her WWII pilot father has survived when she learns that his plane has been sh0t down. As she does so, she delves into his past, and learns about her mother’s life and that of her mother’s sister, Iris, and her friends who were showgirls in the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s. The 1920s time period and the look at the role of women is fascinating and the author really succeeds in making the time period feel like a character itself. There are also great descriptions of New York and its beautiful buildings - I compare the loveliness of these descriptions to those of Fiona Davis in her historical novels; The pacing was generally consistent throughout and the use of the dual timelines to tell the story was effective. I did find the 1920s story to be more interesting than the later timeline but both came together nicely in a good ending. Solid historical fiction. The Pilot’s Daughter is out on November 2, 2021.

Thanks to Penguin Group Dutton Books and Netgalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This excellent book shows the contrasts of women’s lives between the 1920’s and the second world war years. First Lieutenant William A. Morgan went down with his plane in the Adriatic Sea. His daughter Ellie received the dreaded letter from the War Department and subsequently his belongings.

While checking through the box of his effects she comes upon a packet of letters addressed to Ms. Lillian Dell. The letters allude to their daughter and love for each other! Ellie is flabbergasted to think that her father may have had another family in New York! She and her aunt Iris set out for New York to solve the mystery. Iris had been one of the headliners in the Ziegfield Follies in the early twenties.

The author melds the experiences and lives of both ladies with the hand of an artist. I appreciated the experiences of both Ellie and her aunt Iris. They have a very close family bond while Ellie and her mother are not close at all. The trip to New York is exciting and holds some danger for aunt Iris.

I highly recommend this book as a treatise on the social change that occurred in this country as a result of the war and the need to have women more closely involved in the development and production of aircraft and weapons during the war. 5 stars - CE Williams

The story darts between the early 1920s and 1945. Ellie discovers a secret about her father and travels to NYC, alongside her aunt, to ferret out the truth. Anything about a family mystery grabs my attention. I liked the 2 settings of NYC and San Francisco. It was a story within a story wrapped up within another story. At times, I thought was this Ellie’s story or Iris’, instead of focusing on the other woman, Lillian. It’s an interesting read.

It’s 1945 and Ellie Morgan, who is working as a secretary at the San Francisco Chronicle, has dreams of becoming a journalist. She is facing the strong possibility that her beloved father, whose plane was shot down over the Adriatic Sea, may not be returning from the war. In a blink of an eye, her life is turned upside down. When her father’s personal effects are shipped home, she finds love letters from a woman living in New York City who is not her mother. Accompanied by her Aunt Iris, Ellie heads east to learn more about Lillian, the mystery woman who has been writing her father throughout the war. Initially hoping Lillian might hold some information that could help Ellie uncover her father’s fate, there is a lot more awaiting her. Aunt Iris confesses that she had been a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl and has been hiding secrets of her own as this engaging story shifts to the early 1920s and Jazz Age New York where a murder of a well-known “goodtime girl” has taken place.

Author Meredith Jaeger is a great storyteller. She has created a tale of two strong women that will keep you glued to learn what happens next. Both timelines are equally engaging. Historical fiction that takes place in New York City is always appealing and pre-Depression Manhattan, with its glitz and glamour, is a favorite period. Books like The Pilot’s Daughter reinforce why I love historical novels. And its intriguing mystery makes this book a true standout.

I absolutely love when a book dives into the past. Leaving the deeply rich, detailed characters scrambling to uncover the secrets that are still haunting them. The Pilot's Daughter had me in a trance from the first paragraph. I was riveted. Glued to my chair until I finished the last masterfully written word. This is my first Meredith Jaeger novel, and it will certainly not be the last. Her ability to grab your attention with historical details and magnificent strong female characters will leave you wanting more and not being able to set the book down.

Ellie Morgan has always had an extremely close, unbreakable bond with her father. She has missed him dearly since he left to fight the German's. She thought she understood him and there were never any secrets between them. Her world is rocked when her father goes missing in action and amongst his personal effects, she discovers love letters. She is aghast and cannot believe what is right in front of her. Her mother has always been a cold and hard woman, she has sunk into a deep depression since the news of her father's disappearance. She cannot seek comfort from her now or ever before. Ellie turns to her Aunt Iris for support and a possible explanation. As more secrets become known and questions pile up. Leading the two women on a cross-country adventure to New York City. Where you are thrown back and fully immersed in the roaring 20s. Flappers, The Ziegfeld Follies, showgirls, speakeasies, jazz, and a young vibrant Iris. Where the start of this family's secrets lie.

If you enjoy puzzles, a good mystery, family secrets and drama, with a little bit of love thrown in, I cannot suggest a better book. Jaeger builds up the story, piece by piece. Until you are blown away by the discoveries of what people live with in order to survive. I know Ellie and Iris will stay with me; they are such strong, independent women for their time. Thank you to Meredith Jaeger, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for this fascinating step back in time!

Ellie just wanted to find out about her father's fate after his plane was shot down during WWII. Iris wanted to keep her past life of dancing with the Ziegfeld Follies in the roaring twenties a secret. But in this dual time historical fiction story, secrets will come out. Loved the intriguing little known mystery. I really liked the author's note.

Dual timelines can be pretty hit or miss for me tbut Jaeger handled this one expertly. I really enjoyed this historical fiction - the setting and time period came to life; the characters were fun and engaging. Overall a solid story.

Loved it! Ellie’s father has been shot down in WWII and is presumed dead. Ellie does not feel closure and goes on a mission to find out more! Her pursuit of the truth reveals many secrets and leads to a new life for Ellie. This book is told in two time periods…the end of WWII and the 1920’s. Meredith Jaeger does an amazing job of bringing the stories together. This is a must-read for fans of historical fiction! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Meredith Jaeger absolutely is now a go-to author for me. I could not put this book down - I love historical fiction... and I know, WWII - how many books do we need on it? But Jaeger has woven a story rich in history, women friendships/relationships, and family secrets all in one. Ellie is the main character, an aspiring journalist in CA when she gets the devastating news that her father, a pilot, has been killed. Ellie can't truly accept this; she knows her father is one of the best pilot's and cannot just believe he is gone... so when his coat arrives at her house, along with other personal items and bundle of letters from an unknown woman in NY, she must find out what is going on. The woman A very emotionally charged novel.... grips you from the start. Nell is in her thirties and gets a death bed confession from her father that doesn't make any sense.... on top of losing her father, her mother is suffering from dementia and begins to drop confusing comments. Loved how this novel was structured with the dual-point of views between Nell and Annie (her mother), the story slowly unfolds from the past to present. I loved this set up, as a reader each chapter pulls you into the story further and it truly kept me guessing till the end. Beckerman nailed the feelings and emotional state of Annie's loss and really captured the roller-coaster of motherhood and all that is felt. I loved how Nell kind of goes on her own scavenger hunt in her parent's house and slowly uncovers snippets of information that make her second-guess the life she has ever known and the family she thought she knew. The ending was absolutely perfect - as I said, I was guessing till the end but Beckerman took a heart wrenching topic and kind of lifted the entire mood by the end, giving you closure and a feeling of triumph for Nell. Warnings: infant loss, postpartum depression., from the letters, had a loving relationship with her father and Ellie immediately goes there, along with her Aunt, to seek the truth. Told in alternating POV between Ellie and her Aunt (who was a dancer in NY in the 20s), the plot twists and turns including affairs, romance, a murder, and more. I loved this book and it was captivating and truly captured what it was like to be a female who a) wanted to earn a living and b) was stuck by the rules of society, living and abiding by the men in the world. The father/daughter relationship changed throughout the book, as Ellie had to come to grips that her father basically hid a secret family from her and her mother.... but Jaeger captures it all beautifully and I was rooting for Ellie on each page, to find peace and love in those around her.

THE PILOT"S DAUGHTER is an entertaining dual timeline story recommended for fans of historical fiction. Sometimes with stories like this, one timeline is more interesting than the other. However, Jaeger nicely balances the WWII and 1920s narratives. There is a lovely cozy feeling to the story world and I connected to the narrators immediately and felt invested in their quests. The resolution of the mystery element provides a satisfying conclusion.

The Pilot's Daughter is told from alternating viewpoints. The story begins in 1945; aspiring journalist Ellie is heartbroken upon receiving work that her father is missing in action. Unlike her mother Ellie refuses to give up hope that he could be found alive. Her world is shattered when she receives a box of his belongings from the military. Inside a pocket is a bunch of letters from a woman in New York. Desperate to find out the truth about her father’s past and potential present, Ellie turns to her aunt Iris. The two of them embark on a journey to New York and Iris must confront her past life there as a Ziegfield Follies dancer in the 1920s.
This is historical fiction at its best- interesting timelines, plot twists, and mystery. The story is easy to read, but has substance and dives into sensitive subject matter with grace. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The glitterati of the Ziegfeld Follies and the pervading aura of WWII at home collide in an artful work of historical fiction. Meredith Jaeger masterfully combines these two eras in an inspiring tale that highlights the male-dominated mores of the times, incorporating a real Jazz Age cold-case murder with a search to uncover the truth about aspiring journalist, Ellie Morgan’s father, a WWII fighter pilot, now listed as MIA. When she discovers a packet of love letters from a strange woman among his personal effects,, she fearlessly sets off on a a cross-country quest with her Aunt Iris, to unravel the mystery of who her father really was. The embodiment of courage and determination, Ellie discovers some astounding truths that will change her life forever!

With the war's end in sight, Ellie still hadn't heard if her father was alive.

When his uniform arrives, Ellie's faith that he is still living lessens, but when she finds love letters from another woman in the coat’s pocket, she has to find out what was going on. This woman's name is Lillian.

Ellie didn't have a good relationship with her mother so she went to her Aunt Iris's home to ask for advice. Iris actually knew Lillian but didn't tell her how she had known her. She thought Aunt Iris was a secretary in an attorney's office but found out differently.

Ellie and her Aunt Iris went to New York City to find Lillian, but Ellie found out more than she anticipated. Her aunt was brought back to her days as a Ziegfeld Girl and to memories she didn't want to have to remember.

We get to experience New York City and life in the 1920's and 1940's, learn about the Ziegfeld Follies, be reminded how women were expected to stay home instead of going to work, but best of all be treated to another splendid book by Ms. Jaeger.

Most of Ms. Jaeger's characters are wonderful ones you will miss when the book ends. The story line is intriguing with an abundance of family drama.

THE PILOT’S DAUGHTER is Ms. Jaeger’s beautifully written crowning jewel.

Absolutely LOVED this book.

Do not miss reading THE PILOT'S DAUGHTER if you enjoy historical fiction, strong women, and are a fan of life in the 1920’s and 1940’s.

You will NOT be disappointed. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.