Pilot Tris Miles will fly you to new heights in this inspiring story of love, ambition, and the true meaning of success.
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It's 1997, and Tris is not content with her job as a First Officer for tiny Clear Sky Airlines. She wants to be a Captain—the only way she knows to prove her worth as a pilot and atone for a deadly mistake. To further her career, Tris accepts a prestigious job with Tetrix, Inc.
But her dream of becoming pilot-in-command twists into a nightmare. As the company’s first woman pilot, she encounters resistance, marginalization, and harassment on a daily basis. Fortunately, Tris has one thing her co-workers can’t deny—skill.
When Tris finds herself in a crippled airplane thousands of miles from home she must prove she can lead. With her career on the line, can Tris earn the respect she’s been craving? And if this is the end, can she find the strength to forgive herself?
Assessment:
Plot: In “Flygirl,” Kardon tells a straightforward story about one woman aspiring to fulfill her professional dreams, as she grapples with overwhelming regrets and loss. While the nuances of Tris’s path toward becoming a plane captain can be banal, interpersonal conflicts and the heroine’s clear aspirations result in a satisfying narrative arc.
Prose/Style: Kardon writes in even, pragmatic prose that efficiently—if unremarkably—carries the story forward to its conclusion.
Originality: Though the story of a professional woman struggling to succeed in a male-dominated field is a familiar one, Kardon shows a clear understanding of the world of commercial airlines and effectively captures the unique experience of operating an aircraft.
Character Development: Kardon creates a relatable heroine in Tris, a character who, along with her grit and determination to succeed, displays a range of authentic emotions and vulnerabilities. Additional characters—including patronizing and dysfunctional colleagues—are portrayed with less subtlety.
Date Submitted: June 13, 2019
In R.D. Kardon's debut novel, she has created an inspirational character in Tris Miles. Flygirl is vivid, energetic, and fast-paced. It is a story about striving to reach for your goals despite astronomical odds.
The phenomenal debut novel from R.D. Kardon buckles you in for a nonstop flight of secrets and backstabbing. Kardon's prose and dialogue give life to honest characters with true emotional depth.
Tris Miles is a heroine for our times. Set in the late 1990s, Flygirl by R.D. Kardon examines one tenacious woman's struggle to survive in a vocation dominated by men who want nothing more than to see her fail. Readers will fall in love with Tris, who is a force to be reckoned with. Based on Kardon's own experiences as a female pilot, Flygirl is written with both authenticity and heart.
A fantastic read! This book and the scenarios R.D. Kardon places before us fascinated me. I felt I sat in the cockpit as a silent observer, a part of the tension. This book portrays challenges woman still face today.
Author Robin Kardon was a commercial pilot for 12 years, and her experience breaking into a male-dominated industry in the 1990s inspired her to write Flygirl. The novel examines the discriminatory environment and other challenges faced by female pilots. Long before #MeToo, Kardon was shattering glass ceilings and standing up against hostile work environments.
If manila folder races were an Olympic sport, North Park resident Robin Kardon would have something like 16 and a half gold medals by now. She’s toted her binder all over the world for 20-plus years, with the word “Book” as the sole indicator of the contents.
San Diego pilot Robin Kardon became one of the first female pilots to integrate an all-male corporate flight department. Her novel, which takes on issues of sexual assault, hostile work environment, and professional betrayal, is drawn from what she experienced and witnessed in the 1990s.The novel is inspired by actual events rather than based on them. Her goal was to realistically recreate the discriminatory environment, harassment and challenges she faced as a female pilot.
