A Pair of Wings
Bessie Coleman, who became a Black aviatrix in the early 1920s, is the heroine of this epic novel. Born in 1892 (and passing as four years younger), in 1915 she joined the Great Migration of southern Blacks to Northern cities, ending up in Chicago. Bessie’s dreams are unlike any other woman’s making a new life there. Since learning about the Wright brothers as a child, she was determined to fly airplanes. She saves money to fulfill her dream but has no idea how to go about it. Black people couldn’t train as pilots in the U.S., let alone females. This novel follows Bessie to an aeronautic school in France, where there is no color bar, but a woman still must work extra hard to prove herself. In 1921, Bessie earns the first French civilian air license issued to an American of any gender or ethnicity. She experiences firsthand the aftermath of WWI in France and, later, in Amsterdam and Germany. In between, Bessie returns to the States despite the segregation she must contend with: she wants to inspire dreams of flying in her people and offer pilot training. Supporters and friends help her along the way, but her obstacles are huge and potentially tragic.
Carole Hopson, a Black pilot for United Airlines, enriches the book with her vivid writing and knowledge of airplanes and the history of flight. She includes photos of Bessie’s French Pilote-Aviateur license and her Paris-designed flight gear. A Pair of Wings provides a fascinating angle on the history of the early 20th century. It is so rich and nuanced, both in the historical background and in Bessie’s remarkable character, relationships, and challenges, that it deserves to be a bestseller. Highly recommended.
