Nothing But Sky, reviewed

Alright gang, it's time to set the Way Back Machine to the Roaring Twenties, back to the glory days of barnstormers and wing walkers, in Amy Trueblood's debut YA novel, NOTHING BUT SKY.

At a time in history where women had very limited options, eighteen year old Grace Lafferty finds herself in a most unusual place: strapped atop the wing of a rickety wood-and-cloth biplane. The sole survivor of her immediate family due to the Spanish Flu epidemic, she's been raised by her uncle Warren. She's become an integral part of his "Soaring Eagles" flying circus, and the team of pilots and mechanics have become her surrogate family. 

Her immediate goal is to get to the World Aviation Expo in Chicago, to compete on the national stage for a big Hollywood contract, a contract that represents the only real chance of her found family staying together and her getting to stay in the air. 

Standing squarely in her way is Alistair Rowland, the smarmy owner of her chief rivals, The Skyhawks, who constantly schemes to muscle out the Soaring Eagles and use Grace's talents for his own ends. Rowland comes off as a mustache twirling villain, but Trueblood gives him some surprising depth as part of the book's big twist that I won't spoil here. 

Perhaps the greater complication comes in the form of Henry Patton, the handsome, headstrong mechanic who's haunted by the ghosts of the trenches of World War One. Grace and Henry butt heads constantly, even as she starts to feel a growing affection for him. 

This book is a fun read. Grace is a plucky heroine who's easy to root for, even when she screws up, and Henry makes for a good romantic lead. Historical fiction can be tricky, but Trueblood gets the details right, and does a good job of pulling you in to the time period. 

And what a fascinating time period. Powered flight was less than two decades old at the time, and aviation was like the Wild West, with the government just beginning to dip its toes in the idea of regulating it. Barnstorming was a dangerous way to make a living. 

It was a time of great social upheaval to, with the nation reeling from the twin horrors of the Great War and the Spanish flu pandemic. Women were fighting for more rights and independence, race relations were strained, and Prohibition was in full swing. The book does a great job of capturing all this, and giving some lesser-known historical figures their rightful turn in the limelight.

Overall, two thumbs up! You can check out NOTHING BUT SKY here.

-Mike, out.