Twenty-five American women ferried planes for England through the Air Transport Auxiliaries during World War II. The United Kingdom was so desperate for ferry pilots and the need to ferry aircraft to frontline squadrons was so great that there was little training before the women flew up to 147 different planes they’d never seen before with only a few minutes to read the instructions.
The women are the focus of this book and what stories they have. Their strengths and weaknesses are on display. An interesting tidbit: Jackie Cochran, who brought the women to England, didn’t know how to read.
Most of the women hoped to parlay their experience after the war ended into a flying job. How could pilots so versatile be denied? Very easily, they learned. In many ways, these women lived outside the rules that governed women’s lives in the 1940s.

There is a wonderful movement right now in history where more books are being published that focus on women's stories. I am always up to read about someone or something which has generally been overlooked. The one issue I have noticed is that some authors will forget to make their subjects human. A tendency towards heroine worship leads to bland books that strip the humanity from people who were complicated and often do not fit neatly into contemporary narratives. Luckily, Becky Aikman does not fall into this trap with her exceptional Spitfires.

The book focuses on American women pilots who ferried aircraft in England at the beginning of World War II. The job was obviously dangerous and these women had to go to England because the U.S. was not allowing women to be pilots in the war effort. Aikman makes two decisions here which make the book such an easy and enjoyable read. First, she doesn't get caught in the minutiae of the war and the planes. She keeps her descriptions short, sweet and gets back to the truly important part of the narrative, the women themselves.

As mentioned, Aikman presents these women as the complex humans they are with warts and all. One is a closeted lesbian whose singular focus makes her hard to engage with. Another is a relentless social climber who refuses to connect with her fellow pilots. One is the quintessential partyer who spends as much time at the bar as she does flying. All of them are also driven at a time when their options were few and their ambition made them stand out for both good and bad. Aikman masterfully juggles many different characters but doesn't overwhelm the reader. It is a delicate balancing act, but she nails it and the book is that much better for it.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA.)