The Flight Girls

Women served many important roles during World War II. This book touches on the female pilots who helped train soldiers. What other ways did women contribute to the war effort?

Did you know about the Women Airforce Service Pilots program? If so, how did you learn about it? If not, were you surprised to learn of its existence?

The story hosts a rich cast of characters, from Audrey’s roommates in Hawaii to the girls she trains with in the Women Airforce Service Pilots program. Who was your favorite character and why?

The pilots in the story face a lot of discrimination from male officers who don’t expect them to have the strength or brains to fly warplanes. Do you think society has come a long way since those days, or do men still discriminate against women in certain lines of work?

Audrey feels as if she’s very different from her mother, yet they share some similarities. What do you think they have in common?

From the very beginning of the story, Audrey expresses her need for freedom. She doesn’t want what so many others want—marriage and family—and is okay with being alone. Do you believe she could truly be happy without someone to share her life with, as so many of her friends tell her she must have?

Did you feel Audrey made the right choice in holding out for James instead of accepting Carter’s proposal?

Do you find Audrey hypocritical to her lifelong wish to lead a solitary life when she decides to marry and have children with James in the end?

If you were making a movie of this book, which actors would you cast?

If you could read this story from another character’s point of view, which one would you choose?