2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

HSMC Visitor Center Auditorium

A Farthing’s for Your Thoughts book club is a monthly gathering hosted by Iris Ford, Ph.D. Each month the book club is invited to read a book of their choosing, then join Iris for a lively discussion that offers analysis and deepens understanding of the book and each other. The book club selections range from fiction to non-fiction, classics to new releases, reflecting the diverse reading habits of the group.

Listen in and join the conversation around author Becky Aikman’s book, Spitfires.

Summary:

The heart-pounding true story of the daring American women who piloted the most dangerous aircraft of World War II through the treacherous skies of Britain.

They were crop dusters and debutantes, college girls and performers in flying circuses-all of them trained as pilots. Because they were women, they were denied the opportunity to fly for their country when the United States entered the Second World War. But Great Britain, desperately fighting for survival, would let anyone-even Americans, even women-transport warplanes. Thus, twenty-five daring young aviators bolted for England in 1942, becoming the first American women to command military aircraft.

In a faraway land, these “spitfires” lived like women decades ahead of their time. Risking their lives in one of the deadliest jobs of the war, they ferried new, barely tested fighters and bombers to air bases and returned shot-up wrecks for repair, never knowing what might go wrong until they were high in the sky. Many ferry pilots died in crashes or made spectacular saves. It was exciting, often terrifying work. The pilots broke new ground off duty as well, shocking their hosts with thoroughly modern behavior.

With cinematic sweep, Becky Aikman follows the stories of nine of the women who served, drawing on unpublished diaries, letters, and records, along with her own interviews, to bring these forgotten heroines fully to life. Spitfires is a vivid, richly detailed account of war, ambition, and a group of remarkable women whose lives were as unconventional as their dreams.

The book club is free and open to the public

INFO:  icford@smcm.edu