Skies Over Sweetwater
Julia Moberg
Keene Publishing

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We first meet Bernadette Thompson, Byrd, as her mother stands, disapproving, on the ground while Byrd and her father in the small airplane prepare to takeoff into the sky. The wind whipped at Byrd’s hair in the open cockpit, looking down she could see their farm house. Byrd’s father encouraged Byrd to consider becoming the next Amelia Earhart.

Everything went black at the end of a dive.

Julia Moberg writes „Skies Over Sweetwater“ depicting a little known incident in the history of women pilots. A must read for those having an interest in history and those early women aviators „Skies Over Sweetwater“ is a well written, fast paced work sure to please the upper middle grade" high school reading audience.

Set before the advent of the Second World War in 1936, Iowa, at a time when airplanes and flying were much different than today; Byrd's father loved flying. When he died in the flying accident, Byrd's mother became embittered against flying and airplanes. Byrd disobeyed her mother, learned to fly and even began giving flying lessons.

It was during WWII, 1944, that Byrd heard about a special school for women pilots, not really thinking she might be accepted into service she nonetheless took the entrance exam and soon, without her mother’s blessing or even knowledge, was on her way traveling aboard a train moving South toward Sweetwater, Texas. On board the train Byrd met Sadie, a young Oklahoma woman with whom she would form a firm friendship. The pair each looked forward to the training they would receive upon their arrival at Avenger Field.

Julia Moberg writes about a little remembered fact of American history when women at home took to the skies. Testing airplanes for the Air Force, doing their part for the war effort, ferrying planes for male pilots, towing targets for gunnery drills; women pilots were an integral part in the effort to keep America safe.

On their way to attend the Avenger Field WASP, Women Air Force Service Pilots, training school where the young women slept on cots, learned to share a bathroom with twelve others, and underwent rigorous training; Byrd and her new friends were dismayed to learn that the men met, and later those with whom they were training had little belief that they could even pilot an airplane and openly hoped they would fail.

Byrd was eighteen when she joined that cadre of dedicated young women. Bi-weekly tests assured a girl's place at the school, however if performances were not up to standard, then the girls washed out to be sent home. Byrd and her friends loved the exhilaration of flying and were determined that no matter what; their squad would make the grade.

Nothing would be allowed to come between them and their determination. Before their graduation the girls learned that it would take supreme effort to remain focused as they faced one event and then another which might, and one did, cause other girls to simply give up.

Writer Moberg's novel, is filled with complex characters, a richly detailed landscape and plenty of action. Although „Skies Over Sweetwater“ is a fictionalized account dedicated to the upper middle grade to high school reader it is also a stirring read for booklovers of all ages. Each of the characters is appealing, believable and down to earth. The main characters are people with warts and foibles, fears and hopes, the secondary characters fill in the gaps. These are girls you feel as though you know. „Skies Over Sweetwater“ presents a dandy method for learning a bit about an all but forgotten component of our history.

The elite Women’s Air Force Service Pilots training program at Avenger Field in Texas found young women from many backgrounds offering their service to the war effort. Writer Moberg adds day to day details to help readers gain a better understanding of the time; from Victory Gardens to eyebrow pencil lines drawn on the backs of the girls’ legs to emulate the wearing of rationed, all but impossible to get, nylon stockings to butter rations Moberg fleshes her text.

And, as the war came to a close, their planes were sent to other bases, and the young women all paid for their own tickets home where they rejoined their communities.

NOTE: Those women comprising the WASP were not recognized as veterans until President Carter signed a bill into legislation in 1977 granting veterans status to the brave women who had freed male pilots to fight in the war zone while they served their country at home. Fictionalized work, excellent read, well written, happy to recommend.