Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke
4.5 stars
Pan Am Airlines was one of the first U.S. airlines to offer the ability to fly internationally. Back when flying was a huge treat, women were needed to serve passengers and maintain safety on the flights. This is the history of those women, who they were, what they wanted and how they lived. I have to admit that I didn't know a lot about the early years of the airline industry before this book. It is full of all kinds of historical information, especially surrounding the Vietnam War years, that was utterly fascinating. Following a handful of former flight attendants, this book is both personal and historical and is a complete delight to read. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren
4 stars
The Barbizon in New York City was built in 1927 as a hotel that working women who came to the city from across the United States could live. There were models, actresses, secretaries in training and a group of talented young women who came each summer to be a guest editor for Mademoiselle Magazine. It was a time when a woman alone, far from her family, was a scandalous site and the Barbizon leant them the sheen of respectability. This was a fascinating look at the evolving mores, fashions, interests and professions of women from 1927 to the 1980's when the Barbizon started admitting men. It follows several celebrities who lived there, such as Grace Kelly, Sylvia Plath, Ali McGraw, and Joan Didion. I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging book. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In the Quick by Kate Hope Day
3.5 stars
This novel takes place either in the future, or an alternative reality. It's not very clear. The narrator is June, a brilliant but impulsive engineer who moved in with her also brilliant uncle and aunt after the death of her parents. She is heavily invested in her uncle's work on fuel cell's when she is twelve and is devastated after he dies. She is then sent by her aunt to a school for astronauts in training. I thought this was atmospheric and beautifully written. Descriptions of space, spaceships and the "pink planet" were poetic. I did find myself wanting more, though. The relationships felt vague and I wish I knew more about where and when this took place. I enjoyed it and thought it was the perfect length for the story it was trying to tell. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
3.5 stars
Following two narrative timelines, one in the late 1700's which is narrated by Nella who runs an Apothecary for women who want to poison a troublesome man in their life and Eliza, a twelve year old girl and also Caroline in current times who is a fledgling historian with a troubled marriage. The plot of this novel is propulsive and keeps you reading even if parts of it feel unrealistic. It is a fast read that I finished in a day and I will definitely watch for this author's future books. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
