1962, the new jet-set era, and Pan American (Pan Am) Airways is recruiting for its highly sought after position of stewardesses. For ambitious women across America, it is their dream role.

Some women will do anything to get a role with Pan Am, and there are two woman are even more desperate than the other hopeful recruits.

Beverly, desperate to escape her family, despite the privilege of her upbringing. She knows that there is more to the World than glitzy parties and champagne, and is determined to make her mark on the world.

Judy, trapped in an abusive marriage, the Pan Am job is her only hope of escape and survival. But Pan Am do not accept married women.

Can Judy overcome the first hurdle of the application? Or has her escape plan failed before it can even be put into action.

The two of them have very different lives and upbringings, but they are more alike than they first realise.

As they embark on a rigorous training regime together, they become firm friends. Both sense that the other is holding something back, but each of them is a little afraid to let their truths escape.

When they do, they realise they are even more alike.

There is a tragic ending to this novel, which is hinted at most of the way through, but it is handled sensitively and is worth the tears that will inevitably fall.

I LOVED this one!

In 1962, many young American woman dreamed of becoming Pan Am stewardesses and living a life of jet set travel and glamour and Judy Goldman and Beverley Caldwell are desperate to join that elite team. The each have their own reasons - and their own secrets . . .

Although I was just starting school in 1962, I have always been fascinated by the glamour of those days. I enjoyed the American drama series about Pan Am but this novel is different, with an enticing storyline and plenty going on. It's beautifully written, a terrific read and one I'm very happy to recommend. For me, 5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

I loved this story!

Judy is running away from an abusive husband. Beverly is a rich socialite looking to get out of her gilded cage. As different as these two are, they become best friends when they both become Pan American Stewardesses.

I do not think I have ever read a story about Pan Am and their stewardesses. I loved learning about all the training and the weird rules…like they all had to wear the same color of lipstick. This is completely fascinating and different.

Not only that, the story surrounding the characters is addicting and will keep you so entertained you will not want to stop reading!

This is a story about friendship, but it is also about love, family and relationships. You do not want to miss this one.

Need a unique, great, historical fiction tale…THIS IS IT!

Grab your copy today.

In exploring the lives of these aspiring young flight attendants, Come Fly with Me takes readers inside this glamorous and extremely exclusive world. But, despite the fact that it’s set six decades ago, its meaningful message about fighting for yourself, your dreams, and your friends is a timeless one.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

The year is 1962. Career options for women are limited, and one of the most sought-after positions is that of an airline stewardess, particularly with Pan American Airlines (Pan Am). Two young women from diverse backgrounds become friends after landing their dream jobs. Beverly Caldwell, raised in Manhattan in a wealthy yet suffocating environment, yearns for more. Judy Goodman, trapped in an abusive marriage in a small Pennsylvania town, seeks the perfect escape. Together, the two new friends undergo training and embark on their careers, hoping for an exciting future. The story shifts to the present, where an elderly woman in Mo’orea, French Polynesia reflects on her past.

In Come Fly with Me, author Camille Di Maio skillfully depicts the early era of jet travel. Flight attendants, known then as stewardesses, adhered to strict rules, such as maintaining a certain weight and staying unmarried. Although the role was glamorous, most did not remain in it for more than eighteen months, as marriage and motherhood were the more conventional routes. This captivating tale of friendship blended with nostalgia offers an engaging read. Now, if only I could stop humming the Frank Sinatra song, "Come Fly with Me."

4.25 stars.

There’s something incredibly fulfilling about reading a book that transports you to another era, and in this case, I was taken straight to the 1960s.
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲 it’s a beautiful story about two women from different backgrounds and their journey as they join the Pan Am training program.
I was so engrossed in it that I read it in one sitting, and the ending left me absolutely breathless. I loved every moment of it.

COME FLY WITH ME is the latest outstanding novel by Camille Di Maio. Set in 1962, it is an engrossing story about the beginnings of the glamorous jet-set age aboard the iconic Pan Am Airlines. We meet two young women from very different backgrounds who are both trying to escape their current lives. Judy Goodman is running away from her oppressive marriage in a small town in Pennsylvania. Beverly Caldwell wants to break free from the expectations of New York society. The pair meet when trying to earn a coveted spot on the elite team of stewardesses for Pan Am Airlines. The training is grueling, but they get to experience amazing adventures around the world. This is an emotional story of friendship, love and loss that perfectly captures the culture of the time period as well as the lifestyles women of the time were expected to have. I enjoyed every minute of this book. The enduring friendship of the main characters was heartwarming. I loved that they would do anything for each other. As always, Camille Di Maio has written a perfectly plotted and researched novel that touched my heart. Highly recommended! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Thank you Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for an eARC ♥️

I just finished reading this amazing novel about two women, Judy and Beverly, who become stewardesses for Pan American Airlines in the 1960s. I mean, can you think of a more glamorous job? Flying around the world, meeting new people, and living the high life... it's like a dream come true!🤩
But what made this book even more fascinating for me is that I used to be obsessed with the TV series Pan Am. I loved how the show captured the excitement and adventure of that era, and this book brought all those memories flooding back.❤️
But here's the thing: Judy and Beverly aren't just looking for adventure - they're also running away from their pasts. Judy's escaping an oppressive marriage, while Beverly's breaking free from the constraints of New York society.
As they navigate their new lives as stewardesses, Judy and Beverly face all sorts of challenges. They have to deal with strict rules and etiquette, not to mention the occasional creepy passenger (ew!). But they also experience the thrill of exploring new destinations, meeting new people, and discovering what they're truly capable of.
Through it all, Judy and Beverly form a deep and abiding friendship that helps them through the tough times. And let me tell you, they face some tough times! But they also discover the power of female friendship and the importance of following your dreams.❤️
So if you're looking for a novel that's all about adventure, self-discovery, and the power of female friendship, then this is the book for you! Trust me, you won't regret it.👍🏽

The true draw of Come Fly With Me is in its rich details and sense of place. I felt like I was in each destination with Beverly and Judy, experiencing life in the early '60s. It was the perfect escape from a cold Minnesotan winter.

Camille di Maio (favorite author) and master storyteller returns with a dazzling and beautifully written heartfelt tale of two women, best friends, back to 1962 and the glamorous Pan American Airlines with COME FLY WITH ME.

You will be transported to the Golden Age of Air Travel!

About...

Judy Goodman and Beverly Caldwell meet but do not realize how each other will impact one another's life. They both are striving for a position as stewardesses for Pan American Airlines.

Judy is running away from an abusive marriage in small-town Pennsylvania. As a stewardess, she is not allowed to be married, but she must keep this a secret to leave her husband and make an independent life for herself.

Beverly is leaving behind the New York society that will allow her to pursue a future of her own. She does not want to marry someone her dad thinks is good for business.

Enter the world of rules, adventure, etiquette, social, and culture above the clouds. The two women form a friendship and are loyal to one another. They both have secrets, sacrifice, and tragedy.

My thoughts...

"COME FLY WITH ME is enthralling! Beautifully written, meticulously researched, and richly evocative.”

Everything Camille Di Maio writes is meticulously researched and elegantly told with grace and finesse. All her books are fascinating and bring to life a piece of important history, leaving you feeling empowered, informed, and enriched.

I have read every book she has written; she is a top writer. If you have not read her books, I highly recommend them. Her prose is lyrical and vivid, and her characters are heartfelt and highly relatable. You will find a piece of yourself in Judy and Beverly. Friendships in this story are formed from shared adversity, scars of life, and shared experiences. I love books set in this period and enjoyed the friendship between these women.

The title fits the Frank Sinatra song, and the 1960s come alive on the page. You will be in awe of these courageous women who risked their lives —flexible, adventurous, organized, and fearless. Their bravery will inspire you.

Told from POV: Judy, Beverly, and Mo'orea, French Polynesia.

Audiobook...

I read the ebook and listened to the audiobook narrated by the talented Carly Robins, Dominique Salvacion, and Sherri Slater, elevating the story and making the characters come alive for an engaging listening experience.

Recs...

COME FLY WITH ME is for fans of the author and those who enjoy strong women and historical fiction.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Brilliance Audio for an advanced review and listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Feb 18, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
Feb 2025 Must-Read Books
Feb Newsletter

I chose this book based on the subject matter, Pan Am stewardess life in the early 1960's. It was a fast and enjoyable read, although I think some aspects of the fictional story, thoughts and actions of the characters, were not authentic for the time. This is a pattern I have found in recent "historical fiction" written by younger authors and set in years that I experienced first hand, which leads me to prefer memoirs instead. That said, this novel should appeal to anyone interested in well-researched details of the stewardess training and life in the 60's melded together with truly fictional characters as imagined by the author. My rating would be 3.5 stars.

The premise of this book hooked me from the very start! It holds a special place in my heart, bringing a wonderful sense of nostalgia as a former flight attendant. I was completely captivated by the story, unable to put it down as it transported me to the glamorous early days of air travel. The depiction of Pan Am was fascinating, and I loved learning new details about the airline and the era. You could tell a lot of research and thought went into this book.

At its core, this novel is a beautiful tribute to friendship. The bond between Beverly and Judy was the most compelling part of the story, and it has stayed with me long after turning the last page.

This was such an immersive and beautifully written novel, and I’ll be recommending it to everyone!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of Come Fly with Me by Camille Di Maio.

I enjoyed this historical fiction set in 1962 about 2 Pan Am stewardesses and the glorious days of air travel. Judy and Beverly couldn't be more different but they both want to be stewardesses for Pan American Airlines and they form a friendship during their training.

I liked the training aspect and how much went into their training. This book reminded me of the TV show Pan Am. I liked seeing Judy and Beverly's friendship grow.

I didn't like the present-day snippets -- while it provided some mystery and dropping hints, I would have preferred for this book to just be set in the 1960s.

Overall I enjoyed this book and loved reading about flight attendants!

I very much appreciated the escapism this book had to offer. There is no question that locations of San Francisco, Hawaii, Paris and Polynesia are very appealing given my current reality. Nonetheless, this is not a purely escapist novel. This is a work of historical fiction taking place during the early 1960s. Judy and Beverly become stewardesses with Pan Am, which was much more glamorous then then it is now. Judy does so to escape an abusive marriage and Beverly to escape her life, which is certainly better than Judy's but is not what she wants.
There is glamor and I would have liked even more of the life of a stewardess in that time period. There are references to the lives of women and problems that they had, which I wish had been explored a bit more. However, the author built up great suspension around Judy's escape from her husband and the help that she got from a friend back home, a black woman, and her husband and the reader just knows that something is going to happen.
Overall, an enjoyable novel. This is my first of this author's books and I will definitely look for her other ones.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with this advanced readers copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was the perfect book to read while I was travelling from the US to the EU. It takes me one domestic flight, one over the Atlantic, and then one more within the EU. Three flights and four airports later I am safely with my new grandbaby. All those people who support getting us from one city to another by plane have my gratitude, especially the folks who have to stand out on the runways in the winter weather. I am also guessing that the stewardesses from those early days especially find it interested to see their modern counterparts.

I really appreciated the fact that Camille Di Maio purposefully kept this from being a "mattress romp." She focuses on the early 1960's when the Pan Am stewardesses were the cream of the crop and held to very high standards. Also included is the rescue work the airline did in the aftermath of Vietnam.

Judy and Beverly come from very different backgrounds, but both are captured by the sense of adventure and the opportunities to travel the world with Pan Am. They were inspired by Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" album and made a wish list of all the places they wanted to visit.
This is a bittersweet story, but the friendship between the two main characters shines like the sun. I loved visiting exotic locations like Honolulu, Hong Kong, and more along with them.

If you love travel, adventure, and fast friends in your historical fic; give this one a try! Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

So well researched and written, this pulled me in right away and kept my interest. I loved Judy and Beverly and reading about their fledgling friendship and adventures.

The story was engaging and I read this over a few days, eager to learn what would happen. I didn’t love the end, it felt a little too trite. But overall, this one was a winner.

This was my second time reading Ms Di Maio’s work, and I’ve enjoyed both books that I’ve read very much. I absolutely look forward to reading more.



Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

Perfect Escapism. Even as certain elements of this book are damn near torn from the headlines of the past several weeks - for the record, *long* after Di Maio had completed writing this book, as I've had it myself for nearly four months already - this book really is pure, damn near perfect, escapism. For most people. For those in at least one sadly far too common situation - one my own grandmother experienced during the period detailed in this book - it could potentially be triggering. Yet even in this, Di Maio provides a solid set of escapism, and even in this, there is ultimately purpose in the story beyond "you can survive".

Instead, the vast majority of this tale focuses primarily on one particular lady and the situations she finds herself in during the early 1960s as she attempts a career as a Pan Am stewardess. We see in detail the exacting standards of the position and the more-intense-than-one-may-realize training they underwent. We see the (then) exotic locales that are still wildly different than what most Americans today are accustomed to - and yet those locations have also been increasingly "Americanized" and generally commercialized over the ensuing decades, to the point that this book really hits the nostalgic appeal of the locations in the eras portrayed and, as the text takes place nearly entirely in the early 1960s, largely glosses over all that they have become.

Our other primary narrator from this period is another view of the trials women went through in this period, and here Di Maio does a particularly superb job of showing that looks can indeed be deceiving, and sometimes one must actively seek out the real truth in matters.

Our final perspective - yes, this is technically multi-perspective, but there really are just the three - is a modern day person looking back on the halcyon days portrayed in the rest of the story. It is through her eyes that we see both all that was, story wise, and... even a glimpse of Di Maio herself, as she notes in the Author Note. (No, not even spoiling that here, although that particular tale sounds pretty fucking awesome. :) )

Ultimately this is one of those books that does a truly phenomenal job of providing maximal escapism through exotic travel in a long-gone era... and it is one that is going to tug your heart strings quite a bit at times, both making your heart race from a variety of situations and in making the room quite dusty indeed at points.

For those who may have worried where Di Maio was or if she was coming back at all or if she could come back and stay just as good as she once was, with her last major release being almost exactly three years to the day before the publication date of this book... I'll tell you now: I've now read over half of Di Maio's major releases, first encountering her with 2019's The Beautiful Strangers, and at least of the books I've read from her... this may well be the best one yet.

Very much recommended.

Judy and Beverly meet in Pan Am stewardess training school and even though they come from vastly different worlds, they become fast and close friends. Judy is running away from an abusive marriage and Beverly is running from an oppressive high society life with a controlling father. Through the program they learn the strict Pan Am rules, meet men and go on to live their dream of flying with Pan Am. However, the past always returns and the women have to protect each other.

This was interesting, informative and fun to read. It takes place in the 60s when Pan Am only flew internationally and only had female stewardesses. The criteria and rules were strict and only a few made it through the program. I really enjoyed learning about this interesting time in plane travel as well as getting to know each of these women and their backstory. I half and halfed this one on audiobook and thought the multiple narrators from the audiobook enhanced the experience. Since this was a story and setting I hadn't really read about before, as a historical fiction reader I appreciated it, this is definitely a good one if you are a fan of historical fiction!

Thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for the ARC to review

This amazing book tells the story of two incredible women, from very different backgrounds, as they begin their adventures as stewardesses for Pan Am airlines back in 1962, with some chapters in the present day. Both Judy and Beverly had very different reasons for seeking independence and adventure traveling the world. Camille Di Maio truly made their stories come alive as they went through the hiring process and their training. The process was daunting as only one in fifty applicants would be hired, and they would have to be willing to wear the makeup and hairstyles required, and keep their weight and figures within a set limit. I loved how strong they both were and the friendship that developed between Beverly and Judy. They loved amazing, strong, heartbreaking lives and every moment had me enthralled. I will admit that the book had me crying in a few spots, so be ready. If you enjoy historical fiction with strong, brave, empathetic characters, you definitely need to read this book!

A fun read about Beverly and Judy, two women from very different backgrounds who find their future as stewardesses for Pan Am. This has all the atmospheric feels of the 1960s - both good and bad- as well as dips into interesting locales. At its heart however this is a story about women coming into their own, finding friendship and their own future. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction.