With females making up just 5% of the world’s pilots, this memoir crosses genres to combine aviation history, the author’s journey from unwanted child to successful pilot, and the feminist experience, and will appeal to multiple aviation communities.
“Don’t be silly! Girls can’t fly,” seven-year-old Lola’s father admonishes her as they fly across Canada on a commercial flight in 1962. She is crushed—but decides he must be right. She’s only ever seen male pilots, after all.
Highway to the Sky begins during the empty zone of women in aviation, a three-decade drought following WWII when men reclaimed the jobs that had been performed by women during the war and forced women back to diapers and dishes, where they “belonged.”
Despite Lola’s childhood desire to avoid the straitjacket of traditional female roles and become a pilot, her desperate need for unconditional affection after a lonesome childhood sways her determination. At age twenty, she leaps into marriage and motherhood. Four years, one toxic relationship, and one private pilot license later, she leaves her husband, even though she knows she’ll be censured by friends, family, and 1970s society at large.
Lola’s head-on battle with tradition continues as the lone female pilot in her advanced flight training program and on the job as a flight instructor, bush pilot, charter pilot, and commuter airline pilot between 1979 and 1993. Flying is challenging at times, yes—but her true obstacles are the hostility, sabotage, and discrimination she faces in her industry. She perseveres, however. Ultimately, flying is what gives her the courage to regain control of her life—and helps her find personal happiness.
“Reid Allin vividly paints the Canada of the 1960s and 1970s . . . The excitement and terror of flight training prove thrilling in her telling, while the technical details and vivid flight descriptions anchor the story . . . an inspiring tale that will resonate with anyone encountering obstacles in life or needing a nudge to pursue their dreams.”—BookLife Reviews
“Lola Reid Allin's memoir, Highway to the Sky, transcends genres to mix aviation history, the author's journey, and the feminist experience. . . . a compelling testament to the power of perseverance and the pursuit of one's dreams, offering inspiration to readers facing similar struggles in their own lives.”—Readers Favorite, FIVE STARS
“In her memoir, Lola takes us through the soul-numbing ordeal faced by every woman who has the temerity to venture into a male-dominated career. . . . That several exceptional women have shirked off this sexism and, not only enter but thrive within these male-dominated areas, is a testament to their ability, integrity, and tenacity. Lola is one of those women.”—Elizabeth Ives-Ruyter, former flight instructor & retired Assistant Crown Attorney
“When Lola Reid Allin agrees to her husband’s suggestion they take flying lessons, she has no inkling that flying will be the mind-expanding and confidence-building experience of a lifetime. Along the way she navigates through the putdowns, rudeness, and treachery of a patriarchal society, learning when to deflect and when to retaliate. Her vivid prose and well-paced narrative make for an engrossing read.”—Patricia Whittaker, Journalist (CBC, Winnipeg Free Press, Toronto Star) and author
