Cover Image: Beyond the Horizon

Beyond the Horizon

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Member Reviews

My rating:

Story: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical fiction
Women’s fiction

Review:

This is a story of love, courage, fear, hope and loss. The book is nicely written, each of the main characters are strong women determent to make a difference. Which would not have been easy as female pilot in an era where men still dominated the skies and the WASP (Women Air force Service Pilots) wasn’t considered part of the military but a civilian service. The writing style is vivid. The characters are portrait realistic once you start reading you get easily engrossed in the story and it becomes hard to put the book down. The book is written over 2 timelines one during the Second World War and the other in the late 1970’s The story starts in 1977 as we meet Eva a former WASP pilot who decides to attend the congressional hearings to fight for acknowledgment of the WASP’ as a military organization so that the women pilots get the official recognition for their war time service they so deserve. The second timeline tells Eva’s war time story. Overall a great story about an interesting bit of history.

I received an ARC through NetGalley at no cost to me.

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it had everything in it,sadness happiness and the truth. I learned a lot about the women's flying corp The Wasp. The book kept my interest and I was pleased it had a happy ending.

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What a great and informative book! Eva and Nina, best friends since the age of 5, set out to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in 1944. They have another friend, Harry, who taught Eva to fly and she's secretly in love with him, but he's in love with a glamour gal, Lucille. The girls get accepted, and leave for Sweetwater, Texas for training, much against Eva's mothers wishes. They make good friends with fellow WASPS, living through the rigors of military life and the heartache of losing a few girls in accidents. After graduation, they're to be sent to Camp Davis in North Carolina, along with their friend, Helena, but they get to go home first. Eva discovers Harry has asked Lucille to marry him, it's quite devastating to her, but she meets Jack, who is very swept up by her. At Camp Davis, Eva is involved in an accident and loses one of her closest friends. She suffers a coma, broken bones and memory loss, then is discharged to go home. Jack brings her home, they marry and have a son, Alex. Eva has lost touch with all her former WASP friends, but not without efforts on her part.

Years later, Alex learns of a former WASP who is trying to find other members, she is seeking help to gain militarization for the former WASPS. They never received any benefits like the men in the war or recognition they deserved. Eva has to go before a committee to give her reasons why they deserve this and in 1977 President Carter grants the militarization. Afterwards, Eva is able to gain access to the records concerning her accident, poor woman has wondered what really happened for over 30 years! What she learns is tragic and she's also been betrayed by several people including her husband and mother.

I really enjoyed learning about these female pilots and how they contributed to WWII. 38 women lost their lives during this time. The author did a thorough job researching, both of her parents were active in the airforce during WWII also. It's educational, there's great friendships and romance too!! And BTW, there is a happy ending!! I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to read and enjoy this book, I highly recommend it!

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Beyond the Horizon by Ella Carey is a quick, interesting read with a lot of positive elements incorporated. It is a WWII histoircal fiction with a strong, resilient female protagonist who is passionate at flying planes as part of WASP.

Eva was a fighter in more ways then one. She had to be to do what she was passionate about in “ a man’s world doing a man’s job”, and to have to fight to even get recognized while she did it! Talk about overcoming adversity.

I enjoyed the end. It was appropriate and very satisfying. I liked the thread of romance that was weaved in and out of the plot as wellThere were notes of sadness mixed throughout as well, to let is know that no one was able to avoid experiencing some sort of loss during this horrible time.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

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This book was good on a few levels but it was about 100 pages too long. A lot of the detail about the planes and the angst the women went through about dating the instructors could have been left out and the story would not have suffered. I realize that a lot of women went through the WASP program, but there were way too many people in this book. Some of them were necessary and some were just there for no apparent reason.

The point of the book, was that the women who became WASP should always have had the same military honors and benefits that the male pilots were entitled to, and it's true that they should have. But this seemed a really circuitous way to prove this point.

Eva Forrest goes in front of a Congressional committee to testify about her experience and the experience of the women she trained with down in Sweetwater, Texas, to become pilots. She tells of the rough conditions, the hot weather and uniforms that weren't made for women and especially the discrimination they received from the male pilots. She relates details of her training, the good and the bad, and the rigors of being away from home for the first time. Her testimony is interspersed with the times she and her fellow pilots spent in training and when towing and ferrying planes.

If you like this part of American history (and I do) and you like a lot of detail about the planes that were used during WWII, you will like this book.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Beyond the Horizon is a fantastic historical fiction novel!
This book opens up with Eva’s teenage son excited to let Eva know that there are congressional hearing to get the woman fighter pilots the recognition they deserved from their service in World War 2!
I enjoyed this book and I couldn’t put it down.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Net galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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I loved this powerful novel about women pilots during WWII. (WASPS) A few women pilots in a male dominated field. The women experience discrimination and contempt. It is a grueling training experience. A story of love, loss, hope, friendship and heartache. The main character, Eva, goes on a journey to get the women recognition for their achievements. Such a well written book. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

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I really enjoyed this book, although I did find it a little difficult switching between time zones to begin with. I particularly liked everything to do with the WASP’s and there history, something I knew nothing about. The characters in the book were easy to get to know and I particularly liked the relationships between the women and also the complex relationships with family and loved ones. It was also refreshing to hear about brave young women and there journey through the war , particularly from the perspective of the airforce and the the challenges and prejudice they had to face, a very enjoyable read.

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I love historical fiction and I always like to learn a little something from the books I read. This book did not disappoint. The descriptions were very vivid and I felt as though I was right there with Eva. I highly recommend this book.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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BEYOND THE HORIZON by author Ella Carey is a September 2019 release by Lake Union Publishing.

Eve, Helena and Nina are three friends who decided to take to air to help out during the war so they became licenced pilots. But was being in a male-dominated field easy? Amid all odds they manage to do their jobs while their friendships as well as they themselves were tested to their limits.

BEYOND THE HORIZON is a fabulous story giving us an insight in the women who flew aircraft during the world war. Once again author Ella Carey brought an intriguing story premise to live on the pages with her unique story-telling style.

Recommended for readers.

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I’m a fairly new reader of historical fiction but it is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. While I typically like to read books set earlier in history than this I can’t say no to books with female characters that defy expectations. You can’t get much more defiant than a group of women choosing to become pilots during WW2 when they were significantly outnumbered by men.

I was completely enamoured and invested in Eva’s journey towards justice and recognition for herself and the women who also flew for their country.

Like all the best historical fiction books I’ve read Beyond the Horizon was incredibly vivid and descriptive. I’ve never flown a plane, I’ve never experienced the Texan heat, I’ve never travelled across the country in a train for 24 hours but Ella Carey helped me experience all these things. I felt the highest highs and lowest lows right along with Eva.

I had a feeling this book was going to be heavy on the emotions so I read it alongside other, lighter books but before long this one won out and it was the only one I found myself reading. I was sad at the end and sad for the end. I would never have guessed at what the truth was Eva was searching for. I am predominately a romance reader so I was thrilled to find a little romance in my fiction.

This was my first Ella Carey book and I am already excited for the journey I’ll go on when I read the next one.

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During WWII, Eva Scott leaves her hometown to join the WASPS - Women Airforce Service Pilots. Her and her fellow pilots endure grueling training in Texas, where they train and work under military conditions. At the beginning of each chapter is a snippet from a Congressional Hearing, where Eva is questioned about her time in the WASPS.

I absolutely loved the snippets at the beginning of each chapter. They tied in very well to the story. I also loved reading about the training in Texas, and how Eva bonded with her fellow pilots. This book was very well written and the characters were extremely believable. Overall, highly recommended.

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I was truly engrossed by this beautiful piece of historical fiction.
I loved the way it was told in the present and then taken back to the grueling days of training in preparation to fly during wartime.
During World War II, women were trained as the men to fly and care for aircraft.
However, there was no recognition nor were they considered military, until years later when women fought back.
Best friends Eva and Nina decide to join the WASP ( Women Air force Service Pilots).
This is their story.
It has friendship, heartache and fight that will long be remembered!
Well done!

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Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read and review this book! I have read several book by Ella Carey, and I have enjoyed every one of them. She is a very good author!
This story revolves around the Women Airforce Service Pilots (Wasp). Eva Scott leaves her California home to join the women who are training and flying to help the soldier during WWII. Things are going well until a flying tragedy (a deadly airplane crash) occurs and ends her time with the Wasps.
Decades later, Eva is trying to gain military recognition for these women. She is also trying to find out the truth about the deadly plane accident. This book hooked me right from the beginning because I like to read about these brave women who have not really received the recognition they deserved The ending is also very satisfying.. Highly recommend!

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This was an enjoyable read. I had heard of the WASPs, but didn’t know much about them. Their fascinating story was well told in this historical novel. Layered on the history was Eva’s story as a woman in changing times who found herself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Beyond the Horizon is a beautifully written historical fiction about the WASP’s that served in WWII. Eva Scott loves to fly. When she gets her pilots license she decides to join the WASP’s. Throughout this story you will follow her journey with her friends, her personal life and the fight to be recognized as a military pilot in WWII. There is tragedy and loss, love and hope.

Ella Carey has done an excellent job portraying the women of WWII that were so long forgotten. It’s an extremely well written story that keeps the reader invested in the characters.

I truly enjoyed this story. It is a work of historical fiction but you can definitely feel as if you were part of it as you continue through the story.

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" . . . is a portrait of love, friendship, and valor in a time of war—and a tribute to the brave women who risked their lives for their country; Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)," Another excellent novel from one of my favorite authors. A most satisfying read with a very satisfying ending. I loved every word.

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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this outstanding book! I absolutely adored it!

What a beautiful story of the women who trained as WASPs in WWII. I enjoyed reading about these courageous women and their sacrifices made during the war.

The way the novel was written was gripping and so difficult to put down. I loved the leading lady, Eva, and her attraction to her dear friend, Harry. I absolutely loved their dynamic and was rooting for them against all odds! Eva’s story is so moving and I appreciated reading about this snippet of our history.

5 stars!

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I thought this story was truly remarkable. It told of how women flew planes here in the US during WW2 to help out with the war effort without any recognition or respect. Wonderful characters and just a great book. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book..

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Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, and I love the feeling of starting a new book and knowing after only a page or so that I'm going to love it. This book opens with interesting characters and more questions than answers, and the pace never lets up.

As we follow Eva's journey before, during, and after her time as a WASP during World War II, we experience the thrill of flying, the courage it took to succeed, and the agony of failing. Along the way we get to know Eva's friends and a man she can't help loving, and we get an inside look at the mostly unknown story of these American heroes.

Two big surprises come near the ending, which is satisfying and feels just right. I highly recommend this novel.

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