This was a very cool, meticulously researched work of historical fiction about Bessie Coleman (who sadly, I'd never heard of before reading this book.)

Coleman's story is amazing in every way, shape, and form as she follows her dream to become a pilot in a time when both her race and her gender ensured zero access to such opportunities.

From studying French so she could learn to fly at a school in France, to moving to post WWI Germany and studying there with little knowledge of German, to finding planes to borrow for her new career in the US, with faith and grit, Bessie keeps moving forward and overcomes countless obstacles.

Bessie did have some close calls with emotional trauma (like when she lands in a small town airport to find threatening men), but for the most part this book leaned heavily on her successes.

In other words, other than the safety of her acts in the sky, I wasn't that worried about her safety on the GROUND. And that felt like a (perhaps intentional?) gap in the writing. It didn't make the story feel less believable, but glossier than I'm guessing things were in reality. (There is no way no man ever tried to grope her.)

Some readers were put off by the sex scene. I was more put off on the amount of the book that focused on this dude, who then disappears entirely from the narrative. I was more interested in the cool people she met and things she did while they were dating.

Overall, a really solid (though longish read.) The writing doesn't always soar, the story itself deserves to be told. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a story Ms. Hopson has told. I had known nothing about Bessie Coleman and feel blessed to have read this book. The writing is stellar. The story kept me engaged and anxious to start reading each day. It was riveting, exciting, educational and she truly gave respect to Bessie.

I think Ms. Hopson’s dream to become a pilot also helped describe and show us the desire and determination she and Bessie had. This is a wonderful book, I loved it, high 5 stars. If you love true stories and want to see how true grit will get you where you want to be, read this, Bessie had true grit.

I thank Henry Holt & Company along with NetGalley for providing this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review.

"A Pair of Wings" offers a captivating portrayal of Bessie Coleman, the first black aviatrix, providing a fascinating glimpse into her life and achievements. This historical fiction masterpiece is a must-read for fans of aviation, diverse literature, and captivating storytelling.

"A Pair of Wings" by Carole Hopson tells the incredible story of Bessie Coleman, a pioneering black female aviator who overcame tremendous odds to pursue her passion for flying in the early 20th century. The book captures Bessie's determination and resilience as she faces discrimination and challenges in her quest to become a pilot. I can see a lot of my students relating to some of the trials and tribulations that this heroine faced.

I found the book to be a bit slow to start, but as the story unfolded, I couldn't help but be captivated by Bessie's journey. Her decision to learn French and travel to Europe to pursue her dreams, at a time when no one in the United States would train a black woman to fly, is truly inspiring.

One of the aspects of the book that I particularly enjoyed was its setting in Chicago. As someone who appreciates stories set in this city, I found that it added an extra layer of depth to Bessie's story.

Overall, "A Pair of Wings" is a compelling and important read. It sheds light on a lesser-known figure in history and highlights the importance of perseverance and courage in the face of adversity. Despite its slow start, I believe that this is a story that needed to be told and is definitely worth reading.

A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson is a captivating novel inspired by the life of Bessie Coleman, a pioneering Black aviatrix. Set against the backdrop of the Great Migration, the story follows Bessie's journey from the cotton fields of Texas to the skies above Europe and America. With vivid prose and rich historical detail, Hopson brings to life Bessie's unwavering passion for flight and her relentless pursuit of freedom and adventure. While the novel shines in its portrayal of Bessie's courage and resilience, some readers may find the pacing slow and the explicit content out of place. Nonetheless, A Pair of Wings is a compelling tribute to a remarkable woman whose soaring spirit continues to inspire generations.

Loved the book. Filled my appetite for anything 1920s and women's history. Loved the travel aspects. Highly recommend.

Amazing novel based on Bessie Coleman! It is a fascinating story of a remarkable woman and set against interesting historical background of the Great Migration. I felt completely immersed in the story as if I was walking alongside Bessie as she walked 18 miles round trip each day to her flying lessons. Will def be recommending this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman was the first American to earn a French civilian pilot’s license and the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license, as well as the first person of Native American descent to hold a pilot’s license. This debut novel set in post-slavery, Jim Crow America, was inspired by Ms. Coleman’s life and accomplishments: from growing up in a shotgun shack in a large sharecropper family on a cotton farm in Atlanta, Texas (the tenth of thirteen children) to her part in the first wave of the Great Migration from the agricultural south to Chicago to her successful efforts to gain sponsorships, learn French, and travel to France to join the aviation program there, and beyond.

I especially loved Ms. Hopson’s immersive writing on Chicago in the second decade of the 20th century – the gangsters, the Stroll, the Chicago Defender, Jesse Binga’s bank – I felt as if I had a front row seat. And the details of Ms. Coleman’s time in France, where she earned her license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and then trained with battle-hardened German and French combat pilots in the 1920s. Ms. Hopson breathes life into “Queen Bess” through imagined dialogue, giving her dimension as both a woman and a determined pioneer. She excavates Ms. Coleman’s remarkable, but too-short life from relative obscurity through well-researched historical fiction. The book is scheduled to be published on August 20, 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Co., and Ms. Hopson for making this ARC available to me. #APairofWings #NetGalley

Bessie Coleman was the earliest known Black woman to earn an international pilot’s license, which she did at the dawn of aviation in 1921. She became a high profile pilot known for her performance at dangerous air shows and died in a plane crash in 1926. This historical novel tells her story from early days growing up in Texas in a sharecropper family, to her obsession with flying inspired by the Wright Brothers, her move to Chicago where she finds support for her dream amidst a society steeped in racism and gender bias and her determination that leads her to risk danger and overcome obstacles to reach her goal. It’s a fascinating look at her life and the times in which she lived.

I was very excited about the premise of this book but unfortunately I am stepping away from it, around 30% in. It feels incredibly long-winded and though the first chapter involved flying and moved at a quick pace, I feel like the next several chapters stepped WAY back in the timeline and are not moving forward quickly enough to keep me interested.

I know this book is rooted in historical facts and setting an accurate picture of the time and society is necessary, but I am not able to continue investing in this story right now.

A Pair of Wings is an inspiring novel about Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilots license. We learn about the steps Bessie had to take and hurdles she had to jump through to go from picking cotton in Texas to learning to fly in France and Germany, and eventually performing stunts at rallies and fairs throughout the United States before her untimely death at the age of 34.

I always get excited when I learn about a figure in history I’ve never heard of before. I’ve never really thought much about the history of aviation, but this book piqued my interest from the jump. I also really enjoyed learning more about the mechanics behind flight. I loved learning about Bessie and this book made me want to do some more research about her.

I also LOVED some of the other people we were in introduced to in Bessie’s life: Norma, her mother, Rene Caudron, Anton Fokker, Tristan, her brothers, and everyone else that played a positive part in her journey to become an aviatrix. Even the tailor who made her flight suit in France was a delightful person to read about! The author also did an amazing job of painting a picture as I was reading. I felt like I was with Bessie as she experienced everything.

I wish there was more about the aftermath of Bessie’s fatal accident and her legacy. What happened to the people she had such connections with throughout her life? (Jesse, Mr. Abbott, the Hills, the DeWalts, Norma, her instructors) I enjoyed learning how Bessie’s life inspired the author, but since this was the first time I had heard of her, a little more about her legacy would have been welcomed.

I also struggled a bit with some of the content. The explicit sex scenes just didn’t seem to have a place here. I understand the need to detail her relationship with Jesse Binga, but there were a handful of pages dedicated to Bessie losing her virginity to him, and that just felt out of place.

I also wish the author included some sort of note regarding the fact that this wasn’t a biography, but rather a novel inspired by Bessie’s life. We have no way of knowing what was fact and what was fabricated or embellished for the sake of the story. Maybe I missed it in the acknowledgments at the end, but it seemed like a lot of her research was done by following her footsteps, perhaps reading a biography about Bessie, and reading any other materials from that time period, including newspapers. This may be due to a lack of materials (she admitted not even being able to track down the eulogies from Bessie’s funerals) but I’m curious, since this was written as if Bessie was telling the story of her life, how the author was able to get into Bessie’s mind in order to write all of the dialogs and thoughts that were throughout the story. Were there any letters she found between Bessie and her family? Any diary entries? How much did her great niece and nephew know about Bessie that they were able to relay to the author? I’m just curious what kind of materials the author consulted to get a read on Bessie’s personality. And if it was all or mostly a fabrication, I think a note is needed informing the reader that this is the case.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read and an inspiring story!

A Pair of Wings tells the life story of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman.

In 1915, Bessie leaves oppressive Texas for Chicago where two of her brothers already relocated, and where she also reconnects with her college friend Norma. The two are opposites. Norma avoids risks, Bessie rushes toward adventure. All of them are part of the Great Migration that left agricultural South for opportunity in the North.

Bessie works at barbershop where she meets a man who supports her dream of flying. But the problem is no one wants to accept a Negro female student. He helps her to apply to different schools, and he finds one that accepts her. It happens to be in France. That doesn’t deter her from following her dream. She learns the language and travels to France.

In France, she learns much more. She converts wargame maneuvers into graceful performances which earn her the nickname of Daredevil in the US.

It is a fascinating story of a remarkable woman and set against interesting historical background of the Great Migration. However, the style of writing is informative, making it a dry read, and the progression of the story is slow. I wished there was more to the backstories at the beginning to get attached to the main character.

In 1915 Bessie Coleman was among the many African American that came along with the Great Migration, those Black people leaving the South and migrating to northern cities looking for jobs and better opportunities for better lives. Bessie settled in Chicago and after living with her two brothers and their wives, she found a small apartment and became a manicurist at a men’s barbershop However Bessie had a dream, a dream to become an aviator. In the 1920’s the nation was changing and the South was steeped in racism with the Jim Crow laws taking affect, where lynching were common place. While women earned the right to vote, it was not so for the Black people in these Southern communities.

With her dream in place, through the help of two friends, James Binga a black banker and Robert Abbott, founder and publisher of the “Chicago Defender” a newspaper for Black readers, she was able to have her dream become a reality. As women, no matter race, were not allowed to attend flight schools in America, through the financial help of her two friends, Jessie made her way to France and study abroad.. By 1921 she received her pilot’s license; this made her the first American and black women to achieve this status as her dream became a reality. Following her time in France, she studies in both Holland and Germany where she learned the “art” of barnstorming.. Returning to the United States, she put on air shows and garnered much fame and admirers.

This book was amazing in its telling while I learned about someone I never heard of .It brought me to the times in the 20’s where hardship for these Black minorities was swept under the carpet. While Bessie Coleman didn’t always have it easy, it gave her community hope with the thought that they too could have a dream to follow.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was reviewed on Goodreads and will be reviewed on Amazon when published.

This historical fiction novel was amazing! Hobson is really great at describing the 1900s and how people would interact during this time. The story really shows immense strength, which is incredible. The author wrote the story beautifully. Thank you Henry Holt & Company for sending me this book.

This captivating novel offers a richly detailed journey into the life of aviator Bessie Coleman, shedding light on her remarkable achievements and the challenges she faced in a racially segregated society. Written in a diary-like format, the narrative immerses readers in Bessie’s world, allowing them to experience her triumphs and struggles firsthand.

The author, Carole Hopson, skillfully weaves historical figures such as Robert Abbott, Jesse Binga, Ida B. Wells, and Charlotta Bass into Bessie’s story, adding depth and context to her journey. While some fictional elements enhance the narrative, the book remains grounded in historical reality, offering insights into Bessie’s personal and professional life.

Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Hopson brings the vibrant landscape of the 1920s to life, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of the era. From Bessie’s upbringing to her groundbreaking achievements in aviation, every aspect of her life is explored in fascinating detail.

For history enthusiasts, aviation aficionados, or anyone curious about Bessie Coleman’s legacy, this book is a must-read. It offers a compelling blend of fact and fiction, shedding light on a pioneering figure whose impact reverberates to this day.

This is a compelling story about a woman who’s name I’ve heard before and I had some awareness of. The deep dive into her life was revealing. How does a black woman become an aviatrix in the early 20th century? It’s a long and indirect road, it turns out.

While the story is fascinating, on a craft level this book didn’t compel me. The narrative structure was very loose and included many details of her life that didn’t draw me in. I think it could’ve been a lot tighter, with a focus on her dream. A lot of the dialogue seemed forced, especially the flirtation between her and Jesse.

I’m sure the latter half of the book contains more detail about her experience as a flyer, but unfortunately, I didn't make it that far.

A great read! This novel read more like a diary and took you on Bessie's journey to become an aviator. This book took longer for me to read because I kept stopping to look up the notable figures in the book to learn more about who they were- Robert Abbott, Jesse Binga, Ida B. Wells, and Charlotta Bass to name a few. Though I was not able to find any mention of Bessie and Jesse being intimate during my extra reading, it was an added story line that worked so well.
Learning about Bessie's history, her family's, and life in the 1920's was so interesting. History books skim over the majority of it and diving deeper into so many facets was rewarding. Kudos to the author, Carole Hopson, for taking the reader inside Bessie's head and helping them to experience life as Bessie did. Before this book, I knew the basics about Bessie Coleman, but didn't know what had caused the plane to crash. After reading about the wrench, I asked my husband- also a pilot- how one misses a wrench?! He told me it wasn't as far fetched as one might think.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves history, wanted to learn more about Bessie Coleman, or early aviation.

*I read an advanced copy on NetGalley for my honest review*

I really enjoyed how good this novel was, I appreciated getting to learn about Bessie Coleman more in this novel. It had a great overall concept for the historical elements and I was hooked from concept and how it was written. The characters were everything that I was looking for and worked in this universe. Carole Hopson has a great writing style and thought it worked overall with this novel.

“A Pair of Wings” is a wonderful five star read - if I could give it ten stars, I would. It is a tremendous story of strength and determination, masterfully told by Ms. Carole Hopson who herself is one of today’s rare Black, women, commercial pilots, flying as a Captain for United Airlines.
It is the true story of Bessie Coleman’s travails to become a pilot in the early 20th century. Ms. Coleman was a young Black woman who was determined to learn to fly. She managed to overcome all the obstacles put in front of her - her race, her sex and her poverty, all of which made it hard for her to realize her dream. There was no one in the States that was willing to teach her, so she learned French and learned to fly in France, becoming the first American (of any race or sex) to receive a license to fly from the French authorities. Then she moved to Holland and Germany to learn aerobatics from World War I veterans. On her return to the United States she started barnstorming around the country to show fellow Blacks that anything, including flying, was possible.
Her tale is told in the first person, which brings a sense of immediacy to the story. It lets the reader experience more closely the difficulties, setbacks and triumphs that Bessie encountered. I also love the way the author wraps the story in the American society of the time, so segregation is ever present, and Bessie lives the South to North migration, leaving Waxahachie, Texas for Chicago, where jobs and money were easier to find. Black society of the time was evoked so effectively that I felt a part of it myself.
I was getting a little restless as Bessie spent her formative years in Chicago with no flying in sight, but one has to be patient and trust that the author knows her craft. During this time we come to understand what drives Bessie, the unique Black Chicago society of the time and also the enormous changes that occurred in her life when she left for France and flight school. I cannot over-state how much this book enveloped me so that I experienced all of Bessie’s ups and downs, fears and exhilarations for myself.
Thank you, Ms Hopson for the wonderful experience of flying along with Bessie. And thank you, also, for founding the Jet Black Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, aiming to send one hundred Black women to flight school by 2035.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Henry Holt Company for providing me with a free ARC in return for my unbiased review.

Many thanks to both Henry Holt & Co. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of A Pair of Wings. The expected publication date is August 20, 2024.

3½ Stars

Bessie Coleman was a fearless woman who overcame an amazing number of cultural, racial, and economic obstacles in her quest to learn to fly. I would love to go back in time to meet her.

I feel the author did a great job describing Bessie's life on the pages of A Pair of Wings. What she went through to get anyone to give her a chance to learn how to fly, and then to finally LET her fly were riveting.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel the explicit sex scenes added anything to the book. There was so much about Bessie I wanted to learn about! I mean, becoming the first African American/Native American female aviator is huge and that was where my interest lay.

Most of the book was fascinating, however. What an inspiration Queen Bess was!