Tara Chevrestt's Reviews > The Flying Circus
The Flying Circus
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Tara Chevrestt's review
bookshelves: historical-fiction, 2015-release, vine, arc, women-in-aviation
Mar 21, 2015
bookshelves: historical-fiction, 2015-release, vine, arc, women-in-aviation
The 1920s was not only about bootleggers and flappers; it was a time for barnstormers in their Jennies. Aviation was changing. Curtiss Wright was doing his thing, making better engines, planning for the future: commercial flight. Records were being made and broken.
I wanted to read this novel because of its heroine: Cora Rose Haviland, a socialite turned daredevil wing walker. As far as heroines go, she doesn't disappoint. She rides around on a motorcycle, jumps it through hoops of fire, gives men what for, and all this with a cute little dog in tow. Though fictional, she could be any number of women who really existed, like Mabel Cody, or Blanche Stuart Scott.
The story is really focused on a young man named Henry though, a German forced by a prejudiced society to deny his heritage. It's just after The Great War and emotions are still running high. Though in third person POV, it follows solely Henry. I disliked this method of narrative. I had expected that the story would follow all three of them equally, perhaps alternating POVs, giving equal page time.
Henry is on the run from the law for reasons not revealed to us fully until the end, so I will say no more about that. He's an insightful young man though who is an aircraft mechanic and pilot (after he meets Gil). I liked him, but for a main character, he's very subdued, rather "overcome" by the other two characters.
Gil is a former WWI pilot who flew reconnaissance. He has no interest in doing a flying circus and both Henry and Cora rather force the whole thing on him. In my opinion, he's the most sympathetic character. Cora, while I loved her, got on my nerves at times. She goes from brave to stupid rather quickly. I wish the novel had had alternating POVs so that perhaps we could have gotten in her head and found out what exactly was motivating her to be this way. Her brief bits of explanation to Henry, I simply found unsatisfactory.
These three travel town to town, promoting, flying, coming up with stunts--and in Henry's case, safety features--drinking, saving lives, being hit by tornadoes, all kinds of things. And unavoidably, there is a love triangle, though I don't feel there's any real romance in this. The triangle is brief and feelings are never fully reciprocated at the same time, not until the very end. Cora seems to "love" the one who's there or more exciting at the moment. I don't feel this should be in the romance category (which is where Amazon Vine placed it).
Full review, final thoughts, favorite quote can all be found here: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...
I wanted to read this novel because of its heroine: Cora Rose Haviland, a socialite turned daredevil wing walker. As far as heroines go, she doesn't disappoint. She rides around on a motorcycle, jumps it through hoops of fire, gives men what for, and all this with a cute little dog in tow. Though fictional, she could be any number of women who really existed, like Mabel Cody, or Blanche Stuart Scott.
The story is really focused on a young man named Henry though, a German forced by a prejudiced society to deny his heritage. It's just after The Great War and emotions are still running high. Though in third person POV, it follows solely Henry. I disliked this method of narrative. I had expected that the story would follow all three of them equally, perhaps alternating POVs, giving equal page time.
Henry is on the run from the law for reasons not revealed to us fully until the end, so I will say no more about that. He's an insightful young man though who is an aircraft mechanic and pilot (after he meets Gil). I liked him, but for a main character, he's very subdued, rather "overcome" by the other two characters.
Gil is a former WWI pilot who flew reconnaissance. He has no interest in doing a flying circus and both Henry and Cora rather force the whole thing on him. In my opinion, he's the most sympathetic character. Cora, while I loved her, got on my nerves at times. She goes from brave to stupid rather quickly. I wish the novel had had alternating POVs so that perhaps we could have gotten in her head and found out what exactly was motivating her to be this way. Her brief bits of explanation to Henry, I simply found unsatisfactory.
These three travel town to town, promoting, flying, coming up with stunts--and in Henry's case, safety features--drinking, saving lives, being hit by tornadoes, all kinds of things. And unavoidably, there is a love triangle, though I don't feel there's any real romance in this. The triangle is brief and feelings are never fully reciprocated at the same time, not until the very end. Cora seems to "love" the one who's there or more exciting at the moment. I don't feel this should be in the romance category (which is where Amazon Vine placed it).
Full review, final thoughts, favorite quote can all be found here: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...
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Reading Progress
March 21, 2015
– Shelved as:
to-read
March 21, 2015
– Shelved
March 21, 2015
– Shelved as:
historical-fiction
March 21, 2015
– Shelved as:
2015-release
April 6, 2015
–
Started Reading
April 6, 2015
– Shelved as:
vine
April 6, 2015
– Shelved as:
arc
April 7, 2015
– Shelved as:
women-in-aviation
April 7, 2015
–
Finished Reading
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Desiree Muller
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rated it 3 stars
Apr 04, 2018 04:57AM
EXACTLY! I loved Henry for being such a noble character. So often I get frustrated at the way women portray men in stories like this. I was very very pleased with her portrayal of him (and Cora and Gill). I also identified with Cora - smart, spunky, flighty, careless at times, but determined to get what she wanted - her freedom. I really thought she'd be the end of them and betray their trust by being like the Emmaline. I'm so happy she wasn't. I understand her. Her desire for both men who are caring, talented, protective was believable and probable.
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