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In the 1930’s, pioneering New Zealand pilot Jean Batten set multiple aviation records, including a speed record from London to Sydney, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from East to West in 1935 (which, before reading this I routinely accredited to Beryl Markham), and first person to fly solo from London to New Zealand to prove how aviation could connect her homeland to the rest of the world. “Alone in the Sky” is an apt summation of this pilot’s jaw dropping accomplishments. If you love flying and aviation history, you’ll love this book and our conversation.

That’s just the half of it. Have I mentioned how awesome my co-hosts Dr. Jacque Boyd and Capt. Jenny Beatty are? It is an honor and privilege to talk about our pioneers with these two incredibly accomplished and insightful women, both self-proclaimed aviation and book nerds, whose general aviation flying, aviation education, and airline careers, along with their long history of advocacy for women in aviation, complement my own military experiences, giving us the opportunity to approach our collective history from a variety of perspectives to help us all understand it better.

As we honor the anniversary of Amy Johnson’s passing today, the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, we celebrate the many adventurers who came after her. Later this year, the Aviatrix Book Club will discuss the memoirs of two women who celebrate this legacy of adventure: Solo 2 Darwin by Amanda Harrison, and Bird by Tracey Curtis-Taylor.

Special shout out to author Maggie Shipstead, whose novel Great Circle was inspired by Jean Batten, and is a story that honors the spirit of our women pioneers.

You don’t want to miss the Aviatrix Classics Series. More to come in 2025 . . .

Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/

Thanks so much for listening!

• Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter.
• Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages.
• Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation.
• Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree.

Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker

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Before the U.S. entered WWII, the British Royal Air Force sent prospective pilots to the U.S. for training because they didn’t have the capacity to train the numbers they needed for the fight, and America’s women pilots helped train them. New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling author Lorraine Heath explores this fascinating niche of our history in her novel The Girls of Flight City, the December 2024 Aviatrix Book Club discussion book. Lorraine was inspired by a story she read in 1991 about a woman in Terrell, Texas who tended the British Cemetery, and filed the idea away as she pursued an award-winning writing career spanning the past 30 years, publishing over 60 Romance novels and books for young adults, before returning to this story that not only piqued her curiosity, but tugged at her emotional connections to her British mother who lived through WWII in the UK, and her Texan father who graduated from high school in Terrel. Over 2,000 RAF cadets trained at the Terrell Aviation School, just one of seven British Flying Training Schools in the U.S. at the time.

Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/

Thanks so much for listening!

• Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter.
• Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages.
• Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation.
• Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree.

Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker

Send us a text

In this interview with co-author Samantha Arrington Sliney, a USAF Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Women's Initiative Team (DAF WIT) member, we talk about the new picture book she co-authored with fellow DAF WIT member, USAF pilot Megan Biles, All the Things Our Mommy Can Do, and we dive deep into military aviation pregnancy policies. While the focus of our conversation is centered around military aviation, the questions of law and policy impacting women's careers, and the book itself, have much broader relevance and appeal. Special shout out to Jessica Ruttenber who continues to advocate for women's rights, including military aviation policies, and who introduced us. The conversation is a great one for anyone in a leadership position where women's physical status might affect their job performance, for any woman considering navigating her own aviation and/or military career while balancing the decision to carry her own children, and the book is perfect for any expecting mother, especially one with older siblings.

Buy the Book: https://literaryaviatrix.com/book/all-the-things-our-mommy-can-do/

The blurb:

“All The Things Our Mommy Can Do" is told from the perspective of an older sibling watching their mother excel in her career while expecting their younger sibling. It was created to challenge the idea that pregnancy is a limiting condition and to encourage children to believe in their ability to achieve anything, regardless of gender. The book celebrates the dual roles of parenthood and professional success, aiming to inspire children and break down barriers impacting their ability to achieve their dreams.

Samantha Arrington Sliney is a mother of three and military spouse. She is a lawyer and serves in the military. She is a champion for gender equality and equity with a focus on enhancing support and resources for women during all phases of womanhood.

Megan Biles is a PhD candidate in Philosophy with a background that includes military service, as well as academic and professional expertise in public policy and national security. She is an advocate for empowering all to reach their full potential.

Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/

Thanks so much for listening!

• Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter.
• Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages.
• Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation.
• Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree.

Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker