Not only was this story, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion, an entertaining book, it also got me thinking about a few things.
First of all, the title doesn't do the story justice and seems a little misleading. Yes, the narrative includes a section in which four sisters run a filling station, or as we might call it a gas station, during World War II. But that is just the beginning of this adventure in which women fly planes! And not only do they fly planes, they do it as volunteers to help the war effort. Our country was just recovering from The Great Depression and we were in no position to fight a war so everyone had to pitch in. Most men from the age of 17 to 60 were off fighting so the women had to step up and they did it willingly.
The story includes a great deal of information about the WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII) and was really the inspiration for this book. These women were so happy to perform what they saw as a patriotic duty, but they weren't appreciated by very many, especially the men pilots. Apparently, toward the end of the war, the US had all the fighter pilots they needed. This meant that the civilian male flight instructors who had been excused from military service were now eligible for the draft. If they were chosen to serve, they would have to serve as foot soldiers and they didn't like that one bit. So they organized a letter writing campaign to the government insisting that they take over the WASPs' job of ferrying planes from the manufacturers to the air bases. It worked and the WASPs were disbanded. You can check out the statistics here: WASP Statistics It is so sad and embarrassing how the government really let them down and just kind of swept their existence under the carpet (records were sealed and classified). Though a bill had been proposed in Congress that these women would become an official part of the armed services and therefore, receive veterans' benefits, it was shot down. It would be another thirty years before another woman would fly a military plane. (I guess the male ego is a fragile thing.)
Then there's Sookie, the main character, at first she came across as a doormat. She let's her mother Lenore run her life. What I did like about Sookie is although she's 60-years-old, she didn't settle - she picked herself up and moved on. Most books I read have much younger characters who have their whole lives ahead of them and plenty of time to change. Sookie showed me that even at 60 you can discover yourself and grow. Life is not over yet.
Lastly, there's Lenore. Sookie's mother made me think of my wonderful, independent mother-in-law, Irma. No, Irma is not overbearing. But just like Lenore, she's a strong woman, one of the strongest I know. Although she lost her husband of 50 plus years, she is still living life with gusto! She is self-sufficient and yet caring. She's interesting and loves a great joke. She's an independent, classy lady. I love her and I'm lucky to have her in my life. (Her son's pretty great too.)
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| The best mother-in-law you could hope to have. |
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| So beautiful in red. |
I'm thankful to my friend JoAnn for sharing this book on Facebook as it really inspired me.
