“Peggy Witherspoon, a widow, mother, and pilot flying for the Women’s Airforce Service in 1944 clashes with her new reporting officer. Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg was injured in combat and is now stationed at Bolling Field in Washington D.C. Most of Peggy’s jobs are safe, predictable, and she can be home each night with her three daughters—until a cargo run to Cuba alerts her to American soldiers being held captive there, despite Cuba being an “ally.” Will Peggy go against orders to help the men—even risk her own life?”
Series: Part of the series “Heroines of WWII”, but is not connected to any other book.
Spiritual Content- Ecclesiastes 3:1 and 8 at the beginning; A few Scriptures are remembered; Prayers & Thanking God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; A few talks about God & praying; Peggy has a strained relationship with the Lord & feels as if God doesn’t hear her prayers due to praying for her husband’s safety and him still being killed in action (she prays for others though and hopes her prayer doesn’t “fall on death ears like all her others had”; When something happens, she thinks that “that’s was what she got for praying”; She makes a few more comments in her head that imply God let her down and her bitterness towards Him, thinking that God tore her heart apart from turning away from her; *Spoilers* About halfway, she starts a more regular communication with God again and finds comfort in praying as though “Someone were actually listening”; She feels guilt for neglecting God and later thinks that God loves her even though He answered most of her prayers with no *End of Spoilers*); Peggy hears God’s voice directing her (x3); Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; A handful of mentions of churches & church going (Peggy goes to church for the sake of her daughters); A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of Peggy wondering about God having more important things to worry about than a get-together; A mention of guardian angels;
*Note: Howie thinks that while he had cursed being injured when it happened, he now wonders if it was a blessing after all; A couple mentions of good luck.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’ and five forms of stupid; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); A but of eye rolling; Flying (both calm and dangerous flights with injuries), jumping out of a plane, a fire/smoke, gunfire, being shot at, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); A training exercise ends up with someone accidentally being shot (up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone chokehold another & make them unconscious (barely-above-not-detailed); *Major Spoilers* Peggy and other WASPs plan an unauthorized rescue mission, go on the mission through a hurricane looming, and have to eject out of the plane when it’s damaged causing others to believe that Peggy is MIA (up to semi-detailed) *End of Major Spoilers*; Peggy’s husband was shot down over Germany fifteen months prior to the book starting (we see some grief from her, barely-above-not-detailed); Howie recalls his plane being shot down & crashing (including his major injuries, up to semi-detailed); Peggy’s oldest daughter makes a comment about wanting to shoot down the bad people who did that to her father; Set during World War II & many mentions of wars, deaths, prisoners of war, soldiers missing in action, actual events, fighting, being shot at, gunfire, injuries, & pain (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of fires, smoke, crash landings; Mentions of injuries, pain, surgeries and possible amputation, broken bones, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); A handful of mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of torture; A few mentions of the possibility of being killed or captured as a prisoner of war; A few mentions of traitors & spies; A few mentions of the possibility of being court marshaled and/or jailed; A few mentions of nightmares (particularly military men when they come back home); A few mentions of the Great Depression; A few mentions of a young boy teasing and taunting a little girl; A few mentions of smoking & pipes; A couple mentions of casualties; A couple mentions of the possibility of being killed; A couple mentions of the possibilities of a plane exploding; A mention of the possibility of bleeding out; A mention of a bully who is drunk on power;
*Note: Howie has signs of PTSD (not named) from his plane being shot down and crashing (he recalls the event, up to semi-detailed; in regards to the crash: Howie doesn’t take his sleeping medication because it makes him feel drugged and no longer in control; Howie thinks of himself as a cripple and a half-crippled man); Peggy & the other WASPs face prejudice, discrimination, and dangerous situations because of being female pilots from others (men, women, and a little boy) & many mentions of this throughout the book (written out comments as well); Peggy wants herself and the other female pilots to be treated as equal to the male pilots & voices it a few times throughout the book; At first, Howie doesn’t believe women should be in the military because he was raised that ladies would be protected and cherished (which is why he reacts to the WASP women being put in danger); Peggy and other WASPs fix a plane that they don’t think the government will miss for a few hours (not asking permission nor officially gaining it); Mentions of car brands; A mention of some men believing women to be too emotional; A mention of Shirley Temple; A mention of a book (The Velveteen Rabbit).
Sexual Content- A hand kiss, an almost kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and two semi-detailed kisses; Remembering kisses, almost kisses, & touches (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Mentions of kisses, almost kisses, & embracing; Mentions of romantic entanglements & fraternizing (between the WASPs and military men) being discouraged; A few mentions of dates, dating, & a handsome boy; A couple mentions of crushes; A mention of a man wolf whistling at a WASP; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A couple mentions of Peggy feeling pain that is comparable go childbirth (which she felt like her baby was going to “tear her in two”).
-Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon, age
-Howie Berg
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1944 (Prologue in 1927)
305 pages
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My personal Rating-
Like a prior book I’ve read in this multi-authored series, it’s set in World War II but not super heavy on the sadness that comes with that time period. There’s high stakes and lives at risk, but we’re not overseas with the characters fighting or hiding for their lives like many other World War II fiction books. I personally really like that difference and definitely plan to check out more of the series.
Howie meant well, but he’s kind of clueless. At the beginning, he went on too much about the WASPs being women and that they shouldn’t be doing it—not because of them being women but due to being raised that ladies should be protected. He had a lot to learn (and unlearn, really) about women involved in the war.
On the other hand, Peggy was very tough and strong, which felt so odd against their romance. I actually started to hope that there would be no romance between them, but no, there was a romance. She was very stand-offish towards him in his point of view, but when it switched to her’s, she was thinking about him in a non-work, possible romance related way. It felt a little bit out of left field and rushed. So, the romance was my least favorite part about this book…I think it would’ve been better with no romance.
At first I thought it was a bit too much about all the flying, planes, and technical talk, but as the book continued I started to become more interested in it all, especially towards the end. I honesty think that if done well, this could be a really neat movie. I found myself getting goosebumps at times towards the end, especially. There were quite a few parts that I felt like weren’t the most realistic, but it’s a fiction book so I’m going to let it slide because I overall enjoyed it.
See y’all on Friday with a new review!
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
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