Living in the shadow of her two upcoming famous brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, isn’t easy, especially for a woman at the turn of the century. Katherine is also the youngest of the Wright children in a progressive patriarchal household. Losing her mother at the age of fifteen has catapulted her into the role of household manager and caretaker as well as manager of their bicycle shop.

Her education and smarts have created a strong-willed woman at twenty-nine who is fiercely independent. She also teaches Latin at the local.

When Wilbur decides to keep his unpatented plans with his wing-warping notes with him to a party, they go missing just before the assumed culprit is found murdered.

For most of the book, Katherine is a solid intelligent woman though she becomes a bit clumsy near the conclusion. She could be both impressive and sad at the same time.

I enjoyed the historical tidbits of early flight interwoven into the storyline along with Katherine’s investigation of both the murder and the theft, drawn to a satisfying conclusion.

An easy, entertaining read, well-plotted and paced.

Amanda Fowler introduces us to Katherine Wright, the sister of Wilbur and Orville.

A talented teacher in her own right, Katherine is also forthright, intelligent, but still tasked to be the caretaker of the Wright home since the death of their mother.

Like her recent books with Emily Dickinson, Ms. Fowler, gives insight into the daily life of this talented family.

Katherine gets involved in a mystery and with grit and determination, finds the solution.

Ms. Fowler's books are well written and have great characterization.

Interesting for the mystery, the main character and anexciting era of American history.

amateur-sleuth, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-of-flight, cozy-mystery, family, family-dynamics, famous-persons, first-in-series, gender-inequality, murder-investigation, local-law-enforcement, siblings, suffragette, teacher, theft*****

At the dawn of the twentieth century teacher Katherine Wright (a graduate of Oberlin College) became entangled in local politics, a theft, and a murder. Katie is the youngest of the siblings who include Orville and Wilbur Wright. The theft was of a pre-patent schematic for the flying machine they had just tested out in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and then there's the murder. She is the logical member of the family to investigate, so she does! As a history geek and more, I was impressed with the tidbits of knowledge included (evidence of deep investigation). Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower is a great historical mystery that revolves around Katharine Wright, the younger sister of the infamous Wright Brothers.

This book takes place at the turn of the 20th century and gives Katharine Wright, the sister of the infamous Wright brothers, a chance at her own story as the main character. She becomes embroiled within a murder/mystery and takes up the reins in becoming an amateur sleuth to solve the mystery, murder, and clear her family’s name.

I really enjoyed the pace, plot, and historical points weaved within this historical fiction. I like that Ms. Flower took a real-life figure and created a story around her, giving the audience a chance to see and learn about a true historical person that finally gets her chance to shine.

This is the beginning of a new series, and I am looking forward to seeing where this goes.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/26/24.

Katharine Wright is the sister of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Set against the background of both her famous brothers in Dayton, Ohio, the year 1903. While they are in Kitty Hawk, it's Katharine who is taking care of their bicycle shop, as well as the family home. As a single woman at the age of 29, she is fiercely independent, quite outspoken and a teacher of Latin at the local high school and a suffragette. While visiting their home the Wright brothers attend a Christmas party wherein Wilbur brings the unpatented flyer plans to the party only to find out that they have been stolen. Katharine decides to play detective not only to find the missing papers, but to solve a crime. Katharine leaves no stone unturned as she sets forth to find the suspect. This was a fun read with many suspects who could have "dunnit." Along with her vivacious personality, she is a protagonist that gives the novel the flare for an entertaining book. I look forward to reading Ms. Flower's next book, for sure! My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.