I have not heard of Bessie Coleman before listening to this story and its sad because her accomplishment is significant in so many ways. A Pair of Wings is based on Bessie's life so it is not a biography but it captures some significant points in her life and career. Overall, this was a wonderful story. If you are interested in aviation and following the story of a woman who was determined to achieve her dream regardless of the racism and prejudice that was in her path this is the perfect read.

The audio narration was wonderful. I think the narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Carole Hopson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

The narrator of this audiobook is Alaska Jackson. Alaska did an exceptional job as this book took place in France, Germany, the North and the South with each resulting accent. This had the function of placing the narration in the background to the story being told. It was a very successful choice for this novel.

This was really, really good. Significantly better than I was expecting and I had fairly high expectations. I was an adult when I found out about Bessie Coleman. I grew up learning about Ms. Earhart but not a peep about Ms. Coleman. So as an adult I was amazed that she managed to go all of the way to Paris for flight training. I honestly assumed she was from an at least moderately wealthy and well connected Black family. I was shocked to discover she was raised as a share cropper and her mom was single head of household at least part of her growing up life. I've been hungry for a quality historical fiction novel about her life ever since.
I have to say this novel was well worth the wait.
The novel starts with Bessie in the air and then flashes back to her move to Chicago from Texas before her flight training in France. This covers her meeting with the men who helped her to arrange her training in France as well as helped fund her travels. This covers her training in Europe and her struggles to establish herself back in the US after her successful training.
Bessie emerges from this story as a breathing, laughing, flesh and blood woman. The skills of this author are superb. I know nothing about aviation nor am I particularly interested in it but I was riveted to the details in this story.
In a way it reminded me of when I read Pillars of the Earth because I equally don't care about church building. However in both novels the information is offered in such interesting ways and tied to such beloved characters, I know it'll live in my memory a surprising amount of time.
I hope this author writes more historical fiction. This was phenomenal.

Thank you to Carole Hopson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook.

I knew about Bessie Coleman before listening to this audiobook, but did not know the details of her life. I loved learning about her life and career and like any great historical fiction book, it made me research her and learn more about this fascinating character. The book did a great job of not only relaying the facts of her life, but also of giving the reader a feeling for her as a person and all that she went through being a black women, trying to breakthrough the white male dominated world of aviation. The narrator did a wonderful job conveying the character of Bessie and helping me to relate to all that she was going through. At times, I felt that the history of the time and details of aviation bogged the story down a bit, but I would still highly recommend the book to lovers of historical fiction and strong female characters.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the chance to listen to this story!

I’ve always known about Bessie Coleman being the first Black female to hold a pilots license but this story gave me way more background on her story than I’ve known.

I will say that there were more parts of the story that I enjoyed more than others— the beginning starts off very interesting. It opens up in 1923 after Bessie is in an accident then back in 1915 with Bessie moving in with her brothers while she tries to find a way to take flying lessons. She then gets into a romantic relationship, which was another favorite part of the whole story, and we navigate how complicated that love story turns out to be. There were some moments where the story read a little dry because of the historical content that was quite informative but it still didn’t take away too much from my interest in reading about this amazing female pioneer!

Her character and her resilience is an inspiration to living out your dreams no matter what society says about whether you can or can’t do something!

Read if you love:
✈️ historical fiction
✈️ women pioneers
✈️ biographical fiction
✈️ informative stories

This is a fascinating account of the pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a Black women that learned to fly at the dawn of aviation. Unable to find anyone to teach her to fly in the United States, she obtains funding, learned French and traveled to France to learn to fly.

The story accounts Bessie’s experience and passion for flying as well as the prejudice and challenges she faced as a black woman along her journey. I found her story, especially her training and flight experience and her mentors and supporters along the way, riveting. Unfortunately at times this read more like a biography rather than historical fiction. I would have loved to gotten deeper into to her character and challenges learning to fly and her relationships with her mentors, thus filling the holes with what might have been. Overall a fascinating story of a pioneering courageous woman who fought for more than just the ability to fly and became a true inspiration.

A Pair of Wings
Carole Hopson
Narrated by Alaska Jackson
Macmillian Audio
August 20, 2024

This amazing historical fiction is about a pioneer in aviation, Bessie Coleman. She was the first black woman to get an International Civilian pilots license.

In the early 1990s, Bessie was denied entrance to the American flight schools, so she learned French, traveled from Chicago to France, and was welcomed into one of France's most prestigious schools She received her license in June of 1921.
Her dream was to inspire children of color to want to fly.

I loved the history of Bessie's life and learning about the cultural, economical and racial obstacles she had to overcome. She was a remarkable, fearless, and determined young woman who should be part of our schools black history curriculum.

I especially enjoyed the mention of Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Mary Bethune, and Ida B Wells, which sent me down a rabbit hole of research.

However, this being a historical fiction, I wasn't expecting the graphic sex scenes, and I didn't appreciate not being warned. I honestly feel they were unnecessary and didn't add anything to the story.

Aside from that, the book is an inspirational and rich
Story which all history fans will appreciate.

Thank you to netgally and Macmillian Audio for my #giftedcopy. My review was voluntary .

4 Stars

I had never hear of Bessie Coleman before I read this book. Carole Hopson did a wonderful job of introducing me to a woman who should be an important part of American history. Yes, she took some liberties with the story, but that is to be expected in historical fiction. This book was beautifully written in a way that will hopefully inspire young woman to show that they too can continue to be just as good as men in any field. AND it made me way to research more about Bessie Coleman.

My only criticism is that the sex scenes in the beginning section of the book seemed unnecessary. But they can be skipped without any negative impact to the story.

I look forward to reading more by Carole Hopson if she chooses to write more books.

Incredible story about a pioneer in aviation. Bessie Coleman lead a fascinating life. I enjoyed the parts about her life in Waxahachie, TX as I have been there. A free spirit and a fire in her made her the first African american to hold a pilots license.

This book was equally amazing as it was heartbreaking. I love A historical fiction book that gives you everything you want and more. Beautifully written.

I was really excited to read A Pair of Wings by Carole Hobson, especially because Bessie Coleman is a hero to my daughter. My daughter admires Coleman so much that she even petitioned Piccolina to feature her in their trailblazer collection. I hoped this book would be a great way for her to learn more about her idol.

Unfortunately, I found the book quite disappointing. The excessive and unnecessary foul language, along with a scene that describes Bessie Coleman in an inappropriate manner, feels completely out of place in a biography of such an inspiring figure. This content makes the book unsuitable for my daughter, which is a major letdown.

Moreover, the book often reads like a disjointed collection of newspaper clippings from The Defender rather than a well-crafted biography. It delves into irrelevant details, such as the porters and the White Sox, which don’t contribute meaningfully to Bessie Coleman’s story. I was also surprised and disappointed by the omission of her time at Langston University in Oklahoma, with the narrative jumping from her life in Texas straight to Chicago.

Overall, A Pair of Wings did not meet my expectations and, unfortunately, does not effectively honor the legacy of Bessie Coleman.

What an outstanding Audio book! The story swept me away immediately, and the narrator did a fabulous job. Definitely destined to be in the top ten audio books of the year!

This book is why I love historical fiction. I knew nothing about the aviatrix Bessie Coleman but now my brain and heart are filled with her challenges, desires, and courage exhibited to become a trailblazer. She is the first black female aviatrix in the early days of flying. In order to get her pilot's license she had to go to France, learn the language, and pass the tests there since no one would teach her in the U.S. She earned her license before Amelia Earhart. Bessie overcame racism, sexism, language barriers, broken bones, money issues, and more to fulfill her destiny. Back in the U.S., she performed barnstorming stunts around the country to share her love of flying in hopes that it would inspire other Black girls and boys to want to fly. Her life ended way too soon and in such a surprising way, I gasped as I was listening to the book.
Kudos to the author for sharing this amazing woman with the world. Bessie was unstoppable. She was blessed with a wonderful family and some very smart sponsors who supported her throughout her flying years.
The narrator, Alaska Jackson, did a wonderful job performing the many voices of this story. Her tone and inflections of the many dialects are spot on and add to the enjoyment of this book. I felt like I was listening to Bessie tell her amazing life story. I would listen to more books narrated by her.
I highly recommend this book if you are looking for an inspiring story of another woman that has been forgotten in history. It is a little long, but the time to read this was so worth it. I will be thinking of Bessie Coleman for quite a while.
#APairofWings #NetGalley
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.