Member Review

Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood is a fascinating look at the life of a woman I barely knew anything about. Sadly, many women who played critical roles in our history have been overlooked, their achievements whispering like ghosts. Thankfully, authors like Wood are helping to rectify that with compelling historical fiction.

The first part of this novel will appeal to those who love science and engineering. It’s heavy on two of the Wright brothers, Orville’s and Wilbur’s, development of the first flying “aeroplane.” The author did a fabulous job of researching the inventors’ process and communicating it in an accessible way.

But characters are what draw me into a book and I found their development much more interesting and satisfying. I connected with Katharine as she consistently put the vision these three Wright siblings had above her personal desires. And I rooted for Orville and Wilbur as they courageously moved their vision forward, sometimes recognizing the important role Katharine played in achieving it and sometimes overlooking her.

I’m convinced Katharine was as much a genius as her brothers because, even though she was behind the scenes, she knew what had to be done and did it. Without her support, I wonder if that 1903 achievement of sustained flight would have been written in the history books as it is. Someone would have eventually reached this goal but would it have been Orville and Wilbur? Would it have been in 1903?

I also enjoyed learning about what came after their success. I’d never considered that they became “rock stars” in their day and how much their discovery changed their lives. The Wright family’s journey, especially Katharine’s, Wilbur’s, and Orville’s, was a one-of-a-kind adventure that we’ve all benefited from.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy.