Thanks to SourceBooks Landmark and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’ve had previous good experiences with the author’s attempt to shed light on women forgotten to history or never even thought of in the first place. I’ll have to go back to David McCullough’s book about the Wright Brothers to see if Katharine is even mentioned. I am really digging this current trend of shining a light on the women who helped make the well-known men a success, in part because they didn’t have to worry about anything other than concentrating on invention.

I read the author’s note, and she explained why this story with three points-of-view: Katharine, Wilbur, and Orville. There were simply things that Katharine was not present for or could not have over hood. There is quite a bit of technical information about the literal ups and downs of the early attempts at light. Those technical details and the constant switching of the POV should make the story go faster, but for me, I thought it bogged down Katharine’s story a bit.

It isn’t until 50% through the book, after the men are successful at Kitty Hawk in their flying attempts, that the book’s pace picks up. There are longer passages focusing on Katharine and not her brothers, and I enjoyed the last half of the book much more than the beginning.

Overall, this is a solid historical fiction book exploring yet another woman who was lost to history–until now.

An informative and very well researched novel of the lesser-known Wright sibling. Many of us are aware of Wilbur and Orville Wright, the American aviators credited with inventing, building and flying the world’s first successful aeroplane; but little is known about their sister Katharine and her contributions to both their work and their family life.

This novel spans several decades of the Wright siblings lives and informs the reader of so much - the meticulous processes of the brother’s inventing and testing, the complex science of flight, the perseverance and sacrifice of all the siblings, the family ties and decisions they made.

The short chapters are written from the points of view of Katherine, Wilbur and Orville; and so I did feel the novel was just as much about the brothers as it was about ‘Katharine, the Wright Sister.’ The first half was a little slow-paced, but I am glad I read this book and would recommend it.

I am grateful to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, via NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wood has done it again - bringing another important woman lost to history to life through her wonderful writing. I had no idea the Wright brothers even had a sister, so I was excited to learn about Katharine and her life. She spent most of her life in service to her brothers’ quest to fly, foregoing her own personal happiness and fulfillment to ensure their names were in the history books. I wish her sacrifices were also recognized and am thrilled that Wood is giving her time in the spotlight.

Fans of biographical historical fiction will love this book, which is unique in that it’s told from several different perspectives so we can get the full view of what happened in Ohio and North Carolina. I loved learning about women’s roles in early 20th century America, especially in fashion and home management. Katharine was a strong, capable woman and I was glad to read her story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

A compelling historical novel, rich in detail, that shines a light on Katharine Wright who was a sibling of the Wright brothers. The story explores her often overlooked contributions to their success. She was a remarkable woman who played an important role in one of history’s greatest achievements. Well written, her character is portrayed as crucial to the success.
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I think of aviation pioneering, two brothers come to mind…definitely not their sister. This book opened my eyes to the role the Wright brothers sister, Katharine, played into their success. As it is a historical fiction-I appreciated the facts included, but also the romanticism brought in the plot as to how bright and strong-willed Katharine was, her contributions to aviation and what she sacrificed to help her brothers achieve said success. Told in third person from the points of view of Wilbur, Orville and Katharine, all shed light into the impressive and remarkable, yet forgotten, role Katharine had in aviation history. The book included some wonderful topics for discussion as well as an author’s note providing explanations as to why the author chose this character and why she writes books of this nature-I’ll definitely be checking out the books I missed.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. Unfortunately I had to DNF. While I thought the writing was nice and I was interested in learning more about the “forgotten” sister, the dialogue was so unnatural that it took me out of the story.

This is such an interesting addition to the story of the Wright Brothers. To get to know their sister was an interesting and intriguing read. We always know people with fame of any sort have families but we often don't hear about them and this book made the Wright Brothers story more real.

Although a bit slow in parts it caught my interest and I enjoyed reading the story of Katherine and her life. The research done to write this book has been wonderful, the writing and story telling is very good and the people involved are all very interesting. I really enjoyed reading this book and the view points of the different family members. A great read and a great bit of history unknown to myself and many others. I highly recommend it to an historical fiction lover.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Tracey Enerson Wood for the arc!

Who knew that the famous Wright brothers had a sister?

Not much is mentioned of her in the history books & this author does an amazing job shining a light on her part in the race to fly! The book is very well researched & full of technical information about the literal ups & downs of early aviation! It also gives us a nice peek into the Wright family unit … their dreams, their bonds & the sacrifices made for their passions!

The first half did move a bit slow for me with all the technical details which I’m sure were interesting to some readers … and I found the multiple narrators to be confusing at times. I would have enjoyed more about Katherine herself which does pick up in the last half of the book.

And I gotta say, I did end this feeling a little sad for Katharine & the short life she lived … I hope she was happy with her choices & sacrifice.

When I first saw Katharine: The Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood, I knew I had to read it. My grandmother’s family originated from Morehead City, not far from Kitty Hawk, which was where Orville Wright flew his flyer.

What people do not realize is how much work it took to get to that point. Math was heavily involved, as was estimating how the flyer would need to be built, what type of fabric would be needed to make the sturdy wings, and finding a large open space that would allow Orville to get the flyer into the air. Orville did not do it alone. He had his brother, Willbur, but he also had his sister, Katharine.

Katharine was a teacher, but also supported Orville and Wilbur in their pursuit of flying. Orville and Wilbur had a bicycle shop which helped fund their efforts to build the flyer.

Katharine’s story, as far as I know, has never really been told before. We always hear about Orville and Wilbur, but we don’t hear about the impact Katharine had on the two brothers and how she influenced and assisted them. It is quite surprising how involved she was. Keep in mind that the first test flight was before women were allowed to vote. Women were very much considered to be inferior to men, and they were relegated to the home to keep it clean, cook meals, and take care of the children. Katharine showed great leadership by helping her brothers achieve their dreams.

Katharine: The Wright Sister went into so much detail about everything that was needed for Orville to make his famous flight at Kitty Hawk. It also showed that in order to achieve greatness, it’s a wonderful thing to have someone helping you, encouraging you, and motivating you to achieve that greatness. I hope you'll pick up this book--it is truly one of the great reads of 2024.

Wilbur, Orville, and Katharine Wright’s promise to one another required a lifetime of sacrifice to change the course of history. Travel with the Wright brothers from the bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, to the sandy beaches of North Carolina and to fame across Europe. Woods’ detailed descriptions of sketching and journaling birds in flight, family dinner discussions on design changes, including a myriad of flight terms, adds immensely to understanding how trial and error, years of experimentation and Katharine’s personal sacrifice led to the brothers’ success.
The theme of family complexities and how good intentions can hurt loved ones is portrayed through thoughts and dreams as siblings share in alternating chapters. Wilbur, an all-around student & athlete, with a great knowledge of physics and math, feels pressure to succeed. Orville, blessed with mechanical abilities and resourcefulness, becomes selfish and quite maddening in his demands of Katharine. Due to their mother’s illness and early death, Katharine, becomes head of household and runs the bicycle shop. Described by Wilbur as bossy and hard driving, she is the visionary; decisive, confident, bold. Katharine’s ongoing desire to be part of the team and her inability to stand up to Orville contradicts her fear of becoming a spinster as she sacrifices her private life. This heart wrenching conundrum is frustrating as she wavers between devotion and resignation.
Experience the history of transportation from the horse & carriage, automobiles and finally in 1903, successful human flight and eventually flying machines. Competition and ‘red tape’ creates suspense and great anticipation as the Wrights endure meetings with patent attorneys, demands for data, and denials by the government. Thank your lucky stars for Orville and Wilbur’s determination and Katharine’s sacrifice in the field of aviation. Dive with failures, soar with success!
Sit back and enjoy the flight with Tracey Enerson Wood’s Katharine, the Wright Sister.

I was really excited to get an early copy of this book. Women’s contributions to history are so often overlooked and I love it when their stories come to light. I knew a little about the Wright brothers and have visited Kitty Hawk, NC but I had no idea they had a sister!

While Wilbur and Orville are known for their contributions to flight their sister Katharine was a very important person in the process. The trio made a pact and dedicated themselves to the idea of people flying.

Katharine worked tirelessly behind the scenes keeping the siblings moving forward towards their goal. They became rather famous and they travel and well, this brings complications to their lives.

Katharine spent her entire life supporting her brothers and when she wants to do something for herself, one of her brothers turns on her.

I liked how we get POVs from all three siblings. I thought the author did a wonderful job researching this book. I liked the technical side of this book as much as I did the relationships between the siblings. Overall this is a fascinating story and if you love historical fiction and unsung heroes, I would pick this book up!

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookmarked and Tracey Enerson Wood for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Ohio, 1900 - two boys and a bicycle shop. That’s where the dreams were born to one day fly in an open airplane. But the story of Wilbur and Orville was just beginning. This story followed the Wright Brothers on their journey. But introduces one very important piece of the puzzle - the person that’s often left behind in history - their sister, Katharine Wright. As I read this book, I didn’t realize how instrumental she was in their dreams and inventions. She was often right by their side as they tested their theories and offering her own ideas along the way. Absolutely loved learning about Katharine and her piece of the puzzle. Once again another fantastic book by Tracy! Highly recommend this one!!

Everyone has heard about the famous Wright brothers, who have invented the first modern airplane. Yet, very few know about their sister, Katharine. This novel attempts to shine light on a little known historical figure. Katharine Wright is shown to be the mastermind to help the brothers make their most famous invention, the airplane.

Before reading this novel, I had never heard of Katharine Wright. Therefore, I was eager to read this novel to see how she had impacted the Wright brothers. Katharine is portrayed as a genius who is involved in her brothers’ inventions. She had a really close relationship with them until tragedy struck. However, I found Katharine to be very admirable in making a tremendous sacrifice for the good of her family. Thus, Katharine was a very compassionate and loving figure. Katharine is a commendable character. I couldn’t stop reading to find out what had happened to her.

Overall, this novel is about family, dreams, and sacrifice. I found all the characters to be very well-developed and complex. I did not like the multiple narrators, especially the perspectives of her brothers because it seemed to distract us from Katharine’s story. I also thought the story was very slow-paced, and I struggled at times to get through it! I did find the novel to be very well-written and meticulously researched! Nevertheless, Katharine, the Wright Sister shines lights on a forgotten historical figure! Katharine, the Wright Sister is perfect for those who love reading about early aviation! I recommend this novel for fans of Her Last Flight, The Aviator’s Wife, and Flygirl!

This was an interesting piece of historical fiction. I did not know much about either the Wright Brothers or the role that Katharine (the Wright sister) had behind the scenes. It definitely had a slow start and I would have liked to learn even more about Katharine

Really enjoyed this excellent book of historical fiction .Katherine was a really interesting person sister to the Wright brothers.who had so much to offer by herself and with her brothers support.#netgalley #sourceboooks

I liked this story about the Wright brothers’ sister.
It was good historical fiction about a person whom I didn’t know anything about.
It’s a good read.

Katharine, The Wright Sister by Tracey Emerson Wood

I suppose you can’t talk about Katharine Wright without including the story of her famous brothers Orville and Wilbur. The author relates this story of sister Katharine as being the impetus behind the historical discovery of flight, but it is the brothers who still reign.

Katharine was the organizer and financial planner who got invited to the critical moments to see her brothers’ hard work, but still kept the home hearth burning cooking meals, etc, doing “women’s work”. It’s the early 1900s after all.

Katharine also had her hand in the Women’s Suffrage Movement of the time, though it was not a big concern in her town of Dayton, Ohio. Her life’s reward came as the Wright brothers aeroplane gained favor with the masses. She got to travel to and enjoy Europe, with the perks of their new-found fame.

The story is told with alternating views where each sibling narrates a chapter in turn. It is very straightforward and a little dry to my taste, but a worthwhile read for historical fiction buffs. Three stars from me.

I am a big fan of Katharine, and the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood was a riveting tale.
A historical fiction novel about Katharine and her famous Wright Brothers.
I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing.
I loved how the author’s meticulous research was woven throughout the story.
A truly fascinating novel!

Fascinating and inspiring novel about Katharine Wright, sister to the famous Wright Brothers of aviation fame. I have always enjoyed this author’s writing style and choice of subjects, and this was no exception. Katharine was truly a unique character, and I loved the details about her relationship with her brothers and the degree to which she contributed to their success. I could have done with a bit less detail about how the early planes were constructed, especially in the earlier part of the book. But I loved the personal details that finally emerged toward the end, and was anxious to see Katharine finally claim a life of her own.

I can’t wait to see what, or whom, Tracey Emerson Wood writes about next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Tracey Enerson Wood for this ARC.

I absolutely love everything there is to do with planes and flying. When I was 15, I had the chance to go up in a little Cessna and immediately fell in love with the idea of flying planes. It was a huge moment in my life that defined my teenage and young adult decisions. So, when I was sent an ARC of a historical fiction book about Katharine and her brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, I may have squealed with glee.

This book is full of ingenuity, failure, and determination. I loved following each sibling's POV as they made history. It was intriguing to see all of these plot points from different POVs, and they allowed you to get a vivid, well-rounded picture, which helped immerse you in this specific era of flight and invention.

I also had no idea that the Wrights had a sister, so I was overjoyed to see the part she played in helping them along their journey. It is common to hear about women in history being ignored or outright erased from important discoveries. This book helps shine a light on the important contributions and sacrifices that one sister made to ensure her brothers changed the world.

I’m not going to sugarcoat this: there is a lot of plane jargon and aerodynamic science in this book. For me, this made it more enjoyable and exciting because I love reading about planes. However, this may considerably slow the pace for other readers and may even feel boring. My reading experience was steadily paced and intriguing in every chapter.

If you love historical fiction and to read about strong women, this book will definetly be for you. Again, the scientific talk behind the plane experimentation may deter some readers; however, I found it fascinating. I learned so much about this family, the history of flight, and Katharine's struggles.

Overall, “Katharine, the Wright Sister” was an informative, enjoyable read, and I am so excited that I was able to learn more about a woman who played such a large role in a field that has excited me for much of my life.