A Pair of Wings

A Novel

By: Carole Hopson

Narrated by: Alaska Jackson

An airline captain crafts a riveting, adventurous novel inspired by the remarkable true life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a Black woman who learned to fly at the dawn of aviation and found freedom in the air

A few years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, Bessie was working the Texas cotton fields with her family when an airplane flew over their heads. It buzzed so low she thought she could catch it in her hands. Bessie was fearless. She knew there was freedom in those wings.

The daughter of a woman born into slavery, Bessie answers the call of the Great Migration. She moves to Chicago, where she wins the backing of two wealthy, powerful Black men—Robert Abbott, creator and publisher of the Chicago Defender, and Jesse Binga, the founder of Chicago’s first Black bank. Abbott becomes her mentor, while Binga becomes her lover. Her true first love, though, remains flying.

But in 1920, no one in the United States will train a Black woman to fly. So, twenty-eight-year-old Bessie learns to speak French and sets off for Europe. Two years ahead of Amelia Earhart, Bessie earns her pilot's license, and later she learns death-defying stunts from French and German dogfighting combat pilots.

While she finds no prejudice in the air, Bessie wrestles with other challenges on the ground. A plane crash nearly kills her, her brothers seem to be crumbling under the weight of Jim Crow, and, while grappling with tough truths about Binga, Bessie begins to wonder if the freedom she finds in the sky means she must otherwise fly solo.

With tenderness and mastery, Carole Hopson imagines the breathtaking moxie Bessie Coleman harnessed in order to lift herself out of poverty and become known as “Queen Bess.”

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2024 Carole Hopson (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

Named one of Essence's “Top 15 Book Picks For Summer 2024

“Hopson shines a welcome light on her indomitable and unsung heroine, and her technical knowledge enriches the many exhilarating aerial scenes.”—Publishers Weekly

“Hopson, a United Airlines captain, vividly evokes the experience of flight and does a commendable job illuminating Coleman’s struggles with self-doubt and isolation even as she becomes a media sensation. . . . Fans of women-focused and African American historical fiction will appreciate Hopson's meticulously researched take on the life of a pioneering figure in aviation history.”—Booklist

“Invigorating! A Pair of Wings is the inspiring, richly detailed American Great Migration story we’ve been missing. Carole Hopson writes heroine and pioneer Bessie Coleman as if she’s been living inside her head. I loved it.”—Crystal Smith Paul, author of Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?

great book

you don't know what you don't know! love this book. as a black man I love it

Inspiring story

Although I did not care for the way the prologue was written or the linear approach to telling this story by Ms Hopson, the story is one of the most inspirational I have listened to in a long, long time. Ms. Coleman was decades ahead of her time. Her courage, perseverance, and belief in herself, was beyond reproach. This story should serve as an inspiration to all women, black and white, and should be told in every classroom across America.

The magnificent production narration and story truly magnificent fantastic left my spirit flying high

I liked that the story, the production the narration led me to soaring of heights. I grew up in the backseat of an airplane and have Experience the joy of flight, but as Betsy Coleman must have.

Thank you for letting my spirits soar along with the beautiful narration and wonderful production

5 Stars

The Black history lessons woven into Bessie Coleman's stories were absolutely mesmerizing. I started listening as soon as it became available on audible, I couldn't wait to pair my air buds and dive in. The timing was perfect - I was getting on a 6-hour plane ride and zipped through the book in just three days, seizing every moment to listen hang with Bessie. Some parts got pretty technical and mechanical, but they were full of important lessons. The quotes from Bessie's parents hit home, reminding me of my own Southern grandmother, who always dropped wisdom as smoothly as water.

Huge thanks to Carole Hopson for bringing Bessie Coleman's story to life. Hopson’s storytelling, combined with the narration of Alaksa Jackson, made for some of the best storytelling I’ve encountered. Even knowing Bessie's fate, I was so engrossed in the story and the perfect storytelling that I hoped it would end differently. This book is not just educational and inspiring; it’s a vital piece of Black history. Honestly, I felt like I was hanging out with Bessie, and I already miss her. This is a must-read. I can't wait for a reread! What an adventure.