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The Spitfire Girls

Soraya M. Lane (Goodreads Author)

4.31 · Rating details · 5,579 ratings · 389 reviews

Three skilled aviators determined to help win the war. Three brave women who know their place is not at home.

At the height of World War II, the British Air Transport Auxiliary need help. A group of young women volunteer for action, but the perils of their new job don’t end on the tarmac. Things are tough in the air, but on the ground their abilities as pilots are const

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Kindle Edition, 328 pages

Published February 26th 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

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· 5,579 ratings · 389 reviews

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Feb 16, 2019 Erin rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, netgalley

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Focusing on three women- British ATA flyers First Officer Ruby Sanders and Commander May Jones and WASP American pilot Elizabeth (Lizzie) Dunlop, this is a WWII historical that focuses on the contribution of women pilots on both sides of the Atlantic during World War II. These women faced much criticism from their families and countrymen for stepping outside the projected gender roles and yet as revealed ...more

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Mar 11, 2019 DJ Sakata rated it really liked it

Shelves: war, british, netgalley, womens-fiction, historical-fiction, military

Favorite Quotes:

Ruby is no sidekick, nor is she relegated to office duties… She might look like a doll –in fact I was told by our doctor that a gust of wind might blow her over –but put her up in the cockpit and she’s got the heart of a lion and the bravery of a team of men.

And how in God’s name did you manage to convince a bunch of old men to let women ferry fighter planes? I’ve been petitioning for years – I want to wring all their wrinkly old necks!

I’m in some sort of hell. Honestly, I know h Favorite Quotes:

Ruby is no sidekick, nor is she relegated to office duties… She might look like a doll –in fact I was told by our doctor that a gust of wind might blow her over –but put her up in the cockpit and she’s got the heart of a lion and the bravery of a team of men.

And how in God’s name did you manage to convince a bunch of old men to let women ferry fighter planes? I’ve been petitioning for years – I want to wring all their wrinkly old necks!

I’m in some sort of hell. Honestly, I know hospital was bad, but I’d do anything to be back there and not under the same roof as my mother.

… she smiled when she saw it was a piece of metal welded into a small circle. ‘I promise I’ll give you a proper ring when the war is over,’ he said, pushing it onto her finger. ‘But for now, this is from the damaged engine of a Spitfire.’

We are told as little girls what our expectations should be, and it’s made abundantly clear what our limitations are, but I’m standing here today to tell you that there are no limitations for women, or at least not in the sky. You don’t need to be a burly six-foot man to fly an enormous four-engine bomber, but you do need a brain and single-minded determination. It’s no wonder men feel threatened by us…

They used us when they needed us, and now they want to pretend we’re the inferior sex all over again.

My Review:

I don’t often read historical fiction but I enjoyed this enlightening tale that equally threaded fact with fiction in featuring the adventurous and brave trailblazing women of WWII aviation. I learned so much, proving my mother’s lectures to be incorrect about my perusal of fiction being a waste of time. The storylines were engaging and entertaining with each of the women being given a uniquely flawed personality and individual quirks, some not so endearing as the brash American Lizzie was an arrogant show-boater, she was ambitious and overly endowed with confidence to the point of obnoxious entitlement. I admired her moxie though, and I also appreciated her spirit and drive.

Lizzie’s nose was eventually lowered, somewhat painfully, but I admired Ms. Lane’s insightful depiction of all the pilots’ various learning curves. I cannot imagine the pressure they were under and I doubt few people realized the danger they were in as they had no weapons, no instruments, no radios, and no artillery, yet they were delivering bombers and other aircraft in a war zone and flying damaged aircraft back for repair or unserviceable craft to the junkyard - which I would believe to have been the most dangerous missions of all. And they did this in poor weather, for twenty percent less pay, among rampant disrespect from the military and often their own families; and although they were pivotal in winning the war, they were quickly iced once the war was over as they were seen as “taking jobs away from men.” My indignation and ire burn hotly – which is why I don’t often read historical books... These courageous gals became known as the ‘Attagirls,’ I like that, sounds sassy!

This was my first experience with Ms. Lane’s words and one I would readily repeat. I found her writing to be easily accessible, engaging, emotive, cleverly amusing, and well-balanced. I noticed two separate listings for her work on Goodreads; one as Soraya M. Lane and one under Soraya Lane, with different types of books on each. ...more

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May 30, 2019 Jean rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, historical-fiction, women-s-rights, fiction, world-war-ii, aviation

When I brought this book, I thought it was non-fiction. When I started reading, I discovered it was a historical fiction book. Over the years, I had read a number of non-fiction books about the role of women pilots in the United States during World War II. I was looking forward to learning about the role of women pilots in the UK.

The book is well written, but the research was minimal. I did learn that the British women pilots had as much difficulty as those in the USA. The story of the British A ...more

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Mar 10, 2019 Bill Kupersmith rated it liked it · review of another edition

I chose this book because it was about the women who flew for the Auxiliary Air Transport service in Britain during the Second World War. I've been fascinated with them since reading Elizabeth Wein's novels Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire. Ms. Lane's book is a good historical not a great one, and comparing it to Wein's brought out the difference between an acceptable book and a memorable and haunting one. I was curious about the author's background too, with a sense that she was quite at ho ...more

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May 07, 2019 Alaina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2019-arcs, romance, 2019, contemporary, fiction

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers below. Maybe.

The Spitfire Girls was surprisingly good! Once I started this ebook, I couldn't put it down. Not even to do my actual work. The girls in this book were such bad asses and I love how they wouldn't let the manly nay-sayers make them stop doing what they love: flying planes.

Speaking of these wonderful pilots, we get to meet Lizzie, Ruby, May, and a bunch of other wonderful ladies. Now this type of lifesty ...more

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Nov 24, 2018 Sue rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, wwii

I read a lot of WWII books and it's always great to find one with a different perspective and to learn something new. This novel looks at the war from the view of the British Air Transport Auxiliary . These brave women were pilots who shuttled planes to the bases where they were needed and to free up the male pilots for combat. At the same time, a similar group was being started in the US. These women were faced with discrimination from almost everyone -including the male pilots and often times, ...more

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Mar 18, 2019 Cam rated it it was amazing

I started this book thinking .... ooo god please don’t let this be some sappy love story. But it wasn’t .... and I really enjoyed it. This is a historical fiction based upon truth. This is about female pilots during WW2. The struggles they had to over coming during the 1940’s .... coming out the homes and making names for themselves in a male dominated field.
Great book! It was fun looking at the documentaries on YouTube.... which is very sexist how it was portrayed , but that was the time perio ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Natasha Niezgoda rated it liked it

Shelves: love-stories, honest-review, historical-fiction, ebook, netgalley

Bummer... Not What I Was Expecting!

Synopsis: In the midst of WWII, several brave, young women volunteered to ferry fighter and bomber planes between military bases. These women are known as the ATA Girls (Air Transport Auxiliary). Their participation set a new precedent for women’s equality and involvement in military operations. ‘The Spitfire Girls’ primarily follows the stories of Lizzie, May, and Ruby as they take to the sky and set new equality standards.

Review: Let me start with the fact th ...more

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Jan 11, 2019 Kathryn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star, nz-author, historical-fiction

This is a novel that shares with us the courageous contribution women made in both England and the USA towards the WW2 endeavours. These women were willing to put their lives on the line and take on piloting planes to where they were needed. And... they were very successful.

Soraya M. Lane does an excellent job helping us get inside the lives of such young women. Often they were up against 'the establishment' and the attitudes and prejudices of the populace. Yet despite these niggles these women ...more

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Mar 24, 2019 Teresa rated it it was ok

I've read lots of books set in this time so have probably been spoiled for choice. Some research has gone into this book but I felt it needed a lot more to get the story right.
It was overly sentimental and soppy. The characters didn't really have great depth. We knew little or nothing about Polly, other than she was a great pilot. I think she was added in for one purpose only (view spoiler)
Lizzie ...more

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Jan 28, 2019 Danika rated it it was ok

The Spitfire Girls is to be published next month, and I was fortunate enough to receive a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can read my full review here .

This novel’s summary and general premise is intriguing, both as a feminist and as someone who finds World War II stories to be both interesting and important. That being said, I was expecting to enjoy this work.

Unfortunately, I didn’t. And when glancing at the other reviews here, I seem to be in the minority.

As j The Spitfire Girls is to be published next month, and I was fortunate enough to receive a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can read my full review here .

This novel’s summary and general premise is intriguing, both as a feminist and as someone who finds World War II stories to be both interesting and important. That being said, I was expecting to enjoy this work.

Unfortunately, I didn’t. And when glancing at the other reviews here, I seem to be in the minority.

As just discussed, the premise is wonderful – women pilots helping to ferry planes to allied forces during the war. The execution, however, fell flat. The story begins with a young woman named Lizzie who is reading a letter she wrote, addressed to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, arguing for the inclusion of women in the war effort – specifically in the capacity of aircraft ferrier. What could be more timely? In this seemingly new age of renewed feminism, it is easy to see how this story should resonate with readers. But, in my humble opinion, it doesn’t. Why might that be?

Let’s explore.

That first chapter begins with a gusto. We begin smack dab in the middle of Lizzie’s letter-writing campaign. I was struck by how childish she seemed to be – it wasn’t until she spoke of her piloting experience that I actually realized that she is supposed to be a grown woman. Then, without much ado, she is invited to meet with the President, the First Lady, and a military General. At this meeting, she learns that the only reason they agreed to the meeting in the first place was because of Lizzie’s father’s own decorated military history and fame. Lizzie finds this surprising, and her surprise, quite frankly, bothers me. This is a woman who wants to train a squadron for non-active military service and is petitioning for the inclusion of women in a traditionally all-male realm, yet she is unbelievably naive. Add to that is the author’s need to emphasize how utterly feminine Lizzie is in a very stereotypical, traditional sense, aside from her love of flying and her feminist bent. Now, I do not mean to imply that one cannot be a feminist while being traditionally feminine. But the author’s over-the-top insistence reads as a sort of apology, a softening of feminism so it doesn’t offend. Who is she trying to placate? People in general? Her readers? Men? Herself? Further, Lizzie’s impulsiveness and her diarrhea of the mouth in the presence of President Franklin D. Roosevelt serve to uphold the gender stereotypes that woman are too impulsive (read: either driven by emotions or intellectually deficient) and silly, which is completely anathema to the book’s purpose.

The second chapter involves Ruby, a young woman who is trying to plan her wedding while her fiance is on active duty, and her soon-to-be mother-in-law, as they discuss wedding dresses, cake, and other such details. Halfway through the scene, Ruby’s mother suddenly begins to speak, ostensibly there the entire time, but unmentioned. Now, she was obviously an afterthought and this will likely be fixed in the corrected proof, but even so. As it stands, her mother serves no particular purpose to the scene. In the following chapter, Ruby has signed up for service and is having her medical exam, which involves complete nudity (just as it does for men). While I have no issue with Ruby’s general discomfort about the necessity of being naked in front of the medic, the author offers that Ruby felt as though the doctor required her nudity simply for his own enjoyment but offers nothing beyond that. No awkwardness, no inappropriate comments, staring, or touching, nothing. This sparks of melodrama and trying to play on contemporary public sentiment regarding men in positions of authority taking advantage of women. If the authors wants to add this facet to her novel, fine. But it should be done with more than a simple, baseless accusation – we need at least something more than a general impression without a single example.

In the third chapter, Lizzie is crossing the Atlantic ocean in order to train with the British women’s squadron. The chapter commences with Lizzie’s description of the plentiful and delicious food, wine, and cocktails. Now, while it is true that service members were allotted more food during the war, rationing was still a thing! It seems very unlikely that there would be such bounty, particularly on a ship bound for England. At the time, Germany was exerting significant effort into destroying ships bound for the UK because the Brits needed to import well over HALF of their food supply. It seems irresponsible (and thus unbelievable) that such bounty would be risked on a ship delivering people – enough to feed everyone adequately, sure! But enough for what was described? Absolutely not. At best, this is lazy writing and indicates that the author preferred to make erroneous assumptions rather than spend valuable time researching. Secondly, when they finally make land, Lizzie decides to joke loudly with the servicewomen who come to meet her, ignoring the pamphlet she read an hour ago. Her reaction their apparent lack of humour was off-putting – these Englishwomen, along with the rest of their countrymen, have already been at war for 3 years. Years of rationing, death, destruction. And Lizzie is upset that they’re having trouble taking a joke. She behaves in such a way as to confirm the international stereotype of American behaviour, yet the author feels that we should sympathize with her instead of the others? When they meet up for dinner later, Lizzie continues to be disrespectful, flippant, and irritating. Being confident of your abilities is one thing, but being a braggart is another, and Lizzie can’t seem to stop touting herself left and right. And then she proceeds to insult the subordinate officer because she figures she looks too small and delicate to be a pilot. This, coming from a woman who complains about sexism. Ha!

I had stopped being offended after this for quite some time, that is, until the beginning of chapter 13. Ruby is the first woman to fly a bomber (amazing!), but the effect is completely ruined when the author has her touching up her make-up in the sky. This is, frankly, obscene. People have died making this trip, and Ruby is sacrificing a lot to be the first woman to do it in a bomber – possibly her romantic future, possibly her flying career, possibly her own life, and we’re supposed to believe that she would risk all of that to powder her nose and touch up her lipstick?! My God! After 12 hours straight in economy class without the looming risk of being shot out of the sky, even I am not that vain and I’m a daily makeup user. It’s a bit much.

Later, Lizzie is finally called to task and humbled after showing off – and subsequently losing as a result – during a flying competition to see who, between her and Ruby, would earn the honour of being the first woman bomber pilot. She makes an extraordinary public spectacle of herself with her ego overtaking whatever limited sense she has. After being suitably humbled, she suddenly becomes a much softer person. Oh boy. Can people change? Absolutely! That quickly? Nope. It’s too much, too fast. It’s just not believable. Additionally, if a man behaved thus, even in wartime, he would have been discharged dishonourably because loose cannons like Lizzie can’t be relied upon.

Lane’s characters are underdeveloped and lack nuance or are simply there to be there. Lizzie, Ruby, and Montgomery are described such that they come across as caricatures of their archetypes. The supporting characters are bland and largely useless – Ben helps and loves May, but he seems to have to real personality. Polly is everyone’s friend but isn’t really part of the story and (spoiler alert!) her sole purpose seems to be to serve as someone that the characters can lose as a consequence of war. We as readers feel for those who lost her, but we feel nothing when we hear of her death because the author never makes us care for her.

This book wasn’t terrible. But it also wasn’t good. The true, inspiring story portrayed in this fictionalized account was overshadowed by the superficiality of the writing. The bones are good – the general story is there, the historical and contemporary importance are there, but this novel reads more like a “this happened then this happened then this happened” list of details rather than a heartrending, rousing piece on why women deserve equal standing with men and why these women (or their true historical counterparts) deserve to be remembered. ...more

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Nov 30, 2018 Ann Creel rated it it was amazing

Historical Fiction you will love
This story is based on the historical British flyers known as "the Spitfire Girls" during World War II. Not only did I learn a great deal about those heroic women, I fell in love with the three distinct and original characters featured in the novel. There will be no confusion about who's who in this book, because author Soraya M. Lane has given each of the women a very different and rich inner life, relationships, and problems. And in Lizzie, she has created one o ...more

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Feb 05, 2021 Allie- The_Moore_She_Reads rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book, I rounded up to 4 stars but would probably rate it a 3.5⭐️ read. The Spitfire Girls focuses on the ATA during WW2 and a little bit about the WASPS in the United States. This is a really powerful women’s rights book and talks about how women were initially paid 20% less then men in England for doing the same job as their mail counterparts. Lizzie, is a feisty girl from Texas who is determined to prove she is worthy of flying in the war. This story focuses on the perspe ...more

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Mar 05, 2019 Dawn Wells rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Fabulous book, well written and worth every word. Love reading about the female pilots and the sacrifices they all made in WWII, it’s so amazing all the ways women have worked to build our country and others.

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Feb 11, 2019 Julia rated it liked it

Soraya Lane's most recent book tells the story of three women pilots in World War II. Ferrying spitfires and other types of aircraft, May, Ruby, Lizzie, and all the other female flyers allowed for more men to fight. But they were met with resistance along the way, as they fought to prove themselves and to gain respect (and equal pay).

I liked that Lane brought this side of WWII history to life, but her book wasn't particularly well written. The characters didn't have much depth: you had the feist ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 Kristina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Not what I expected. It turned out to be a historical romance. Well-written, good characters and interesting information about female pilThe Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane has readers traveling back to World War II. May Jones along with Ruby Sanders are members of the British Air Transport Auxiliary. These courageous women ferry new and repaired planes without radios or instruments for the Royal Air Force. Lizzie Dunlop has been trying to get the United States to implement a similar program wi Not what I expected. It turned out to be a historical romance. Well-written, good characters and interesting information about female pilThe Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane has readers traveling back to World War II. May Jones along with Ruby Sanders are members of the British Air Transport Auxiliary. These courageous women ferry new and repaired planes without radios or instruments for the Royal Air Force. Lizzie Dunlop has been trying to get the United States to implement a similar program without success. General Henry Arnold needs convincing and suggests Lizzie volunteer for the ATA to get experience. Lizzie is a confident and brash woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. She knows she is an excellent pilot, but Lizzie is not a team player. Lizzie attitude tends to rub the other pilots the wrong away along with her competitive spirit. As commander, it falls to May to get these talented female pilots to work together. These women must continually fight for fair treatment and respect from their male counterparts while dealing with losses and being away from their loved ones. Will these women succeed in their missions?

I like that The Spitfire Girls shows the role of female pilots in England and America during World War II. I enjoyed learning more about the WASPs and ATA. I thought the author accurately portrayed how women were treated during this time period. The powers that be may not have wanted the women’s help, but they needed their assistance (I can just imagine the discussions that took place). Of course, once the war was over, females were soon ousted from their wartime positions. May Jones was a strong female character with a hard exterior. She kept her emotions in check while fighting for the women in her command. It was hard for May to show weakness and open up to someone. Ruby Sanders is the petite beauty who lacks confidence. She is engaged to Tom who is under his society mother’s thumb and feels that women belong at home. Ruby is a good flyer, but she needs to believe in herself. Lizzie Dunlop is a talented flyer and lets people know it. She is big, bold and brash (from Texas). Lizzie feels that flyers are on their own in the sky and does not understand the team mentality. Each woman has a different issue that they need to overcome. I thought the characters lacked depth. Each lady finds the right man for her and they fall in love. The story played out in a predictable manner. The pace was steady in the first half and slowed down considerably in the second. I liked the author’s note at the end which provided additional information on the WASPs, ATA and female pilots from WWII. I can tell the author did her research for The Spitfire Girls. However, I wanted more depth, realism and emotion. Readers who take pleasure in reading light, historical romance novels will appreciate The Spitfire Girls.
ots during WWII. ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Helen rated it it was amazing

I loved this story from start to finish, there were tears, there were smiles and there were so many emotions throughout this book, as we get to meet three of the strongest woman, pilots living in a man’s world, but they could help with the war efforts, by working with The British Air Transport Auxiliary, ATA and getting planes to where they were needed. This is a book that I didn’t want to put down so ensure you have some time when you pick this one up, sit back and meet May, Ruby and Lizzy.

May I loved this story from start to finish, there were tears, there were smiles and there were so many emotions throughout this book, as we get to meet three of the strongest woman, pilots living in a man’s world, but they could help with the war efforts, by working with The British Air Transport Auxiliary, ATA and getting planes to where they were needed. This is a book that I didn’t want to put down so ensure you have some time when you pick this one up, sit back and meet May, Ruby and Lizzy.

May and her brother are both pilots, her brother has gone off to war and was shot down and May is missing him terribly, but she knows that she can help as well and is soon made commander of the woman that are joining up to help, she is strong but vulnerable as well and does everything to keep her pilots safe. Ben the mechanic is always there for her.

Ruby is engaged to Tom who is off fighting in the war he too is a pilot and Ruby although little in stature she is determined to help where she can, she joins up and soon her and May are fast friends, Ruby is flying Tiger Moths, Spitfires and training in a big bomber.

Lizzie is American and one very confident pilot, she arrives in England to learn what she can before going back home to command her own group of woman transport pilots. She has a few lessons to learn about attitude as well and American Jackson helps a lot with that.

Although these three woman are very different in personalities they are all competent pilots and flying means so much to them, and they fly under harsh conditions in the air with planes that are sometimes damaged and with the risk of being shot down by the enemy and then on the ground they have to fight for equal pay and respect, to prove that they can fly a plane no matter the size, determination is what they have in spades.

This really is an amazingly beautiful story, May, Ruby and Lizzie become the best of friends as they go through some very emotional times, with their personal lives as well as coping with the flying, they all have personal issues that need to be sorted and they each have a man to lean on, their journey to HEA’s were tough with a war going on but they got there and I felt so close to these woman, they came to life and I was transported back to the era. Thank you MS Lane this is a fabulous story that I highly recommend.
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Jul 10, 2019 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Spitfire Girls by Soraya Lane is about three females ( Lizzie, Ruby and May) trying to create their rightful place in a “man’s war and be a part of the squadrons flying different planes to help out so that RAF pilots could focus on combat positions during the latter years of WWII.

I enjoyed the dynamics of the characters amongst themselves, as well as others. I enjoyed how they progressed through the novel and how they were able to overcome diversities.

It is sad that the US government disbanded ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 Dana rated it really liked it

I am a huge fan of WWII books/stories; when I was given the opportunity to read The Spitfire Girls, I jumped at the chance.

I have been a fan of Ms. Lane's contemporary work for many years and knew that when I saw that she was going to start a historical fictions series/books, I had to read them and I have not been disappointed. It is interesting to me to "see" how women were treated/portrayed in history; it was fantastic to read a book about women who were ahead of their times and were determine ...more

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Feb 19, 2019 Sheila rated it liked it · review of another edition

Too sugary for me. Shallow, spoilt rich ATA girls competing against each other on their prowess at flying an aeroplane as male dogsbodies for the RAF. No depth or substance. Predictable. Put it aside.

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Dec 26, 2018 Jim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

Soraya M Lane has written a wonderful piece of World War 2 historical fiction about a group of skilled and determined women pilots on both sides of the Atlantic whose contribution to the Allied war effort eventually gained the recognition they so richly deserved as they became critical ferry pilots during that war. The Spitfire Girls (2019, Lake Union Publishing) is a wonderfully inspirational piece of literature with strong characters both female as well as male who are based on real life perso Soraya M Lane has written a wonderful piece of World War 2 historical fiction about a group of skilled and determined women pilots on both sides of the Atlantic whose contribution to the Allied war effort eventually gained the recognition they so richly deserved as they became critical ferry pilots during that war. The Spitfire Girls (2019, Lake Union Publishing) is a wonderfully inspirational piece of literature with strong characters both female as well as male who are based on real life persons who supported the war effort in a unique and critical way.

The setting of the story is primarily set in wartime England though it begins in 1940 Texas with the introduction of one the main characters Lizzie Dunlop, an American civilian pilot determined to bring women into the war, when it comes, and prove their skills as pilots. Her introduction is closely followed by the introduction of the other main character in England, May Jones, who was a pilot of the British Air Transport Auxiliary, a civilian group dedicated to ferrying new and damage British military aircraft. When Dunlop and Jones meet, the sparks fly as two strong women, both accomplished pilots, conflict over rules and regulations and who will be the first to fly one of the heavy four engine bombers. as well as proving that women can fly military aircraft.

The Spitfire Girls is well written with great characters such as May and Lizzie as well as the self-depreciating Ruby. The tensions and dynamics of people in wartime leadership and service are also a key part of the novel’s narrative and this reviewer believes that the author does a very good job at chronicling the tensions that were (and are) part of the psychological and mental strain of war.

I liked this book for both the subject matter (I am a life-long aviation fan), but also because I believe that Lane writes with an emotional impact in a manner which captures both the pressure and tragedy of war in women as well as men.

I believe that The Spitfire Girls is a good piece of literature which highlights the historical impact women made over seven decades ago during a terrible time in human history. This novel would be a great addition to classes studying the contribution of women as well has military history. ...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Liralen rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, reviewed, make-love-not-war, z-2019, a-ku

1) I'm pretty sure people in the 1940s didn't casually throw the terms 'gender roles' and 'gender stereotypes' around.

2) Also pretty sure that telegrams were meant to be short, and something like this would be impractically, and more to the point expensively, long:

PLEASE INFORM RUBY SANDERS THAT HER FIANCE, FLIGHT LIEUTENANT THOMAS FRANCES, IS ALIVE. SURVIVED IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS AFTER DEPLOYING PARACHUTE. INJURIES INCLUDE BROKEN ARM, CRACKED RIBS, LEG TRAUMA AND BLEEDING FROM HEAD. FULL RECOVE

...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Sharlene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

War genre fiction is a favorite of mine and I certainly enjoy a book that educates me on a new aspect as to how women served during the war. A very good historical fiction.

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Dec 16, 2018 Karen Trosterud rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I adored this book! I laughed I cried and I cheered them on!, A must read for historical fans!

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Mar 15, 2019 Renee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reading-challenge, british-home-front-wwii, world-war-ii, favorites, audible-amazing-listens, historical, romantic, kindle-unlimited, bomber-wwii

Loved it! My favorite kind of story—adventure, romance, brave heroines, big-hearted heroes, WWII era, a story that celebrates sacrifice, nobleness, kindness & character. So, so good!

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Feb 26, 2019 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, 2019-books-read, fiction, ebook, military-hero, first-reads-review-copies, romance, historical-fiction, 2019-men-in-uniform

This is a fantastic book that hooked me from the first pages and kept me enthralled to the very end. Based on historical events and people, this is the story of a group of women and their critical contribution to the war effort. With every male pilot needed to fly combat missions, the Air Transport Auxiliary desperately needed pilots to ferry new planes to the front and damaged ones back to be repaired. A group of very determined young women fought the odds and made a place for themselves as tho This is a fantastic book that hooked me from the first pages and kept me enthralled to the very end. Based on historical events and people, this is the story of a group of women and their critical contribution to the war effort. With every male pilot needed to fly combat missions, the Air Transport Auxiliary desperately needed pilots to ferry new planes to the front and damaged ones back to be repaired. A group of very determined young women fought the odds and made a place for themselves as those pilots. This story is told from the point of view of three of those pilots.

May is the pilot who has been with the ATA the longest and is the commander of the women's unit. Flying was something that she and her brother Johnny did together. She was furious when he went off to war, leaving her behind. His death left her reeling with grief and guilt and an increased need to do something for the war effort. She is practical and clear-headed and excels at bringing out the best in the women she works with. There were some terrific scenes that demonstrated those abilities and highlighted the diversity of the personalities she had to deal with. She keeps her emotions in check and focuses on her work. I loved her care for her "girls" as she called them and her determination that they get the respect they deserve.

Ruby is a pretty and petite young woman whose love of flying is right up there with her love for her pilot fiancé. They flew together until he left to fly for the RAF. She was stuck at home, growing more frustrated by her desire to do something more important than keeping the home fires burning. The ATA was just what she needed, but she had an uphill battle to achieve that goal. Her future mother-in-law was vociferous in her disapproval, and even her fiancé was not supportive. I wanted to shake Tom because of the letters he wrote to Ruby, letters that did terrible things to her self-confidence. I loved May's confidence in Ruby and her efforts to show Ruby what she was capable of. Ruby's journey was an inspiration to read.

Lizzie was the American sent to Britain to learn about the ATA and bring that information home to America. She was a no-holds-barred woman when it came to going after what she wanted. She was raised on her father's tales of his efforts during World War One and a belief that she could do anything she put her mind to. I liked her determination at the beginning as she worked to make her dream of the American equivalent of the ATA come true. But she lost some of my admiration after she arrived in Britain and became the model for the Ugly American. Her extreme competitiveness, disregard for the rules, and general rudeness made it very difficult to like her. It took the efforts of multiple people before Lizzie was able to see that the ATA's strength was in their teamwork, not in the hands of individuals. Once she saw the light, the change in her was amazing, and there were few limits to what she could do. She had quite the challenge when she took what she learned back to America.

The book takes place between 1940 and 1946 and chronicles the joys and challenges of the work the "Spitfire Girls" accomplished. I felt their frustration at the lack of respect they received from their male counterparts, and how they had to work so much harder to prove themselves. I loved learning about the training they received, and how they excelled under incredible handicaps, such as being forced to fly without the use of instruments and radios, putting them in unthinkable danger. I loved seeing them shock the male pilots and ground crews regularly. I especially loved the scene where Ruby delivered the four-engine bomber, the men's disbelief that one tiny woman flew a plane (perfectly) that took a flight crew of four men to fly. I really liked how the women developed into a sisterhood that always had each other's backs. I ached for their losses and cheered their victories.

There was also a touch of romance in the book. Ruby had her relationship with her fiancé challenged by her work with the ATA. I loved her determination to follow her dream and ached for the pain he caused her. I cheered at the surprise waiting for her at the end of one flight. It was so much fun seeing the change in Tom's attitude when he realized the truth. Their challenges continued thanks to the war, but their faith in each other and their love pulled them through. Neither May nor Lizzie had been looking for love, but it found them anyway. May had closed herself off to the thought of love, wanting to protect herself from more loss. I loved how friendship and support from an unexpected source slowly grew into deeper feelings. Then there was Lizzie. The sparks flew between her and a certain Captain, but it took her a long time to realize there was more than antagonism there. I enjoyed seeing that relationship develop, especially with Lizzie's frequently volatile reactions to him on the job.

I loved the ending of the book. There was a wonderful surprise that Ben and Tom had cooked up for May and Ruby about a year after the war ended. I loved their teasing and how pleased they were with themselves. This was followed by a grand epilogue that took place at the sixty-fourth anniversary of V-J day. I loved seeing May, Lizzie, and Ruby together at the place that had been such a big part of their lives. I loved the part with Ruby, her grandson, and the Spitfire. I enjoyed her surprise, and loved the twist she added to it. ...more

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Feb 19, 2019 Bambi Rathman rated it it was amazing

"The perfect ladies' plane, that's what they used to call the Spitfire..." I love historical fiction and especially when I learn something new from it. I certainly did reading this book. This novel took me on a journey of the development and organization of the "Spitfire Girls" along with the main characters, Lizzie, May and Ruby. It's the personal stories of each one and the common love they have in flying. They each have a desire to serve their countries in the war efforts by using their gift "The perfect ladies' plane, that's what they used to call the Spitfire..." I love historical fiction and especially when I learn something new from it. I certainly did reading this book. This novel took me on a journey of the development and organization of the "Spitfire Girls" along with the main characters, Lizzie, May and Ruby. It's the personal stories of each one and the common love they have in flying. They each have a desire to serve their countries in the war efforts by using their gift of skillful flying. Lizzie has a yearning to develop a women's flying team but the American forces aren't ready for women to become fliers so she travels to England and joins the women there. After some tension between her and the other women, they become a team and form friendships that span the ocean. There are bonds in the common interest of the love of flying and to help towards winning the war. Lizzie had to learn to let go of personal gains and become a member of the sistership in the single mission they were all destined to complete. Ferrying planes. These women believed in themselves and the ability they had to serve their countries.

Ms. Lane wove a beautiful story around true facts that happened to real women. It's the story of painful losses and learning to believe in hope and love. Letting go of the past pain and grabbing the future. Persevering through thick and thin. From the unbelievable agony of losses almost too much to bear to the highest of highs of finding true love in the least expected way. Of flying high. I had tears for the pain and joy for the characters as the story was told. I am in awe of the fortitude that these women had. To overcome obstacles and show that women are capable of mighty things.

This passage that Ms. Lane wrote spoke to me so much:

"We are told as little girls what our expectations should be, and it's made abundantly clear what our limitations are, but I'm standing here today to tell you that there are no limitations for women, or at least not in the sky. You don't need to be a burly six-foot man to fly an enormous four-engine bomber, but you do need a brain and a single-minded determination."

The Author's Note at the end of the book is wonderful. I was stunned at the statistics she included and how much these women made a difference in the war efforts.

I want to thank Lake Union, Netgalley and Ms. Lane for the honor of reading this great book. I highly recommend it. A fantastic read!

...more

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Feb 19, 2019 Lisa Hudson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

ENLIGHTENING & INSPIRING!

This is the story of three women that decided they could not stand by and see their flying skills go to waste during WWII. They did the unthinkable and left the safety of their families and one left behind her homeland. They all volunteered to help ferry planes for the British Air Transport Auxiliary thereby freeing male pilots to fly in “risky combat situations.”

May is the Senior Commander and takes her role very seriously as she knows the pilot’s lives are her respons ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 Pat rated it really liked it

I enjoy reading historical fiction stories about WWII, especially the women’s roles. Ms. Lane has a fascinating way of telling her stories, that not only makes them very enjoyable reads, but I find myself learning something from each book.

Spitfire girls follows three women, two from England and one from the US. Elizabeth Dunlap is the feisty outspoken American, who would rather fly than breathe. Sent to England to co-train with a squadron of female pilots ferrying planes to different locations ...more

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Feb 14, 2019 Linda Zagon rated it it was amazing

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Spitfire Girls” by Soraya M Lane, February 2019

Soraya M Lane, Author of “The Spitfire Girls” has written a captivating, enthralling, intriguing and entertaining novel. The Genres for this book are Fiction, Women’s Fiction and Historical Fiction. The time-line for this novel is World War Two. The author describes her colorful cast of characters as complex, competitive and complicated.

Lizzie has been a pilot in the United States, and writes to Mrs. Roosevelt to ...more

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About Soraya M. Lane

Soraya M. Lane

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Soraya M. Lane is the Amazon Charts & Kindle #1 bestselling author of Wives of War and The Last Correspondent.

Her next novel, The Secrets We Left Behind, will be published May 20th, 2021!

As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! Soraya describes being an author as "the best career in the world", and she hopes to be wr ...more