The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West
The Dole Derby, an early airplane race from California to Hawai’i in 1927, serves as the linchpin for this dual-timeline novel. It connects the story of Olivia “Livy” West, a pioneering female aviator in the 1920s, with Wren Summers, an unfulfilled artist with an unconventional family who follows her own destiny in Hawai’i in 1987. Livy’s skill and determination in the harrowing air race bring her into contact with people who become important in Wren’s family history. The two women undergo personal trials and challenges with family and friends in different ways and under extremely different circumstances, yet they both defy odds and become open to life again along the way. The tension-filled details of the trials, particularly Livy’s during the time leading up to, including, and immediately after the air race, resonate in a powerfully emotional way. Developing ongoing relationships with men and dealing with the perceived place of women in society inform both timelines as well.
Combining aviation history and the fascinating setting of the Hawai’ian islands, this novel is unique. The reader is drawn into not only the unfolding stories, but also the strong sense of place. Evocative descriptions of the physical landscape and the sprinkled use of Hawai’ian words interwoven into the main text underscore this distinctiveness. A page-turner for sure, this novel deftly illustrates that life is a journey to be survived but also to be savored.
