Crossing the Horizon: A Novel

Written by Laurie Notaro

Narrated by Hillary Huber

Ten thousand feet in the sky, aviatrixes from London to Paris to New York-fueled by determination and courage-have their eyes on the century's biggest prize. The year is 1927, and Amelia Earhart has not yet made her record-breaking cross-Atlantic flight. Who will follow in Charles Lindbergh's footsteps and make her own history?

Three women's names are splashed daily across the front page: Elsie Mackay, daughter of an Earl, is the first Englishwoman to get her pilot's license. Mabel Boll, a glamorous society darling and former cigar girl, is ardent to make the historic flight. Beauty pageant contestant Ruth Elder uses her winnings for flying lessons and becomes the preeminent American girl of the sky.

Inspired by true events and real people, Notaro vividly evokes this exciting time as her determined heroines vie for the record. With meticulous research and atmospheric prose, Notaro brings Elsie, Mabel, and Ruth to life, pulling us back in time as the pilots collide, struggle, and literally crash in the chase for fame and a place in aviation history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781515984788

Laurie Notaro

Laurie Notaro is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the humor memoirs The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club, Autobiography of a Fat Bride, I Love Everybody, The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death, a finalist for the Thurber Prize, and Housebroken, among others. She is also the author of three works of fiction, including the historical novel Crossing the Horizon. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she then spent the remainder of her formative years in Phoenix, Arizona, where she created something of a checkered past. Laurie now resides in Eugene, Oregon, has a cute dog and a nice husband, and misses Mexican food like it was her youth.

Reviews for Crossing the Horizon

[gifford_macshane · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting look at the first women who tried to fly the Atlantic. I was a bit unsettled by the constant jumping back and forth between the fliers

[lisatimpf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although I'm familiar with the name Amelia Earhart, I've never given much thought to whether other women made attempts to cross the Atlantic before her. "Crossing the Horizon" confirms that there were, in fact, other females vying for the same honor. Author Laurie Notaro focusses on three of them: Ruth Elder, Elsie Mackay, and Mabel Boll, telling their stories in a gripping way. The stories of the three aspirants are interwoven, adding to the interest.

It's obvious without reading the bibliography at the end that Notaro did extensive research, yet the story is told in an engaging manner, using a very readable style.

Recounting the actual flights brings home the perilous nature of the quest, particularly with the equipment and technology available at the time. The clash between the adventurous spirit of the female protagonists, and societal expectations of womens' role at the time, also comes through clearly.

Like me, you may find yourself cheering for (or against) particular characters in the novel -- but I'd recommend saving a check of the internet to confirm the outcome until you've finished the book. The final chapters were particularly compelling, and I found myself unable to put the book down as I approached the conclusion.

All in all an enjoyable read.

[mhanover10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful and fascinating story. These women were brave and determined to make history. They are the pioneers of our airline industry. Because of their bravery and some of their deaths, flying over the Atlantic became an everyday occurrence. I learned so much about the first women in aviation.

I won this book on Goodreads.

[fastforward-46127 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

We live in a world where we place a great emphasis on being the first. So much so that as time passes we forget the people that also had ambition and were daring but fell short of their goals. In this historical fiction book, the author tells the story of three remarkable women who competed to become the first female to fly over the Atlantic Ocean. Like the women that were featured in the movie and book, Hidden Figures, Elsie Mackay, Mabel Boll, and Ruth Elder deserve to have their stories told. While they didn't have the level of fame as Amelia Earhart, they helped to further the field of aviation by risking their lives and attempting to fly over the Atlantic Ocean. Each woman had their own reasons for wanting to be the first, but they all deserve respect for being true to themselves at a time when women were expected to be good little housewives instead of risk-taking aviators.As with most historical fiction, the author had to fit in some of the missing pieces with her imagination. However, many family members of the women were interviewed for the book so I think this was a pretty accurate portrayal. Some of the dialogue with Mabel Boll was a little much at times but it sounds like she was larger than life and too much to handle so I guess she had to be written that way. This book featured not only interesting women but some men that helped them along the way. It was a real treat to read about these daring women and men that deserve recognition to their contributions to the aviation industry.I received a free copy of this book and that is my honest review.