Wings over Cairo
RAF pilot Jack McClelland has suffered a heartbreaking loss as the war heats up in London of 1941. As he prepares for his next assignment, he meets WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) Corporal Isabel Winters working in his squadron leader’s office. Jack is not the only man interested in this fetching woman, and their budding romance makes a formidable enemy of an unstable wing commander. Jack gets his orders to leave for Egypt and worries about leaving Isabel behind. As luck would have it, he finds that his nemesis has also been assigned to fight in Cairo, but with the power now to assign Jack to a suicide mission in hopes to win the woman that he covets. As a newly appointed squadron leader, Jack needs to follow orders, but he also needs to preserve his life, returning to the woman he loves.
A good wartime love story has the elements of authenticity, passion, and a villain to make the story more interesting. Simon has blended his elements well, giving the reader a compelling book about what it is like to be in the RAF and the dangers and the friendships that are formed. The love between the couple is genuine, and the support of her family in Cairo offers them opportunity for developing their commitment to one another. As a reader of WWII historical fiction, I would recommend this book.