American Sky

by Carolyn Dasher

Three generations of indomitable women navigate life on their terms in an epic and inspiring historical novel about love and war, family secrets, and mothers and daughters finding the freedom to fly.

It’s 1943. The war rages. The newly launched WASP program is recruiting. And barnstormer fan Georgeanne “George” Ector’s dream is to take to the skies. Grit is what she inherited from her mother, an Oklahoma farm girl at the turn of the century who preferred taking apart an engine to stitching linens for a hope chest. She taught her daughter well. George isn’t the only woman about to follow her calling.

Vivian Shaw, so similar to George they’re like sisters, also longs for a career flying the fastest planes in the American arsenal. For a time, George and Vivian triumph. But at war’s end, the adventurous women are grounded by the expectations of to get married, have children, and raise a family. Vivian has other plans. So, eventually, do George’s daughters, Ruth and Ivy, who embark on very different paths of their own.

Three generations of women staring down a vast horizon of possibilities are determined to navigate whatever comes their way—from the hardships of war and home to love and loss, and to the fallout of a long-held secret that could change their lives forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, War, Audiobook, Adventure

443 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2025

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got all of the Kristin Hannah vibes from this book in the best way. Wow! All the feels and such a journey from start to finish.

You feel so involved in this family and their lives by the end, it is almost hard to say goodbye. The love/strained relationship between George and Vivian is so realistic and I appreciated that aspect of the book. It was not all frills and happy endings but in the end you do get that. My only complaint was the huge chapters at the beginning, it made it hard to get into at the start. Also would have benefited from names at the beginning of each chapter so you could easily tell who's perspective it was.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this one, NetGalley!

[Soraya Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping historical novel that cleverly spans three generations... if you enjoy reading about women in history, you’ll love this book!

[Bryanne Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't what I was expecting at all! (In a good way!) While following 3 generations of our female leads over the course of WW1, WW2, and Vietnam, this novel is about so much more than what they were doing during these times. The way we see each generation grow and develop as they decide how they want to live their life differently from their mother before them, only to discover full circle moments as they become adults when the understanding kicks in. I found this so beautifully written. It's one to be enjoyed and savored.... not rushed through, so plan to settle in and get cozy! By the end, I had tears in my eyes. This covers growth, understanding, the complex dynamics of how gender roles had changed over time, family secrets and will pull at your heart strings. Will definitely be recommending this one!


Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Grandma Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were many facets and timelines to this book. My favorite was the time period of WWII. The story follows the lives of several women main characters. It does center somewhat around lady pilots and the hardships they endured because they were women. It is definitely worth a listen. Wonderful narrator.

I was blessed with an audio ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

[Ella Crabtree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t fully put into words the joy it brings me to (re)read this book and be reminded of how brilliant it is! I love this book and here’s some of why:
Of course this is historical fiction, but it’s not war nerd historical fiction. It’s ultimately about people above anything else. Lovers of literary and contemporary fiction will like it for its apt insight into people’s motivations, choices, desires, and small jealousies. It’s romantic without being romance, there’s tension without it being mystery. The relationships jump off the page! No one is perfect and good and evil are not obvious. It’s all very real.
One of American Sky’s best qualities is that the pacing is immaculate and propulsive. Very hard to put down. There’s always some unanswered question pushing you through the story. Also: The writing is just so good. Beautiful and touching without verging into overly sentimental or sappy.
Anyway I laughed, I cried. I highly recommend this, and not just because I have to. 🩷✈️

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! American Sky is a historical fiction that follows 3 generations of women and covers so much! WWI, WWII, the WASP Program, Vietnam War. I loved these characters, how strong each woman is in her own way, and how aviation plays a role in all of their lives.

This was a slightly longer book (around 450 pages) but the page count was definitely needed. It covered a ton of years (60+) and felt like a family saga, which is something I love to read. We follow strong women and their different journeys with aviation, flying, and the sky. I was just invested in the entire story and the characters. This book is on KU with read and listen and I definitely recommend, the audiobook was very easy to get pulled into.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wishing there was a 6 stars option. Reading this became my whole personality. The characters were amazing and interesting. I learned a lot. And just love a story that follows different generations of a family. And any book about female friendship. I cried at the end. And point for being gay! I’m like maybe I could fly a plane? Please. Anyways, was obsessed. The author of the year! And maybe the decade and century

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was a brilliant read. This was a Prime first reads for this month and I loved it. It starts in 1913 through the sixties and onwards. Its about women flying aircraft during the war. Highly recommend this one.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free Amazon Prime First Reads book

EXCELLENT book (surprising given that this is the author’s first published book). This felt like a cross between The Women and Firefly Lane.

[Jim Sands · Rating 1 out of 5]

Women in transition

Female pilots in wartime....accepted by some but not all. Two very close friends and exceptional pilots. One marries and expecting baby...the other expecting but from being raped. Babies, both girls born close together and raised as twins. Too many secrets and lies. Vietnam War finds both sisters in same unit; one a nurse the other in gathering crucial Intel. Basic story OK until dragging in gay relationships and that totally turns me off.

[Nicole Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Torn between a 3 and a 4 star here - I enjoyed the book and learned a lot, but it was just a little long for me. It followed three generations of women through different fascinating stages in American history, and gave me lots of “The Women” vibes. Sometimes the perspective switching was a little much. But overall, a well-written and super interesting!

[Judy Odom · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Sky is a captivating and compelling read and is one you wont soon forget.

It is the story of 3 generations during WW1, WW2 and the Vietnam war.

It is the 1900's and we meet Adele who simply does not want to do the things expected of girls. She would rather raise a steer, fix engines, drive a car and a tractor. Her parents arent happy but they understand to a degree.

Adele eventually has a daughter known as George who is much like her Mom in some ways. She decides she wants to fly planes and during WW2 she was one of the few women to do so

George's daughters are also very strong women and walk their own path.

The family dynamics were intriguing and it was very interesting to see how all the women grew in strength and determination .

This book is so much more than that . It is about family, family secrets, love, friendship and so much more.

I cheered for them all, I cried with them all and most of all I admired all the characters.

American Sky would and will be a perfect Book Club Selection.

I seldom reread books but American Sky would be one of them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the privilege of reading and reviewing American Sky.

[Terry Landon · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a cast of characters

I loved the people, the pacing, the arcs of the characters’ lives, and the flow of dialogue. Wonderful way to spend a few evenings.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book!

I loved everything about this book, from the story, the settings, and the characters! So riveting that I finished it in two days. Having served as an officer in the USAF for years, I can attest that there are still men with attitudes about women serving, but for the most part, my experiences were all good.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Sky’s centers on three generations of strong willed women who carve out their own unique paths in life.
The story begins with Adele in the early 1900’s. She loves to fix cars and engines, not something deemed appropriate for women at this time period.
Next we have her daughter “George” and Vivian, her almost twin who become best friends flying planes during WWII.
Lastly we have George’s daughters Ruth and Ivy who follow different paths to Vietnam and the War in the 1970’s.
A long held family secret when finally revealed has a lasting impact on all their lives. Read about love, loss and friendship.
Thank you Lake Union publishing, the author and NetGalley for this moving ARC.

[Marion Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars This novel spans the early 1900’s through the mid 1970’s following three generations of women who choose to handle life in their own unique ways. In in the early 1900’s, Adele makes the decision to learn how to repair engines rather than follow presumed convention of being a housewife. Her daughter Georgeanne (known as George) finds herself drawn to flying planes and ends up being recruited as a female pilot into the WW II era WASP program. The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) was a civilian program during World War II where over a thousand women flew military aircraft for the first time, performing duties like ferrying aircraft, towing targets for gunnery practice, and testing planes to free up male pilots for combat. Finally, we watch George’s own daughters Ruth and Ivy carve divergent paths though the Vietnam War era.

Across decades and wars, the women grapple with love, loss, identity, and a secret that binds them in unexpected ways. With a sweeping historical backdrop and layered relationships, we find a compelling, unforgettable journey of these women through the skies shining with emotional depth and strong storytelling. I would love to see this book turned into a mini series or movie.

[Rebecca Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book very much in the style of Kristin Hannah. I don’t think it’s quite as good as one of hers, but pretty close. I enjoyed the multi generation saga and the way it spanned different periods of history all through the eyes of the various women in the family experiencing the different challenges faced by women at the time. I hadn’t realised before that female pilots were involved in some way in the Second World War. Well worth a read!

[Annelise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gripping read about women succeeding in male spaces and the personal sacrifice that so frequently (still) comes with it. The depiction of female friendship was absolutely beautiful, and I love that the book doesn’t shy away from the seasonality of friendship as we go through life. I got this for free as an Amazon First Reads pick and really wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did. Highly, highly recommend it if you love reading about history through the lens of strong women!

[jhpennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

Fast moving story lines. New directions, places, and environments for characters to interact with. More like real life in that people can grow and change with experiences.

[Melissa May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows 3 generations of women during WWI, WWII and the Vietnam War. It gave the readers a look at the different roles women played during those time periods, their friendships and the role family played during these periods. I enjoyed this book very much

[Helen H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and gripping debut novel.
Spanning three generations of women who veered away from the norm and what society expected of them.
The history is fascinating and informative; the female characters are daring and inspiring.
American Sky is a captivating story and I loved it.
If you enjoyed reading Kristin Hannah’s ‘The Women’, then American Sky will be right up your street.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for a digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kerrigan Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely beautiful book. So much love, heartache, friendship, loss. So many things left unsaid. So many lessons to learn. So many opportunities for following your purpose. So many goodbyes, but so many hellos.

[Hazel Verrall · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyable book spanning 3 generations of women during war and their courage to fight the expectations of society in regard to flying planes and challenging the male stereotype of pilots. The result of keeping a secret and how it can impact on a family.

[Annmarie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful book

[Laura Nichter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved!! Couldn’t put this one down. Very much gives Kristin Hannah vibes and I love her books!!

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book. It would have been even better if she left out the gay relationships, which lent nothing to the story.

Why must almost every book nowadays include gay relationships?

[Jen J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not surprised that this was a first novel. As I usually find with these books on Prime, it is in serious need an at least another edit. The flow of the story was not good. By the time I was invested as a reader in the first family they dropped off a cliff and there was someone completely new. I could not get really invested in the second family. Then, I thought there would be more character development in other women pilots but alas I was disappointed the others were superficial characters. The story idea was interesting but I felt there was a lack of actual historical knowledge in the writing. The main characters did not seem consistent in their actions or emotional and psychological view points. I finished but found myself skipping dialogue about three quarters through to just get the basics of the story and reach the end.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars! I'd maybe lean towards 3.5 if I could do half stars on GoodReads, but I'm bumping it up rather than down because I finished it in like 3 days, which means it was fairly compelling. No spoilers, but generalities herein:

This was my Amazon First Read this month.

go ahead and snatch it up. It's historical fiction that follows a familial line of women (1900-1975ish), and a female friend who becomes family, who do what they want rather than what's expected of them.

Do I like them all as people? Not necessarily. Do I agree with their behavior? Not necessarily. But their stories are compelling, and the “secret” you have to wait for is worth waiting for. (I dare you to wrestle with the question and decide if you would WANT to know, like one of the characters, or NOT know, like another one of the characters!)

Also, this one is long(ish) so you can stick with the same world, more or less, for a while.

Sometimes I felt like there were *too many* people to keep track of, but for the most part, it was easy to follow, even jumping back and forth from character to character.

Big topics! Women pilots, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, societal expectations and norms, and more that I don’t want to reveal and ruin the plot.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a struggle to rate... 2.5?

I enjoy a good historical now and again. This one spans time from WW1 through the Vietnam War. We follow three generations of related women and the trials they go through in and out of war. I really liked the historic parts of the story. That kept me reading for sure. In fact, that's where a majority of my rating comes from.

The writing itself was very clinical and choppy. It was jarring at first. Once I got going, I got it but at first was tough going. There was also lots of jumping around with time and POV. One minute we were in one time frame and then next it was 7 years later. The author did provide major time clarification, but the little stuff no.

Another annoyance reading this was I disliked every character. Well...maybe Don was okay. But, everyone else? 👎 I get it was hard for people to communicate in those days and appearances were everything, but c'mon! For a bunch of women that wanted to be seen differently and wanted to have the same opportunities they sure fell into the same old ruts. They were all frustrating and flawed without redemption in my opinion. Boo.

So scored for the historical time and those snippets.

Reading Challenge 2025
American HistoricalHistorical0

[Brisa Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 Interesting story that shows women’s contribution to war. I feel like it was way too long though and had too many subplots. I swear there was a gay subplot with almost all the women and only one of them ever acted on it. It was hard to keep track of each character’s story and it felt a little like forced feminism.