Good Reads / Community Library Notes
Her Last Flight
Beatriz Williams
Review by Priscilla Comen
Her Last Flight
Beatriz Williams
Review by Priscilla Comen
Her Last Flight, by Beatriz Williams, begins with an unnamed narrator finding a crashed airplane in the desert of northern Spain. He or she also finds a journal and takes it to read later. The final line on the last page says, “GM to rescue. Thank God. She will live.” Who is she and who is the dead body found and buried? This book begins with a mystery. It moves to 1928 when a Irene is about to go surfing at a California beach. Author Williams gives the reader a fine description of surfing and how to judge the waves.
Irene’s father, Hank Foster, drives her to Santa Cruz beach one morning where he teaches her to surf. She’s a natural. Several years later she meets a handsome young man, Sam Mallory. Sam holds a kitten he has found in the grass. That’s how they began, Irene and Sam. The author makes us believe in this story similar to that of Amelia Earhart. But we must remember this is a novel.
In 1947, at Hanelei, Hawaii, Janey Everett, a photojournalist, searches for Irene Lindquist. She finds her on a deserted beach carrying her surfboard. She looks like the famous aviatrix Irene Foster whose face has been on the covers of periodicals, and on advertisements for everything. She had been missing since the around-the-world Air Derby. Everyone waited for her to land, but she never did. Janey tells this woman she has found Sam Mallory’s body and plane in Spain. Janey hands her the journal.
Janey tells Irene she wants to write a biography of Sam Mallory. A cat on the cafeteria counter named Sandy, an aged creature, but comfortable there. Janey had worked for the Associated Press and in Spain she met a man who knew where Mallory’s plane had gone down. The man is Valesquez, and Janey sleeps with him, as she does with many men.
Author Williams takes us back to 1928 when Sam is driving Irene in his yellow Nash to pick up a spark plug for her old jalopy. When they arrive at the Burbank airport, Irene is fascinated by a Curtis Jenny and a Canuck. She stays for the air show that afternoon where she talks with Mrs. Rofrano, the owner of the airport. Irene and Sophie Rofrano eventually become good friends.
Irene’s husband, Olle, wants Janey out of Hawaii. He thinks Janey upsets his wife. Instead, she returns to her hotel, and to the room of Leo, the owner of the Hanelei bar where she had left her necklace the previous night.
In 1928, at the air show, Mallory does stunt after stunt. At the end, he breaks apart. Several men carry the plane back to the hanger. This is Sam’s modus operandi. The public loves to see crack-ups, he says. He tells Irene he believes a woman can do anything a man can do today. This includes flying a plane.
Again to 1947, Irene tells Janey about a man and a woman who married the wrong people. Sam was married and had a family when she met him. In 1928, a newspaper article wrote that Sam Mallory was going to fly a new airplane to Sydney, Australia with a woman co-pilot, Irene Foster. At the airport, a new Rofrano Centauri will appear for the first time. Irene and Sam have test flown this plane several times in past weeks. Sam says Irene understands navigation. The tabloids hint she and Sam are having an affair, that two attractive people in a small cockpit will surely fall in love. In an interview, Sam’s wife says she’s all right with the arrangement.
On July 30, 1928, the hanger doors fly open and the “silver torpedo” rolls out. Reporters swarm around it. Photographers take shot after shot of Sam and Irene, of Mrs. Mallory and their little girl Pixie. Irene checks her navigation instruments, magnetic compasses, maps, notes of prevailing winds. The world thought this was only a test flight, but instead it’s the beginning of their historic flight to Australia. It will be many hours over the Pacific Ocean. Sandy, the cat, is with them and sleeps on Sam’s shoulders. After they land in Honolulu, a great feast awaits with hundreds of important people listening for their wise words about flying. Sam speaks first, then Irene. She says women can fly as a hobby or as a career. The next morning, Sam and Irene lie on the beach after surfing. They don’t know it, but photographers take pics of them together. These are later passed to newspapers to the dismay of Sam’s wife Bertha. Janey has these photos for her book.
For a time, Irene pilots the plane with Sam as her co-pilot. She notices the fuel is very low, and in the next minute, the right engine stops. She yells to Sam. He says to head for Baker Island, Samoa, which is just sand and grass, good for landing. Author Williams makes this the most tense scene of the story. Will they be able to land on this small island? Can Irene do it? He tells her to land the “damn airplane.” He’s right there with her.
Actually, they landed on Howland Island. Their radio was smashed, and they had no communication. George Morrow, who had financed the flight was informed they were missing and the Navy began its search. Sam tells Irene about his marriage and its troubles. He gives Irene a haircut, which in later years becomes all the rage for women’s styles. Sam and Irene catch hermit crabs and gaze at the stars every evening. Hank Foster figures out that they are on Howland Island. The Navy dispatches a ship to pick them up. The previous day, Sam had told Irene he loved her.
When they land at Sydney, Australia, thousands await them. George Morrow sees this as a fabulous publicity stunt. Irene has captured the world’s imagination. She’s the Woman of the Age. He sees a bright future for her. During the festivities, Sam receives a telegram. His wife has tried to kill herself after seeing the photo of Sam and Irene. Morrow has tried to protect them. Irene later says George is the perfect partner for her. He takes care of all the details, the publicity, the sales, etc. Morrow is determined that Irene should make the round-the-world flight, and Irene wants to do this. In 1936, while mechanics work on her plane, she goes to see her father who is dieing. He has a new wife who cares for him. After this, she goes to the beach where she and Sam surfed. On the porch of his old beach house, Sam is sitting on a chair, bandages on his head and his leg in a cast. They talk about flying. He wants to go to Spain so his daughter will know he has done something good in his life for a good cause.
On the final leg of her round the world flight, Irene waves to the crowd, and flies to Spain, determined to find Sam. She meets Valesquez who will help her find Sam. What happens after she finds him? Does she meet George Morrow who wants her to be a “personality?”She doesn’t want this, but where does she go? Who is Janey? Why is she determined to know about Sam Mallory? What happened to Sam? Does Irene tell Janey the true story? Find out in this amazing story at your Mendocino Community Library.
Irene’s father, Hank Foster, drives her to Santa Cruz beach one morning where he teaches her to surf. She’s a natural. Several years later she meets a handsome young man, Sam Mallory. Sam holds a kitten he has found in the grass. That’s how they began, Irene and Sam. The author makes us believe in this story similar to that of Amelia Earhart. But we must remember this is a novel.
In 1947, at Hanelei, Hawaii, Janey Everett, a photojournalist, searches for Irene Lindquist. She finds her on a deserted beach carrying her surfboard. She looks like the famous aviatrix Irene Foster whose face has been on the covers of periodicals, and on advertisements for everything. She had been missing since the around-the-world Air Derby. Everyone waited for her to land, but she never did. Janey tells this woman she has found Sam Mallory’s body and plane in Spain. Janey hands her the journal.
Janey tells Irene she wants to write a biography of Sam Mallory. A cat on the cafeteria counter named Sandy, an aged creature, but comfortable there. Janey had worked for the Associated Press and in Spain she met a man who knew where Mallory’s plane had gone down. The man is Valesquez, and Janey sleeps with him, as she does with many men.
Author Williams takes us back to 1928 when Sam is driving Irene in his yellow Nash to pick up a spark plug for her old jalopy. When they arrive at the Burbank airport, Irene is fascinated by a Curtis Jenny and a Canuck. She stays for the air show that afternoon where she talks with Mrs. Rofrano, the owner of the airport. Irene and Sophie Rofrano eventually become good friends.
Irene’s husband, Olle, wants Janey out of Hawaii. He thinks Janey upsets his wife. Instead, she returns to her hotel, and to the room of Leo, the owner of the Hanelei bar where she had left her necklace the previous night.
In 1928, at the air show, Mallory does stunt after stunt. At the end, he breaks apart. Several men carry the plane back to the hanger. This is Sam’s modus operandi. The public loves to see crack-ups, he says. He tells Irene he believes a woman can do anything a man can do today. This includes flying a plane.
Again to 1947, Irene tells Janey about a man and a woman who married the wrong people. Sam was married and had a family when she met him. In 1928, a newspaper article wrote that Sam Mallory was going to fly a new airplane to Sydney, Australia with a woman co-pilot, Irene Foster. At the airport, a new Rofrano Centauri will appear for the first time. Irene and Sam have test flown this plane several times in past weeks. Sam says Irene understands navigation. The tabloids hint she and Sam are having an affair, that two attractive people in a small cockpit will surely fall in love. In an interview, Sam’s wife says she’s all right with the arrangement.
On July 30, 1928, the hanger doors fly open and the “silver torpedo” rolls out. Reporters swarm around it. Photographers take shot after shot of Sam and Irene, of Mrs. Mallory and their little girl Pixie. Irene checks her navigation instruments, magnetic compasses, maps, notes of prevailing winds. The world thought this was only a test flight, but instead it’s the beginning of their historic flight to Australia. It will be many hours over the Pacific Ocean. Sandy, the cat, is with them and sleeps on Sam’s shoulders. After they land in Honolulu, a great feast awaits with hundreds of important people listening for their wise words about flying. Sam speaks first, then Irene. She says women can fly as a hobby or as a career. The next morning, Sam and Irene lie on the beach after surfing. They don’t know it, but photographers take pics of them together. These are later passed to newspapers to the dismay of Sam’s wife Bertha. Janey has these photos for her book.
For a time, Irene pilots the plane with Sam as her co-pilot. She notices the fuel is very low, and in the next minute, the right engine stops. She yells to Sam. He says to head for Baker Island, Samoa, which is just sand and grass, good for landing. Author Williams makes this the most tense scene of the story. Will they be able to land on this small island? Can Irene do it? He tells her to land the “damn airplane.” He’s right there with her.
Actually, they landed on Howland Island. Their radio was smashed, and they had no communication. George Morrow, who had financed the flight was informed they were missing and the Navy began its search. Sam tells Irene about his marriage and its troubles. He gives Irene a haircut, which in later years becomes all the rage for women’s styles. Sam and Irene catch hermit crabs and gaze at the stars every evening. Hank Foster figures out that they are on Howland Island. The Navy dispatches a ship to pick them up. The previous day, Sam had told Irene he loved her.
When they land at Sydney, Australia, thousands await them. George Morrow sees this as a fabulous publicity stunt. Irene has captured the world’s imagination. She’s the Woman of the Age. He sees a bright future for her. During the festivities, Sam receives a telegram. His wife has tried to kill herself after seeing the photo of Sam and Irene. Morrow has tried to protect them. Irene later says George is the perfect partner for her. He takes care of all the details, the publicity, the sales, etc. Morrow is determined that Irene should make the round-the-world flight, and Irene wants to do this. In 1936, while mechanics work on her plane, she goes to see her father who is dieing. He has a new wife who cares for him. After this, she goes to the beach where she and Sam surfed. On the porch of his old beach house, Sam is sitting on a chair, bandages on his head and his leg in a cast. They talk about flying. He wants to go to Spain so his daughter will know he has done something good in his life for a good cause.
On the final leg of her round the world flight, Irene waves to the crowd, and flies to Spain, determined to find Sam. She meets Valesquez who will help her find Sam. What happens after she finds him? Does she meet George Morrow who wants her to be a “personality?”She doesn’t want this, but where does she go? Who is Janey? Why is she determined to know about Sam Mallory? What happened to Sam? Does Irene tell Janey the true story? Find out in this amazing story at your Mendocino Community Library.