It's the weekend so I am allowed to choose two books.
I have always enjoyed Elizabeth Wein's stories.as they feature strong female characters, often set at a time in history when the role of women was changing dramatically.This is true of both "White Eagles" and "Firebird". Both are published by Barrington Stoke, are in the "super readable" format and are set in the past with female aviator pioneers. The main character in both books is based on a real life story.
The hero of "White Eagles" is Kristina who at just 18 joins Poland's air force when the country is on the brink of war (1939). There is plenty of tension and as Kristina navigates her most challenging flight, only to find she has a stowaway on board.
Nastia is the lead fictional character, the daughter of Russian revolutionaries. She starts as an idealist, serving "the Motherland" but as events unfolds, Nastia begins to question everything she has always believed in. We learn about the Romanovs, the former Russian Royal Family and of one of Russia's leading aviators Marina Raskova and the regiments she trains to fly during the war. Nastia is a fighter pilot and the description of the flights is my favourite part of the story. The book leaves us to ponder her future after landing behind enemy lines. Does returning home make her a traitor? And what happens to traitors?
