Commercial airline pilot Carole Hopson's absorbing debut novel, A Pair of Wings, delves into the life of aviatrix Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn a pilot's license. Hopson traces Bessie's journey from picking cotton in the fields near Waxahachie, Tex., to becoming an accomplished flier who trained under noted pilots in France and Germany. Written in the first person, in Bessie's voice, Hopson's narrative also explores Bessie's deep bonds with her family, her years working as a manicurist in Chicago, Ill., and the racism and sexism she faced as she blazed a path through the skies.
The novel begins with an account of a near-fatal accident in 1923, which left Bessie with a broken leg and a determination to fly again. Hopson then flashes back to Bessie's Texas childhood, her migration to Chicago to join her older brothers, and her growing aspiration to build a flying career. Hopson populates her story with well-known Black people from history, including Chicago Defender publisher Robert Abbott and banker Jesse Binga, who supported Bessie's efforts. Hopson draws on her own experiences of flying to bring Bessie's time in the air to vivid life, explaining the principles of aeronautics (both the basics and the flashy tricks) so readers can learn alongside Bessie. As she gains confidence, Bessie dreams of opening a flight school for Black students. Hopson's narrative celebrates Bessie's success both as a woman and a symbol: a bold, resolute trailblazer who sought freedom above the clouds and inspired her fellow Black Americans to do the same. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams