American Sky - by Carolyn Dasher (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Three generations of indomitable women navigate life on their terms in an epic and inspiring historical novel about love and war, family secrets, and mothers and daughters finding the freedom to fly.

It's 1943. The war rages. The newly launched WASP program is recruiting. And barnstormer fan Georgeanne "George" Ector's dream is to take to the skies. Grit is what she inherited from her mother, an Oklahoma farm girl at the turn of the century who preferred taking apart an engine to stitching linens for a hope chest. She taught her daughter well. George isn't the only woman about to follow her calling.

Vivian Shaw, so similar to George they're like sisters, also longs for a career flying the fastest planes in the American arsenal. For a time, George and Vivian triumph. But at war's end, the adventurous women are grounded by the expectations of others: to get married, have children, and raise a family. Vivian has other plans. So, eventually, do George's daughters, Ruth and Ivy, who embark on very different paths of their own.

Three generations of women staring down a vast horizon of possibilities are determined to navigate whatever comes their way--from the hardships of war and home to love and loss, and to the fallout of a long-held secret that could change their lives forever.

Review Quotes

"Smart, immersive, and moving, American Sky is a gorgeously crafted story of heart, determination, family and friendship, and kick-ass women. Buckle up for a spectacular ride!" --Sara Ackerman, USA Today bestselling author of Radar Girls

"A love of flying becomes the bond that ties, and the force that threatens to destroy, the lives of three generations of American women. In American Sky, Carolyn Dasher delivers an emotional and page-turning novel full of rich, nuanced characters and complex relationships, set against some of the major moments in 20th Century American history. Fans of Kristen Hannah will love this beautifully told, multi-generational exploration of female friendship, family secrets, and the meaning of motherhood. A terrific debut about my favorite subject: strong women taking their place in a man's world, that will satisfy both anyone who loves relationship-driven stories with multi-faceted characters and historical fiction that makes you feel like you are living the story. Bravo!" --Samantha Greene Woodruff, bestselling author of The Lobotomist's Wife and The Trade Off

"Cleverly weaving together three generations of women and touching upon multiple wars, it's an historical novel that's impossible not to love." --Soraya M Lane, internationally bestselling author of The Secret Midwife and The Berlin Sisters

"Carolyn Dasher's debut novel is an epic story of three generations of powerful women struggling with independence, desire, and secrets. American Sky takes us from small-town Oklahoma and Georgia to Vietnam, from the barnstormers of the 1930s to the women of WASP, and the last planes out of Saigon. In an exuberant, compelling read about the lives they lived, the sacrifices they made, and the people they left on the ground, Carolyn Dasher has given us the very American story of women in flight, and a soaring narrative of the American family." --Joanna Rose, author of A Small Crowd of Strangers and Little Miss Strange

"American Sky is a powerful debut novel about three generations of gutsy mothers and daughters who defy norms while grappling with family, self, love, and war, ultimately learning to fly--in every sense of the word. Beautifully written and a smart, compelling read. I couldn't put it down." --Jennie Shortridge, author of Love Water Memory