Publisher's Synopsis
The Aviatrix tells the inspiring story of Louise McPhetridge Thaden and of her triumphs and tragedies as one of the pioneering women pilots of the 1920s. The press called them "lady flyers" and "sweethearts of the air," but Louise referred to herself as an aviatrix.Born in 1905, on a farm in Bentonville, Arkansas, Louise attended college at the age of 15, changing her major three times over the next five years. She knew she was destined to do something important but didn't know what it was until she discovered the adventure of flight. Louise persevered through all of the hardships she encountered, from learning to master the controls of aircraft made out of wood and canvas, to fighting sexist critics who claimed that flying was a man's profession and women belonged in the home.Although The Aviatrix is a work of fiction, it includes many historical events, including the first Women's Cross-Country Air Race. It also includes well-known pilots Amelia Earhart, Florence "Pancho" Barnes, and Wily Post, as well as historical figures like Will Rogers and Howard Hughes. But, most of all, The Aviatrix is the story of one woman's courage to be the best at what she loved to do most in life, and that was to fly airplanes.
