This is a delightful account of Amelia Earhart's last big flight, around the world -- and necessarily an incomplete tale. It is told in the first person, and her voice is charming. She makes you feel like a close friend as she sends dispatches and updates from various stops around the world. In fact, she gathers such momentum and has such continued success that, even when you know how this story ends, it is wrenching to reach the last chapter and find -- nothing.

I loved reading about her love of airplanes, and I was enthralled by the description of her mammoth (to me) airplane -- an order of magnitude heavier than the little Cessnas that I fly, and with a fuel capacity of 1150 gallons (the Cessna holds 40)!

And here, this bit of her attitude towards risk: "The time to worry is three months before a flight. Decide then whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying. To worry is to add another hazard. It retards reactions, makes one unfit."

I would have liked to talk with her in person, and I can't help but be awed by her drive and her accomplishments.