We love women’s stories and these two memoirs will not disappoint. Flying Alone tells the story of a former pilot for TWA, and Hippie Chick is a fascinating memoir of coming of age in the ‘60s. Inheritance is a beautifully written novel with a quirky, riveting plot.

Flying Alone – a Heart Racing Read

From the time she was a teenager, Beth Ruggiero York knew she wanted to fly, and a solo trip across the country to visit family confirmed her aspirations of becoming a pilot. But her dreams were almost grounded before they could take off when she received the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis at the age of 22.

Beth’s memoir takes us through her first five years of becoming a pilot and earning her way to her dream of flying with a major airline – which she eventually achieves when she becomes a pilot for TWA.  But what a ride it is along the way. There’s an emotionally abusive boyfriend who happened to be her first training instructor, and then stories of some incredibly harrowing flights with subpar air carriers that will have your heart racing in fear. Get the book.

Hippie Chick – A Tell It Like It Was Memoir

Ilene English lived the peace, love, and psychedelic movement of the 60s well into the 80s and she shares her story of finding her way to self-esteem. From a troubled childhood in New Jersey she heads to the heart of the hippie movement in San Francisco. We follow her journey from Hawaii, to communes, experimenting with sex and drugs, and even an encounter with Janis Joplin. It’s a fascinating look of the era, and an honest, heartfelt story of one woman’s search to finding herself and ultimately her own power. Get the book.

Inheritance – An Intriguing Tale of a Disintegrating Family

Evelyn Toynton weaves an intriguing and beautifully written tale of a young disillusioned American woman who heads to English after her husband dies in search of her idealized view of English life. She is soon drawn into the web of an aristocratic family with dark secrets, betray and guilt.

A chance encounter in London leads Annie to cancel her return to New York and move in with Julian, the disaffected, moody son of Helena Denby, a famous British geneticist. As their relationship progresses, Annie meets Julian’s sisters Isabel and Sasha, each of them fragile in her own way, and becomes infatuated with visions of their idyllic childhood in England’s West Country. But the more she uncovers about Julian’s past, the more he explodes into rage and violence. Finally tearing herself away, Annie winds up adrift in London, rescued from her loneliness only when she and Isabel form an unexpected bond. Get the book.