A Chick in the Cockpit

November 1, 2015
Armstrong has had a solid flying career, working her way up from the lower rungs to the captain's seat in both the corporate world and the airline industry. Initially her memoir covers her travails as she broke into the business, built up flight time, and encountered sexism. The book takes an unexpected turn, however, after she marries and her marriage turns emotionally, then physically abusive. Armstrong writes of how, while she was caring for two young children and no longer flying, her husband manipulated the justice system to have her arrested for domestic violence. She describes the support she received from counselors and friends and the long journey to divorce. Armstrong bolsters her charges against her husband by citing judges' orders and decisions, including their custody agreement, but most of the book is given up to the raw pain of the situation and her abject frustration over getting into such a dismal position. If women in similar relationships can wade through the aviation lingo and cheeky title, they will find a story with which many will likely identify.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)