Publishers Weekly
Niven delivers another tale full of hope, heartbreak, and nostalgia in this sequel to Velva Jean Learns to Drive. Now in her twenties, at the dawn of World War II, heroine Velva Jean Hart leaves her husband and the comfort of her hometown in North Carolina to pursue her life-long dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry. Once she arrives, she quickly learns that breaking into the music business is breaking her heart, but that doesn't stop our mind-bogglingly positive ingénue from sticking it out and singing the blues every chance she gets. Velva Jean's aspirations soon take a dramatic turn when her brother Johnny Clay introduces her to flying planes. Consumed with becoming a heroic female aviator, Velva Jean joins the WAFS, the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, part of the Army Air Forces, and experiences a wartime life filled with love, despair, and life-threatening adventures. A tasteful blend of comedy, inspiration, and endurance. (Sept.)
Library Journal
It is 1944, and Velva Jean Hart is ferrying pilots from the United States to England as part of the Women's Air Service Pilots (WASP). In addition to her patriotism, Velva Jean hopes to find her brother Johnny Clay, who went missing after D-day. On Velva Jean's first flight to bring supplies to Allied forces in France, her B-24 Liberator is hit and the pilot mortally wounded. As copilot, Velva Jean is forced to crash-land in occupied France, losing her entire crew and all but a handful of operatives aboard. Thanks to French spy Emile and his team, she is enlisted into a different kind of fight against the Germans. VERDICT Niven (Velva Jean Learns To Fly) continues her heroine's growth from small-town Southern girl. Velva Jean uses her native smarts and tricks she learned in WASP training to make a creditable "weapon of war." The author gives her plenty of hurdles to overcome, as well as a bit of romance, while readers learn more about the role women played in World War II. Recommended for readers who enjoyed Marie Bostwick's On Wings of the Morning.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal
From the Publisher
"Besides creating a gutsy heroine, who, despite the repressive times, never becomes bitter, Niven's writing shines overall. Cheers to Niven, Velva Jean." —-Booklist Starred Review
