Velva Jean Learns to Fly

July 25, 2011
Niven delivers another tale full of hope, heartbreak, and nostalgia in this sequel to Velva Jean Learns to Drive. Now in her twenties, at the dawn of World War II, heroine Velva Jean Hart leaves her husband and the comfort of her hometown in North Carolina to pursue her life-long dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry. Once she arrives, she quickly learns that breaking into the music business is breaking her heart, but that doesn't stop our mind-bogglingly positive ingénue from sticking it out and singing the blues every chance she gets. Velva Jean's aspirations soon take a dramatic turn when her brother Johnny Clay introduces her to flying planes. Consumed with becoming a heroic female aviator, Velva Jean joins the WAFS, the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, part of the Army Air Forces, and experiences a wartime life filled with love, despair, and life-threatening adventures. A tasteful blend of comedy, inspiration, and endurance.

Narrator Emily Durante quickly engages listeners in the latest adventures of the intriguing Velva Jean Hart (whether or not they've heard the prequel, VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO DRIVE). For the heroine, Durante establishes a North Carolina accent that never flags and a tone that clearly defines her feisty grit. These make it clear why Velva Jean leaves home to seek her "life's dream"--to sing at the Grand Ole Opry--and then learns to fly, establishing "a home in the sky" as one of WWII's female pilots. As war, sexism, and love buffet Velva Jean, Durante reveals her tender side, creating a perfect harmony of moods, song lyrics, and carefully researched period details into a melodious novel. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine