Publishers Weekly
06/10/2024
Pilot Hopson’s stirring debut draws on the life of trailblazing aviator Bessie Coleman. As a young Black woman, Bessie toils in Waxahachie, Tex., picking cotton and doing other people’s laundry. In 1915, when she’s 23, she leaves for Chicago, where she finds work as a manicurist. Having heard of the Wright brothers’ first flight, she harbors a dream of learning to fly. She saves what she can of her earnings and secures financial support from a real estate entrepreneur, with whom she has an affair. Though she has the money, no aviation school in the U.S. will train a Black woman, prompting her to study in France. After receiving her pilot’s license, Bessie returns to the U.S., where she’s greeted by a mob of reporters. The narrative extends through WWI, after which Bessie trains in Europe with military pilots who teach her combat maneuvers. Back home in America, she stages air shows with the tricks she learned abroad and embarks on a lecture tour, hoping to inspire other Black people to learn to fly. Hopson shines a welcome light on her indomitable and unsung heroine, and her technical knowledge enriches the many exhilarating aerial scenes. Aviation buffs will love this. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Named one of Essence’s “Top 15 Book Picks For Summer 2024”
One of Library Journal’s Best Historical Fiction Books of 2024
“Hopson shines a welcome light on her indomitable and unsung heroine, and her technical knowledge enriches the many exhilarating aerial scenes.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Hopson, a United Airlines captain, vividly evokes the experience of flight and does a commendable job illuminating Coleman’s struggles with self-doubt and isolation even as she becomes a media sensation. . . . Fans of women-focused and African American historical fiction will appreciate Hopson's meticulously researched take on the life of a pioneering figure in aviation history.”
—Booklist
“Invigorating! A Pair of Wings is the inspiring, richly detailed American Great Migration story we’ve been missing. Carole Hopson writes heroine and pioneer Bessie Coleman as if she’s been living inside her head. I loved it.”
—Crystal Smith Paul, author of Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
“Bessie Coleman was a pioneering aviatrix who, in the early part of the twentieth century, was forced to travel to France to learn to fly, as no one in the U.S. would give a Black woman lessons. Her thrilling true story makes for an exciting, inspiring work of fiction in Hopson’s hands. This may be the author’s first novel, but as a professional pilot herself, she takes the tale and soars with it.”
—Leigh Haber, founding books director of Oprah Daily and former head of Oprah’s Book Club
“For anyone seeking adventure, this novel of Bessie’s life will lift you up, energize you, and inspire you!”
—Eileen Collins, astronaut and coauthor of Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars
“Hopson captures Coleman’s courage, brilliance, and passion, from Jim Crow Texas to South Side, Chicago, through France and Germany, and back to America for treacherous barnstorming-while-Black. But above it all, there’s flight itself. This book soars!”
—Lorene Cary, author of Ladysitting
“Everyone who believes in aviation’s promise of freedom should know the remarkable story of Bessie Coleman, whose ambition, skills, and courage are brought to life in Carole Hopson’s fascinating and heartrending book.”
—Mark Vanhoenacker, pilot and author of Skyfaring
“Against the backdrop of the heroine's intrepid life, the novel explores the triumphs and trials of a people seizing their independence. Bessie's story inspires the reader to aim for new horizons and will lift your soul long after the story ends.”
—Shaunna J. Edwards, co-author of The Thread Collectors
“Ever wonder what Bessie Coleman's thoughts were as she pioneered her flying journey to become known as the Queen? Carole Hopson's page-turner gives the insight . . . I promise, you will enjoy the ride . . . Well done!”
—Vanessa Blacknall-Jamison, Board of Advisors Chairwoman, Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals
“Riveting . . . Bessie's story is told in a manner that entertains and captivates . . . from the first page to the last. Fly with Bessie and come away with an eyewitness account of a staunch trailblazer in aviation.”
—Albert Glenn, 777 Captain (ret.), FedEx and Co-Director, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Flight Academy
Library Journal
08/01/2024
DEBUT Hopson's first novel is a compelling fictionalized account of Bessie Coleman, the first Black American woman to earn her pilot's license in 1921. The novel begins with a dramatic crash. During her recovery, Bessie, encouraged by her staunch supporters and friends, is compelled to write her life story. The rest of the action takes place mainly in Chicago before the Great War, after Coleman leaves her childhood home in Texas to seek a better life. In a changing nation rife with racial and gender inequities, the notion of a Black woman becoming a pilot less than 20 years after the Wright brothers' inaugural flight seems unimaginable. However, through a combination of preparation, determination, and timing, Bessie's dream becomes a reality when a flight school in France admits her after the war. She goes on to earn her license and fly in several airshows, becoming a pioneer for women in aviation. This captivating novel showcases rich character development, beautiful writing, and an excellent representation of the era. Hopson (herself an airline pilot) does particularly good research, offering detailed insights into Bessie Coleman's life. VERDICT An excellent choice for historical fiction enthusiasts, especially those interested in Black history and aviation.—Sarah Stimson
