A Pair of Wings is the debut novel of Carole Hopson, journalist, commercial airline pilot, and now published author. It’s based on the life of Bessie Coleman who was born in Texas in 1892 and was a pioneer in aviation history. I’m embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t aware of Ms. Coleman or her contributions before listening to this audiobook narrated by Alaska Jackson.

Facing discrimination in the US, Ms. Coleman pursued her dream of flying all the way to France to attend flight school. In 1921, she became the first American women to earn an international pilot’s license. However, she didn’t just want to fly a plane, she became a stunt pilot and used her skills to raise funds to create a flight school for Black men and women.

The novel shares events in her personal and professional life, both of which were filled with challenges. Readers should know that the plot has one very open-door bedroom scene. I didn’t research Ms. Coleman’s life prior to reading the book to avoid ‘spoilers.’.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for early access to the audiobook.

This audiobook brought to live Bessie Coleman in the best of ways, and it is such a shame I didn't learn about her before now. I thought Alaska Jordan did a great job and I highly recommend the audiobook.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC.

With A Pair of Wings Carole Hopson provides her readership the opportunity to learn more (if they knew anything) about Bessie Coleman - a pioneer aviatrix busting the ceiling with her own set of wings - a pilot in every sense of the word.

Bessie is the daughter of a former slave - no easy road for her family - but Bessie has no patience for that kind of settlement. She ups and moves on to places that can help her with her dream - to fly. She finds backers, and one points her to (and pays the way) France, where she has a chance not available in these United States - to attend flight school and earn wings just like every other human slipping earth's surly bonds.*

An interesting read, which includes the author's notes and endpapers providing her motivations for writing this debut novel, and describes her own path also pointed skyward - albeit a much easier one than Bessie's, thanks to the pioneers who'd found a way around and through career blockades long posted in decades past. From me - All the stars - certainly for Bessie, but as much for Carole Hopson, who shows us by this writing Bessie's dream and her fight for it.

*Bessie's path reminded me of many others who died doing what they loved, and John Gillespie Magee's poem 'High Flight' catches the euphoria of flight the best - (I am particularly thrilled by the use of exclamation point at the moment of epiphany) -

'Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, -- and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of -- wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. . .

Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.'

*A sincere thank you to Carole Hopson, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #APairofWings #NetGalley

Grabbed this ALC because of the interesting history of Bessie Coleman, a Black woman who learned to fly during the dawn of aviation. However, the first 1/3 of the book felt too heavy with history, like lists of every person or action of the time, to the point that it felt like adding more names was more important than telling the story. My eyes glazed over for a little bit. I was more invested as we started to learn about her flying abilities. She had lots of talent and courage while inspiring future flyers, which was her main goal. The author was one of those inspired to fly then write this novel to pay homage. It will be a book many readers of historical fiction will enjoy. Hand to both those who like HF and interests in flying. Thanks NetGalley for the ALC copy.

Loved this book! Bessie was so fascinating and a true inspiration. I didn’t care for the narrator though which made it difficult to get through at times.

Wow, what a facinating woman Bessie Coleman was! While I enjoyed the story I did not enjoy the narrator and for that reason I lowered my star rating since this was an audio review.

3.5 rounded down. I enjoyed this story and learning more about a strong woman who was a pioneer in piloting but it was a bit long-winded at times and I had trouble staying engaged in the story.

This book.... WOW!!! I had no idea about Bessie Coleman! She was a real pilot! The first woman... First person of color to hold a international pilots licence. That's a huge accomplishment.

The story covers Bessies life from a young woman, to making the decision to become a pilot and saving her money to go to France and become what she was destined to do..

The book moved me in ways I haven't been moved in a long time. It was full of raw emotion and a captivating story of a woman who knew what she wanted and she took it by the horns.

I did not like the narrator. I wish they had used someone else.

The story was amazing, the characters really felt real and vibrant.

Highly recommend

4 stars

5 Stars

WOW what an amazing story. I had never heard of Bessie Coleman and that is damn shame! What this woman accomplished during a time that was not friendly to African Americans OR women is nothing short of astonishing. She was such a great person to look up to. This is a MUST read!

Now lets talk about the narrator Alaska Jackson! So so so good! They was she was able to do all of the accents was top notch! 5 Stars to her as well.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for the gifted audiobook. While I was interested in the subject matter, I couldn't get past the narrator's heavy, fake Southern accent to listen to the rest of the story. I may try it as an e-book instead.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Liked it, fun while I was reading it
This book tells the story of Bessie Coleman, an early black, female aviatrix. It's well done and I liked the structure of how her history was revealed. Her life was extraordinary and that definitely comes across, but at times, we sometimes get lost in details that don't add to her legendary story. In those parts, it unnecessarily dragged. Having said all that, I had never heard about her and am so glad I now know about her accomplishments.

The narrator, Alaska Jackson, did a good job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, with what expression/intension, and the appropriate accent. 

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and author Carole Hopson for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. A Pair of Wings is out August 20, 2024.

A Pair of Wings: A Novel by Carole Hopson was the riveting story of Bessie Coleman, a young black woman whose greatest desire was to learn how to fly an airplane from a very young age. Eventually, Bessie became known as a pioneer aviatrix. Early on, Bessie was mesmerized and greatly influenced by the success the Wright brothers achieved with their first flight. A Pair of Wings was inspired by Bessie Coleman’s love for planes and her desire to learn how to fly one. This dream stemmed from Bessie’s early years as a young girl growing up on a share cropper farm, picking cotton in Texas with her mother and some of her siblings.

Finally in 1915, Bessie knew if she was ever going to have a chance of making her dream come true, she had to leave Texas. Bessie made her way to Chicago where her two older brothers lived. Over the course of the next many years, Bessie met influential men who supported her dream and believed in her. The odds of her dream coming true were not likely. The early 1900’s were not favorable or accepting of any women who wanted to learn to fly a plane and even less for black women. Bessie defied all odds. She became the first Black female to earn an international pilot’s license from France. The only pilot’s school that had accepted Bessie into flight school had been located in France. Bessie Coleman had to fight and prove herself every single day not only as a woman but as a Black woman. She accomplished something that no one else had come close to accomplishing. Although she died much too young, her achievements were remarkable. She was driven, determined and so courageous.

I had never heard anything about Bessie Coleman and her dreams, challenges or accomplishments before reading A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson. Women’s aspirations were so stifled back in the early 1900’s and Black women’s even more so. I admire the fight and determination that Bessie possessed in order to achieve her dream. She did have people who believed in her and helped her but she was met with so many obstacles that she had to overcome. I listened the audiobook that was very well narrated by Alaska Jackson. A Pair of Wings was Carole Hopson’s debut book. I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook A Pair of Wings: A Novel by Carole Hopson through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This historical fiction novel follows the life of Bessie Coleman, the world's first woman of color to become an aviator, bringing her triumphs and setbacks to life.

From the harrowing first scene of this book I was drawn in and mostly enjoyed learning about Coleman's achievements. There were parts that read a bit too much like passages from a textbook. A couple of explicit sex scenes involving Coleman's lover, banker Jesse Binga, were unnecessary and felt out of place in a historical fiction novel. Otherwise, the audiobook was an interesting listen and the narrator did a fine job.

The author herself is a pilot, which I think is really cool.

3.5 stars.

This is an inspiring and lovingly-written novel about real-life aviatrix Bessie Coleman. As a black woman living in early twentieth century America, her journey to become a plane pilot was a series of never-ending obstacles.

The author, Carole Hopson, is also a pilot. Her knowledge of the subject matter really shines through the narrative.

The audiobook is narrated by Alaska Jackson. Her performance was very immersive. I had no trouble believing that Bessie Coleman herself was telling the story of her life.

Note: This is a story of a black woman trying to succeed in a field dominated by white men during a time when that was not socially acceptable. It’s not all sunshine and roses. The book opens with a plane crash followed by a desperate surgery. Also, the actual Bessie Coleman’s life ended in an abrupt tragedy. The book reflects this. You may want to mentally prepare before jumping in.

A Pair of Wings was an excellent read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I would read more from this author again.

This historical fiction novel follows the life of pioneer aviatrix, Bessie Coleman. It is told in first person by Bessie in four parts, covering her life after she moved from Waxahachie, Texas to Chicago in 1915, where she lived with family and found work in a barber shop as a manicurist to her time in France training to fly since no one in the US would agree to train a black woman to fly planes at that time. The last two parts cover her career flying as a barnstorming stunt flier and her comeback after the injurious crash that kicks off the prologue in 1923 Santa Monica.

I admit that I had never heard of Bessie Coleman before receiving the offer for this audiobook, but I thought it would make an educational read and I was right. I found the jobs available and treatment of a black woman during this time in both Chicago and Waxahachie to be informative. The audiobook was narrated by Alaska Jackson, and I really enjoyed her portrayal of this brave courageous woman who traveled the world to follow her passion despite those who would seek to hold her back due to her race and gender. Her story was truly inspiring.

The early parts of the book introduced her family and background, her determination to become an aviatrix and defy the traditional roles designated by others. Her family was both loving and supportive as well as complicated and antagonistic at times. I really enjoyed her time spent studying in France and the relationships she developed with her colleagues there as well as the time she spent in the Netherlands and Germany learning more about exhibition flying. I particularly enjoyed her return to Waxahachie for an air show.

Recommended to readers looking for an inspirational read about a strong female character, aviation, and/or interested in race relations and living situations during the early twentieth century.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.

Carole Hopson is a total badass, both in the flight deck and on the page. She's impressive as a 737 United Airlines pilot and leader in the aviation industry, and she brings that same energy to her debut historical fiction novel, "A Pair of Wings," inspired by the legendary Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman pilot. Honestly, it’s perfect that Hopson wrote this book—she’s living proof of what it means to break barriers in a male-dominated industry, just like Bessie did.

Bessie Coleman’s story is straight-up remarkable. She knew exactly what she wanted—to fly airplanes—and nothing was going to stop her. Racism? Misogyny? Financial hurdles? She stared them all down and still found a way. Bessie even took off to France for flight training, beating Amelia Earhart to the skies by two years (and why don’t more people know that??). And let’s talk about dedication and perseverance—she walked 18 miles a day to get to her flying lessons. Every step of her journey shows just how determined and resilient she was.

As we learn, "Queen Bess" was a survivor from the get-go. She moved out of the Jim Crow South to find love in Chicago, sought out pilots who were willing to take a chance on her and train her, survived a terrifying plane crash, and still pushed forward to make history. Bessie Coleman’s story deserves to be known, and Hopson does an amazing job of bringing her spirit and grit to life. This novel isn’t just a tribute; it’s a call to remember the women who paved the way for future generations of aviators. Absolutely worth the read!

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the advance copy of the audiobook, narrated by Alaska Jackson. She did a fantastic job bringing Bessie's moxie to life!

Could NOT get past the narrator of this audiobook. The premise of the book sounds really good, but I just can't listen to it. I'll try again with the physical text later.

This historical fiction novel follows Bessie Coleman, the first black woman to earn her pilots license and her determination to reach her dreams. This book did show lots of the discrimination and issues for not only her race, but her gender in the flying world. She had to go to a different country to even learn to fly. As someone whose dad has his pilots license, it was interesting to listen to her background and journey.

"A Pair of Wings” by Carole Hopson is a captivating historical novel inspired by the life of Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license. Set in the early 20th century, the novel follows Bessie Coleman’s journey from the cotton fields of Texas to the skies over Europe. It is a story of determination, resilience, and the pursuit of dreams against all odds.

The story begins with Bessie’s childhood in Texas, where she first dreams of flying after seeing an airplane soar overhead. As the daughter of a woman born into slavery, Bessie’s path is fraught with challenges. She moves to Chicago during the Great Migration, where she works as a manicurist and gains the support of influential Black men like Robert Abbott and Jesse Binga. Unable to find flight training in the U.S. due to racial and gender barriers, Bessie learns French and travels to Europe. There, she trains with seasoned French and German combat pilots, mastering death-defying stunts and earning her pilot’s license two years before Amelia Earhart.

I enjoyed how the book took on historical references by vividly portraying the racial and gender discrimination of the era, highlighting Bessie’s struggle to break into the male-dominated field of aviation. It was an honor to read with Bessie’s character being so richly developed, showcasing her courage, tenacity, and passion for flying. I felt that her relationships with Abbott and Binga add depth to her personal story. For me, the detailed descriptions of Bessie’s flying experiences, including her signature stunts, are thrilling and immersive. It was amazing to me that the author's own background as a pilot added authenticity to these scenes. I also felt the narration of Alaska Johnson was an enjoyable addition to my enjoyment of the book.

This was my first Carole Hopson book and I felt her writing was both engaging and informative. She skillfully blends historical facts with fictional elements, creating a narrative that is both educational and entertaining. Her prose is descriptive, bringing to life the settings and characters with vivid detail.

This was a compelling read for ne that celebrates the indomitable spirit of Bessie Coleman. It is a testament to the power of dreams and the courage it takes to pursue them, making it a must-read for fans of historical fiction and aviation enthusiasts alike.