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Velva Jean Learns to Fly (Velva Jean #2)

by Jennifer Niven (Goodreads Author)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 362 ratings · 94 reviews

After Pearl Harbor, Velva Jean signs up for service and gets her wings, risking her life-and her heart.

Velva Jean Hart, the fiercely independent heroine of Jennifer Niven's (Becoming Clementine) spectacular debut novel, Velva Jean Learns to Drive, returns in a captivating adventure that literally sends her soaring. Bristling at the limitations faced by a woman in rural A...more

Paperback, 432 pages

Published August 30th 2011 by Plume (first published January 1st 2011)

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Jun 28, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Mar 22, 2012 Ida rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't read the predecessor of this book, Velva Jean Learns to Drive. But I don't feel like that hindered me too much in following the plot of this one. The characters are interesting and likeable and the pace is good. The information about women pilots in WWII was fascinating. I love WWII era books, movies, anything and this did not disappoint in that respect.
The reason I only gave it three stars (and almost gave it two) is the overall message of the book which is: Don't count on romantic l...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Alex Baugh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: world-war-2

Velva Jean Learns to Fly continues the story of Velva Jean Hart Bright begun in Velva Jean Learns to Drive. In this second novel, Jennifer Niven explores the world of the newly formed WASP,or Women Airforce Service Pilots, in World War II through the experiences of her determined, independent, strong-willed 18 year old protagonist, Velva Jean.

Velva Jean had married her preacher husband Harley Bright when she was 16. She saved as much money as possible and learned to drive, enabling her to leave...more Velva Jean Learns to Fly continues the story of Velva Jean Hart Bright begun in Velva Jean Learns to Drive. In this second novel, Jennifer Niven explores the world of the newly formed WASP,or Women Airforce Service Pilots, in World War II through the experiences of her determined, independent, strong-willed 18 year old protagonist, Velva Jean.

Velva Jean had married her preacher husband Harley Bright when she was 16. She saved as much money as possible and learned to drive, enabling her to leave this abusive marriage. When this sequel opens, Velva is driving her yellow truck from her home in Fair Mountain, North Carolina to Nashville, to realize her dreams of singing at the Grand Ole Opry. Her first day in Nashville, August 23, 1941, standing outside the Opry, a tall, striking woman hands her some money thinking she is needy. After the Opry lets out, Velva Jean finds the woman and returns the money to her. The woman, 26 year old Beryl Goss, or Gossie, takes her in, helps her get a job and introduces Velva Jean to Nashville life. The two become fast friends.

Life in Nashville brings other new things to Velva Jean. She teaches herself how to type, gets a job and bombards the head of the Grand Ole Opry with letters asking for an audition. She also receives regular letters from her husband, but refuses to open them and just puts them away.

On May 21, 1942, Velva Jean’s life changes completely when her brother Johnny Clay Hart comes to Nashville. Johnny Clay has signed up to be a paratrooper, but has some time before his training begins. Impatient to start, Johnny Clay finds a flying instructor to take him and Velva Jean up for her first airplane ride. Scared but thrilled, Velva Jean falls in love with flying and begins taking lessons in earnest. Her flying teacher considers her a natural, and when he hands Velva Jean a copy of Life magazine with an article about two government programs for women pilots, she determines that is what she wants to do, despite being too short, underage and under educated.

Undaunted, however, Velva Jean begins to inundate the head of the WASP program, Jacqueline Cochran, with letters asking for a chance anyway. In October, 1942, she is called in for an interview. In December, Velva Jean is accepted into the WASP program and in February 1943, she leaves Nashville for Texas and pilot training.

Needless to say, Velva Jean has a lot of adventures and experiences, in Nashville, on a visit home to Fair Mountain, in Texas and later at Camp Davis in North Carolina. Some of these involve the usual experiences of loss and love. What really stands out and is the most disturbing are the obstacles that women face while trying to serve their country. In reality, the WASPs really did face many obstacles. Flying was still relatively new, and women fliers were just not readily accepted. WASP experiences in Texas, at Avenger Field where they trained, were for the most part quite positive, as they are portrayed in this novel. But life was not always pleasant at Camp Davis, where male pilots resented the women who could do their job just as well or, sometimes, better, an did things that put their lives in jeopardy.

The characters and setting created by Niven in this novel are well developed and believable. The language is simple, but clear. My only complaint was that there may have been too explanatory. For example, I think there was sometimes more technical information about different planes than I could really understand. But these are minor, and could appeal to other readers. I enjoyed reading this book very much and was particularly grateful that Niven was able to keep Velva Jean from sounding like a southern stereotype, speaking with a vocabulary of nothing more than down home platitudes.

Velva Jean Learns to Fly is not really a YA novel, but is an adult novel that would have a great deal of appeal to many older teen readers. At 16, Velva Jean’s life looked like it was full of limitations. Two years later, it was full of possibilities and all because Velva Jean decided to take over the direction her life was going in. You could say, perhaps, that driving in the first novel is a metaphor for coming of age, but flying in this second novel is a metaphor for soaring. And Velva Jean is a wonderful example of that indomitable spirit that is the stuff of good YA novels, and that is so admirable.

I really liked this novel a lot and do recommend reading it. Velva Jean Learns to Fly can be read as a stand alone novel. References made to people, places or events that happened in Velva Jean Learns to Drive are not in the least a problem. Enough background information is provided to understand what is being referred to, but not so much that if you decide to read the first book it will be spoiled.

The book is recommended for readers age 14 to adult
The book was received as an E-ARC through netgalley.com
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Sep 13, 2011 McGuffy Morris rated it 5 of 5 stars

We first met her in Velva Jean Learns to Drive, where she was searching for her dream. Now Velva Jean is back in a second novel, pursuing her dreams.

It is 1941, and Velva Jean has made it to Nashville. She is struggling to make her way in the music industry. Her heart and soul remain grounded in the mountains of North Carolina, but her dream is still to sing at The Grand Ol' Opry.

To the shock of the world, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and suddenly everything is changed. Velva Jean sadly watches...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Jessica Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars

I asked for more after reading "Velva Jean Learns to Drive". I wanted more of Velva Jean, a young, southern girl with a lot of spunk, drive, determination, and love. I got just what I asked for when the story continued in "Velva Jean Learns to Fly". It's obvious that Jennifer Niven has taken her time to research and has created a fabulous historical fiction that I absolutely could not put down. I didn't want the story to end, I wanted to see what Velva Jean Hart would be doing next. I'm hoping f...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Viviane Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Velva Jean Hart is tired of small town living, including a husband who is part preacher and part moonshiner. She'd been told she had a wonderful voice and a record producer actually made a record of one of her "Yellow Truck..." songs, telling her to look him up if she ever got to Nashville, Tennessee from rural Appalachia in Alluvia, North Carolina. So she sang every song she knew as she left her home all the way to the point in Tennessee where she got a flat tire. But Velva Jean is a spunky gal...more Velva Jean Hart is tired of small town living, including a husband who is part preacher and part moonshiner. She'd been told she had a wonderful voice and a record producer actually made a record of one of her "Yellow Truck..." songs, telling her to look him up if she ever got to Nashville, Tennessee from rural Appalachia in Alluvia, North Carolina. So she sang every song she knew as she left her home all the way to the point in Tennessee where she got a flat tire. But Velva Jean is a spunky gal and managed to conquer this problem, find a place to live, and make a friend who would help until Velva Jean finally found a job. Even after those difficult challenges, in which she bore rejection after rejection, she still managed to find a place where people could enjoy her voice and zesty personality! But a record contract did not loom, especially after she was told she needed years of music experience before she'd be ready for recording. She didn't care - she just kept writing song after song after song!

Life, however, changed dramatically with the breakout of WWII, and Velva Jean's brother, Johny Clay, introduces her to a flying lesson that changes her passion forever. She goes on to become a female pilot and joins a select group of women flyers carrying out secret but no less dangerous missions within America. Here the story mixes her increasing love of flying, desire to do more for the war effort, and the horror she experiences as tragedy after tragedy happen to those she loves and others she doesn't know. Some die by attack but some are killed because of human mistakes; the latter are just as devastating and Velva Jean is responsible for bringing it to the attention of those who should be doing something about it.

There is much more day-by-day description of what an amazing woman Velva Jean and other women flyers like her become. It's a quick, shocking way to grow up but this plot is filled with humor and persistent dedication, the essence of Velva Jean's personality.

This novel has some very slow parts but does evolve into a funny, interesting and wonderful historical fiction piece that elevates the place of women in a time when they were expected to stay home and sew for the war effort. It includes as well the respect these women flyers known as the WAFS or Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. Jennifer has depicted a slice of life in the war that few Americans know about, and Velva Jean Hart is an unforgettable, spunky gal who stands for the best women contributing to the war effort at that time! Nicely done, Ms. Niven!(less)

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Aug 18, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, historical, own

After breaking free of her old life in the first book, Velva Jean returns, pursuing her dreams in any way they take her.

This book was okay. It was easier for me to get into because I already knew the characters and situations. But, I didn't like the story in this one as much. I was annoyed as hell that, after Velva Jean spent her whole life dreaming of one thing only, she so easily changes her dream to something else once that first dream doesn't immediately work out. From that point on, the sto...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Susanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Nineteen-year-old Velva Jean Hart has had enough of her life in the North Carolina mountains with her husband, Harley Bright. So, like every good 1940s housewife, she sets off on her own - in the truck she learned to drive in the previous book - for Nashville, where she hopes to start her singing career with the Grand Ole Opry. Once in Tennessee, however, she finds that it's full of people wanting record deals and contracts. Losing hope in finding musical opportunities, Velva Jean turns her drea...more Nineteen-year-old Velva Jean Hart has had enough of her life in the North Carolina mountains with her husband, Harley Bright. So, like every good 1940s housewife, she sets off on her own - in the truck she learned to drive in the previous book - for Nashville, where she hopes to start her singing career with the Grand Ole Opry. Once in Tennessee, however, she finds that it's full of people wanting record deals and contracts. Losing hope in finding musical opportunities, Velva Jean turns her dreams from singing to flying and heads off to Texas to join the group that will become the Women's Airforce Service Pilots as the second World War catches hold of the country.

Though this is the sequel to another novel, Velva Jean Learns to Fly can be read without having read the first book. I faced some confusion as to minor characters from Velva Jean's hometown and family but for the most part had no problem jumping in on Velva Jean's story in the middle. The first half of the book is rather unexciting, but it's rarely boring. After all, not all of history was a thrilling adventure. The second half of the novel picks up more as Velva Jean begins her training and eventually goes to Camp Davis in North Carolina. For me, seeing the prejudices and trials that the first female pilots faced there was the most interesting part of the book. I also found it surprising that, after completing months of training and courses, the WASPs were relegated to such tasks as flying fabric targets for soldiers to practice shooting at. With live bullets. That would hit the actual airplanes.

Niven has also done her research on the female pilot programs of World War Two. Her writing contains descriptions of the planes flown during the time and how to control them, as well as details on military life down to what the women were given as uniforms. I did a little research on my own and found that some of the incidents Velva Jean hears of or experiences happened in real life and were recorded by the real WASPs at Camp Davis. Knowing that historical fiction is drawn from actual experiences lends even more credence to authors as they draw readers into the lives of fictional characters such as Velva Jean. The end result: Niven has written a convincing portrait of a not-so-ordinary young woman as she tries to find her place in the world as it's in the midst of near-chaos.

I received my copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in return for a fair and honest review.(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

This book is the sequel to ‘Velva Jean Loves to Drive’. But it works very well as a standalone. I enjoyed this book but thought it just a tad too long at the beginning.

What I loved the most was the main character, Velva Jean. She grew up in a very isolated area in the North Carolina Mountains. At the beginning of the book, she decides to leave her husband, Harley Bright and go to Nashville, Tennessee to become a Grand Old Opry singer.

Velva Jean is so full of spunk, ambition and heart; it would...more This book is the sequel to ‘Velva Jean Loves to Drive’. But it works very well as a standalone. I enjoyed this book but thought it just a tad too long at the beginning.

What I loved the most was the main character, Velva Jean. She grew up in a very isolated area in the North Carolina Mountains. At the beginning of the book, she decides to leave her husband, Harley Bright and go to Nashville, Tennessee to become a Grand Old Opry singer.

Velva Jean is so full of spunk, ambition and heart; it would be very difficult to not love her. She knew that she could accomplish her dream because she had taught herself to drive! I can’t imagine doing that. I took driving class in junior high with a football coach who scared any confidence that I had at the beginning, later after several private teachers, I learned to dream. So Velva Jean is very different from me when it comes to mechanical things. But I could see myself in her can do attitude and that really bonded me to her.

When she hits Nashville in her old yellow truck, she is shocked that you just can walk into a studio and become a singer. The opening of this book was in the pre-war 1940s, so competition in Nashville was already fierce.

Velva Jean had a very close relationship with her brother, Johnny Clay. So when he chooses to be a paratrooper, he introduces her to a flight instructor. Then she falls in love with flying. I have never flown an airplane. I have always been attracted to books about women pilots, Jackie Cochrane, and other early women pilots and so I have a pretty good idea about the accuracy of Jennifer Niven’s book when it comes to real events and the real characters in this book.

When Velva Jean decides flying is her dream, she joins the WASPs (Women’s Air force Pilots). Women were only accepted as civilians not as a genuine part of the Armed Forces during that time. There was a lot of prejudice against women as pilots. The incidents in the book actually are a true part of history.

This book reminded me a lot of Forrest Gump. Velva Jean was a fictional character placed in places and situations that really happened and with real people of the past. There are many more characters in the book but I think that is for you to discover. There is some romance, some family, and some dangerous situations. I am sure that this book will not let you down. Now I am a fan of Jennifer Niven and plan to read ‘Velva Jean Learns to Drive’.

I received this book from the Library Thing but that in no way influenced my review.

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Aug 30, 2011 Mary Connolly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought it couldn't get any better than Velva Jean Learns to Drive, but it did. Velva Jean Learns to Fly is a book i read straight through. Supper didn't get cooked and the dogs didn't get walked. Jennifer Niven is a delightful author with an wonderful style. Velva Jean Learns to Fly is a book you want to place in the hands of un-suspecting book shop browsers and library patrons. I'm not much on telling the author's story in my reviews, just if i thought it was a good book or not. This is an e...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Anne Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Velva Jean continues to grow and evolve and broadens her passions to include flying. As Butch tells her "You're one down-home girl".

This book was very, very good but not quite as good as the first ("Velva Jean Learns to Drive") for me. The first book covered a span of years and many experiences; the people were many and varied and memorable. This book covers only a few years; the new characters did not resonate with me as did those in the first book. Fortunately, Velva Jean's family and old frie...more

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Aug 26, 2011 PopcornReads rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiicton, southern-fiction, jennifer-niven

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Giveaway entries accepted thru 9/4/2011 at midnight. Use shortlink below review to enter.
As soon as I learned the main character in Velva Jean Learns to Fly by Jennifer Niven was a North Carolina mountain girl, I knew I had to read this novel since I grew up in those mountains. FYI: This is the second book in this series. The first book was Velva Jean Learns to Drive, which I haven’t read and that didn’t seem to make any difference. Velva Jean Learns to Fly definitely ca...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Sherrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenge, already-read

This is the second book about Velva Jean. I read Velva Jean Learns to Drive a few years ago. Really liked the book and this one is just as good. Velva Jean has music in her soul and only one dream in life. Velva Jean wants to sing at the Grand Ol' Opry in Nashville. The attack of Pearl Harbor changes everything for Velva Jean. All the men Velva Jean knows soon leave for the war. Her brother wants to learn to fly and takes Velva Jean with him. He encourages her to learn to fly. And Velva Jean doe...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-favorites, chicklit, ebook, for-review

Velva Jean Hart is a girl with a dream. In the year 1941 she sings her heart out all the way to Nashville Tennessee all by herself, leaving behind her family and even her husband. What begins as a journey to chase down her dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry turns into something else entirely. Making friends along the way and reconnecting with her brother Johnny Clay Hart, Velva Jean discovers she has another dream waiting just around the corner. A dream of flying through the skies, visibilit...more Velva Jean Hart is a girl with a dream. In the year 1941 she sings her heart out all the way to Nashville Tennessee all by herself, leaving behind her family and even her husband. What begins as a journey to chase down her dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry turns into something else entirely. Making friends along the way and reconnecting with her brother Johnny Clay Hart, Velva Jean discovers she has another dream waiting just around the corner. A dream of flying through the skies, visibility unlimited.

Jennifer Niven has completely taken me by surprise and in a way that captured my heart from the moment I imagined Velva Jean Hart in her yellow truck. I’m normally one to avoid historical settings, especially those around the time of Pearl Harbor and World War II. I’m not sure why, but I’d guess that I’m weary of reading about death and destruction that inevitably surrounds this difficult time in history. What I found in Velva Jean Learns to Fly was something I never expected; a girl that had a voice strong enough to make music from the words before my eyes and one whose heart was as big as the sky she learned to fly through.

From the first few pages where Velva Jean travels from her Blue Ridge mountain home to Nashville I couldn’t help but want to see her succeed. Even as those she met along the way told her that her dreams were nothing but hopes to be diverted to other options, I wanted to follow her as she accomplished it all. And even though she puts her dreams to sing at the Grand Ole Opry on hold, I was still excited to see where she would go from there and when she would return to accomplish that dream. What I didn’t know going into reading Velva Jean Learns to Fly was that it’s the second “Velva Jean” story and now I’m hoping there will be a third. I’m certainly seeking out the first book as soon as I possibly can.

Not only was it Velva Jean’s dreams that grabs you upon opening the pages of this fantastic story, but the relationships she has with those around her. The positivity and determination she has is contagious and the way she values others is endearing. About a quarter of the way through she’s getting ready for her first time in an airplane and she’s listening to her teacher, Duke, tell her about flying when she had this thought after seeing his sad expression:

“When I thought about people, I always pictured them the way they looked when they didn’t know anyone was watching them. Johnny Clay had a grin that meant wickedness. Sweet Fern frowned in a way that meant she didn’t approve of things. Granny’s eyes always danced like she was thinking up mischief. Daddy Hoyt was peaceful…” (p. 115 of the ARC of Velva Jean Learns to Fly)

All of her relationships are rich and meaningful. It’s a wonderful thing to read because it’s as though you have the opportunity to get to know each of these people she admires for one reason or another. My favorite two were definitely Johnny Clay and Tyler. One is her brother who inspires her to fly and the other a boy who becomes one of the first to make me cry while reading in quite a while. I won’t say more than that, but their interaction with Velva Jean makes her come alive…even more than she already was.

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my site, Chick Lit Reviews.
Velva Jean Learns to Fly by Jennifer Niven was a book I picked up based on the hopes of seeing a girl accomplish her dreams of singing in the Grand Ole Opry, but what I got was much much more. A journey for a young twenty year old girl who has experienced more than most in her short life and will experience even more before it’s over. Velva Jean came alive to me through the pages of Jennifer Niven’s writing as did a time in our history that was wrought with turmoil and hardship. The bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent war that followed became the story of a family who loved & believed in each other beyond the physical distance between them. Take a chance on Velva Jean and I promise you’ll be swept away to fly high in the skies with her big dreams and brilliant heart.(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: southern-fiction, world-war-2

I won this book through the First Reads giveaway on goodreads.

I loved this book! To start with I just want to say that this is a great looking paperback book. It is just one of those that you want to hang on to and carry around all day long. I'm sure other book lovers will understand what I'm trying to say.

The story itself is fantastic. I didn't read the first book in the Velva Jean series and I was able to follow the story easily. I will be going back and reading the first book though so I ca...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Tyra rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recommend readers start with "Velva Jean Learns to Drive" to truly appreciate where the main character is coming from. However, this story can stand alone just as well. I want to be Velva Jean Hart! Ms. Niven has created an endearing character that is determined to live life to the fullest. I was hooked at page one. It is obvious Ms. Niven put a lot of effort into her research. She brings to life a piece of history I did not know existed! Her writng style is easy to read with enough detail I h...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Michele rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I loved reading about the experiences of women during WWII - especially those who served in the WASP. Velva Jean is still amazing and grows up a lot through the experiences she has during her training.

Favorite quote: "I remembered something Daddy Hoyt once said about how when love visits you don't ask how long it's going to stay. About how you should treat it kindly and give it a good welcome. And also about how you shouldn't spend all your time worrying about the love that leaves, because then...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Tara Chevrestt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: women-in-aviation, world-war-2, historical-fiction, 2011-release, librarything, blew-me-away-list, arc

First of all, I didn't read the first one, Velva Jean Learns to Drive. There was nothing in a premise about a girl learning to drive a truck and sing in the Grand Ole Opry that appealed to me. However, I must read any women in aviation book I can get my hands on, especially concerning the WASP, the Women Air Service Pilots. So I got my hands on this one thanks to LibraryThing and despite the fact I didn't know much about Johnny Clay, Harley, or the history of Velva Jean, I loved it.

The book beg...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Valerie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I definitely enjoyed _Velva Jean Learns to Drive_ and it pulled me into an interesting world full of rich characters. _Velva Jean Learns to Fly_ carries on the tradition and the plot is just as interesting as the prequel, but it also lets the series truly hit its stride as historical fiction. World War II rolls into motion and Velva Jean takes the reader from the homefront and into the skies. This is a great adventure read to sweep you into a tale, but it also gives you a lot to think about. I c...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Cheri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: world-war-ll-era, historical-fiction, read-in-2011

If you loved Velva Jean Learns to Drive, a coming-of-age tale/ discovering she wasn't created for the sole purposes of entertaining / serving the men in her life.
Velva Jean is charming, her determination and drive despite the setbacks in her life and plans is enough to earn respect, but beyond that, Velva Jean is just as real and as sweet as they come. The people of her remote Appalachian village are as varied as your neighbors (or at least mine). Life at its roots is very much the same, there...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I lvoed the storyline--a poor Appalachian woman in 1941 America learns to drive, leaves her husband and their mountain home, and goes to Nashville to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. Instead she finds her passion, flying an airplane. Velva Jean matures from the inexperienced, naive Appalachian wife to a man who doesn't know nor care about who she is to a woman who is confident enought to work as a Woman's Air Corp pilot, enduring the harassment of the men with whom she was serving.

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Sep 19, 2012 Hayley Perschau rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was so sad when I finished reading "Velva Jean Learns to Drive". I really missed the character and wanted to know what happened to her. I was so excited when I found out author Jennifer Niven continued Velva Jean's story with "Velva Jean Learns to Fly". This book was just as good, and in some ways more intriguing than the first book. I love the ambition, determination and strength of Velva Jean. I am anxiously awaiting the third book, "Becoming Clementine". This author really knows how to writ...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book got off to a bit of a slow start, but once the story moved to the WASP program it was really engaging. As with the prequel - Velva Jean Learns to Drive - great writing and great characters. I liked the first book a little better, just because I really enjoyed the place and era of her childhood. However, good historical fiction teaches you something in an entertaining way and makes you want to know more - and this does both those things. I definitely want to read more about th...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Beth B rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I'm giving this book a weak 3 stars. There was a little too much detailed info regarding aircraft and flying for me. I think that made me lose interest and made the book seem very slow in parts. I forced myself to stick with it and was eager to find out what happened next at times. My interest was too erratic which did not make for a pleasurable read.

I could relate to the sexual harrassment that Velva Jean experienced(not to that extreme)working in a predominantly male environment and I respect...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Marilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

After Velva Jean learned to drive it only makes sense to learn to fly. This is the sequel to Velva Jean Learns to Drive. And after reading the book, I feel another one coming. I just don't know what Velva Jean is going to do next.

The book covers the history of the WASP women. They helped during WWII. Matter of fact, the history of their civilian and then military story is pretty impressive. Well worth the read.

If you haven't read Velva Jean Learns to Drive, read it first.

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Mar 27, 2013 Bridget rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this in less than 24 hours. Velva Jean tells a compelling story. I must admit that I was really angry at the way men treated women as lesser people. I began to understand what pains the women of yester year went through so that I can enjoy the freedoms I have today (owning property, working in whatever profession I choose, etc). I feel a strong debt of gratitude toward them. Many lost their lives to challenge the status quo and many women today benefit from it.

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Jan 11, 2012 Pat rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel continues where "Velva Jean Learn to Drive" left off...taking the reader to Nashville, then Sweetwater, Texas around World War II. Gutsy Velva Jean tries out her dream of making music in Nashville and then finds herself heading for flying lesson and on to Jackie Cochrane's Women Airforce Service Pilots. Quite a feat for a young girl from Appalachia, with a few laughs along the way. If you enjoyed the first novel you will likely enjoy this one too.

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Nov 13, 2011 Ann Schaffer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I met Velva Jean a few months ago in "Velva Jean Learns to Drive". If you can, I recommend reading them one right after another so the story is fresh in your mind. The story keeps getting better and better. This book taught me about WASP, a brave group of female pilots who served during WWII. From the way the book ended, I suspect Velva Jean's story is not be over. I can't wait to find out what else she learns to do!

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May 15, 2013 Michele rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the second Velva Jean story about as much as the first, especially the parts about being a pilot (a WASP, to be exact). It didn't make me want to learn to fly, but I liked reading about the camaraderie between the female pilots. I have to keep reminding myself that Velva Jean is barely 20 years old, so that's why the character has some funny ideas and says some funny stuff. She may have married at 16, but she's still just a kid.

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Oct 02, 2011 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great story and well developed main character. I HAVEN't read the first Velva Jean story, but there was enough of her past included in this story to understanfd where she was coming from. THE AUTHOR DID great researchinto the timeperiod, flying and the WASPD. The evennts in the story are based on real events.

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About Jennifer Niven

Jennifer Niven lives in Los Angeles (where her film Velva Jean Learns to Drive won an Emmy Award and she once played the part of Shania Twain in a music video). Even though she's always wanted to be a Charlie's Angel, her true passion is writing, and her first book, The Ice Master, was released in November 2000 and named one of the top ten nonfiction books of the year by Entertainment Weekly. A Ba...more Jennifer Niven lives in Los Angeles (where her film Velva Jean Learns to Drive won an Emmy Award and she once played the part of Shania Twain in a music video). Even though she's always wanted to be a Charlie's Angel, her true passion is writing, and her first book, The Ice Master, was released in November 2000 and named one of the top ten nonfiction books of the year by Entertainment Weekly. A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writer, Jennifer has ten different publishers in ten separate countries, and the book has been translated into eight languages, including German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Danish, and Icelandic.

Jennifer and The Ice Master have appeared in Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Talk, Glamour, The New Yorker, Outside, The New York Times Book Review, The London Daily Mail, The London Times, and Writer's Digest, among others. Dateline NBC, the Discovery Channel, and the History Channel have featured The Ice Master and Jennifer in hour-long documentaries, she and the book have appeared frequently on the BBC, and the book has been the subject of numerous German, Canadian, and British television documentaries. The Ice Master has been nominated for awards by the American Library Association and Book Sense, and received Italy's esteemed Gambrinus Giuseppe Mazzotti Prize for 2002.

Jennifer's second book, Ada Blackjack — an inspiring true story of the woman the press called "the female Robinson Crusoe" — was released in November 2003, was a Book Sense Top Ten Pick, has been optioned for the movies, was recently translated into Chinese, French, and Estonian.

Jennifer’s third book and first novel, Velva Jean Learns to Drive (based on the Emmy Award-winning film of the same name), was released July 2009 by Penguin/Plume. Her fourth book, a memoir —The Aqua-Net Diaries: Big Hair, Big Dreams, Small Town — was published in February 2010 by Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and was optioned by Warner Brothers as a television series. Jennifer's fifth book, Velva Jean Learns to Fly, was released by Penguin/Plume in August 2011. Her sixth book, Becoming Clementine, will be published September 25, 2012.

With her mother, author Penelope Niven, Jennifer has conducted numerous seminars in writing and addressed audiences around the world.

When she isn't writing, Jennifer studies belly dancing, yoga, and electric guitar; explores her inner bombshell; hikes the great outdoors; immerses herself in the movies and culture of Hollywood's golden age; rabidly follows her favorite TV shows; comes to the rescue of homeless animals; reads three to four books a week when her cats aren't lying on them; and sees as much of the world as she can.(less)

More about Jennifer Niven...

Books by Jennifer Niven

The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk

Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic

The Aqua Net Diaries: Big Hair, Big Dreams, Small Town

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Quotes from Velva Jean Learns to Fly

“Velva Jean, sometimes dreams change, either because they have to or because life has something else in mind for you.” — 2 people liked it

“I just sat there letting that music cover me like a big, cozy blanket.” — 2 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: Velva Jean Learns to Fly Goodreads rating: 4.09 (362 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10790345-velva-jean-learns-to-fly?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311281437l/10790345.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10790345-velva-jean-learns-to-fly?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Velva Jean Learns to Fly by Jennifer Niven[/url]

Velva Jean Learns to Fly (Velva Jean #2)

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