CROSSING THE HORIZON – Laurie Notaro
Gallery Books
ISBN: 978-1-4516-5940-5
ISBN: 978-1-4516-5942-9 (eBook)
October 2016
Historical Fiction

France, England, and the United States – Late 1920s

Charles Lindbergh set off a firestorm when he flew across the Atlantic. But it was the opposite sex vying to be the first woman to do what Lindbergh did. Three of those women are Elsie Mackay, an English socialite, and Americans, Ruth Elder, a beauty contest winner, and Mabel Boll, a determined, and very rich young lady.

Elsie Mackay had already led an exciting life. During World War I, she served as a nurse and, later, a driver at an air base. It was at the latter that she got the flying bug and learned how to handle an airplane. As an aristocrat, Elsie's actions were front page news. Her early years in flying were spent trying to convince men that she was as capable, and maybe better, than they were. Aware that there were several other women around the world planning on flying across the Atlantic, Elsie wanted to make sure her efforts panned out. She had to hide her plans from her overly protective father, and she worked hard to prepare for the flight and find the right partner to go with her.

Ruth Elder used her winnings from a beauty contest to learn to fly. With her husband in Panama, Ruth had no one to tamp down her enthusiasm for flying. She works hard to become the best pilot she can be, and she's sure that, with the right backing and the right co-pilot, she can be the first woman to fly the Atlantic.

A wealthy widow, Mabel Boll was known as the Queen of Diamonds for her lavish displays of jewelry wherever she went. She got the flying bug after her husband's death and upon meeting Elsie Mackay on an ocean voyage. Mabel didn't want to learn how to fly the plane, but she certainly had enough money to sponsor a flight and fly as a passenger. Impetuous and dramatic, Mabel irritated the people she gave her money to, but she was astute enough not to ignore the fact that she could be famous for flying the Atlantic.

All three of these women held the headlines during their attempts to complete their dreams. Setbacks were inevitable in the early days of long distance flying. And in the background there were other women vying for the same notoriety – one in particular was Amelia Earhart. The stories of these young women are finally being told all these years later. They were the pioneers, no matter what their eventual outcomes would be.

CROSSING THE HORIZON was an enjoyable, well written novel based on hard facts. Beautifully researched, the author brought Elsie, Ruth, and Mabel to life. To discover whether they achieved their goals, readers will have to delve into this excellent book to find out.

Jani Brooks