Flying angels

by Danielle Steel

2021

Publication

Delacorte Press, c2021

Library's rating

Status

Available

Description

"Audrey Parker's life changes forever when Pearl Harbor is attacked on December 7, 1941. Her brother, a talented young Navy pilot, had been stationed there, poised to fulfill their late father's distinguished legacy. Fresh out of nursing school with a passion and a born gift for helping others, both Audrey and her friend Lizzie suddenly find their nation on the brink of war. Driven to do whatever they can to serve, they enlist in the Army and embark on a new adventure as flight nurses. Risking their lives on perilous missions, they join the elite Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron and fly into enemy territory almost daily to rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield. Audrey and Lizzie make enormous sacrifices to save lives alongside an extraordinary group of nurses: Alex, who longs to make a difference in the world; Louise, a bright mind who faced racial prejudice growing up in the South; Pru, a selfless leader with a heart of gold; and Emma, whose confidence and grit push her to put everything on the line for her patients. Even knowing they will not achieve any rank and will receive little pay for their efforts, the "Flying Angels" will give their all in the fight for freedom. They serve as bravely and tirelessly as the men they rescue on the front lines, in daring airlifts, and are eternally bound by their loyalty to one another. Danielle Steel presents a sweeping, stunning tribute to these incredibly courageous women, inspiring symbols of bravery and valor." --… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Cats57
This book may not have been the best book for me to choose from my TBR pile since I recently visited the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, PA. However, I was already in an emotional mood before picking this book up.

Flying Angels is a VERY emotional read. Not only an emotional read but a
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very realistic (and bloody) look at what went on during WWII and the men and women who fly with the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron and save lives while putting their own in danger; several times a day.

There is romance for some; death for others. And I have to admit that I was surprised at who didn't make it all the way through this book and who did or did not get romance and a HEA.

This was not a fun book for me, but it was informative. There is plenty of character growth. This book does start slowly with a lot of back story for several of the women. However, the rest of the women we meet don't seem to get the same respect, which bothered me for some reason.

I recommend this book to those who like their historical romances to be 'in your face' truthful, in all of its blood a guts glory.

*ARC supplied by The publisher #RandomHouseBallantine, the author #DanielleSteel, and #NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson
Flying Angels by Danielle Steel takes us back to the late 1930s and early 1940s as brave women (nurses) enlist. We follow a handful of young women who are nurses. After receiving their training, the women transfer to become flight nurses. These women travel by plane to get the wounded and take them
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back to England for care. These women never knew if they would make it back with the Germans shooting down planes and the frequent bombings. I liked the characters in this story. Audrey was an especially sweet young woman who endured such loss. I thought the story contained good writing and developed characters. The book moved along at a good pace as well once we got past the nurse’s backstories. Once the book moved into the area where the nurses began training to become flight nurses, the story just flew by. There was a little too much repetition of details. I got it the first time and I do not need to be told multiple times. I thought the author captured how it felt for the flight nurses and pilots. I enjoyed reading about the nurse’s missions. The tragic injuries and the number of deaths. Flying Angels is not a happy-go-lucky story. There is quite a bit of loss in this story. It was great to see the nurse’s bond. They did not care about the person’s background or color. We got to see how a black nurse was treated in America and how she was treated in England. It is sad how far behind America was then and now. I am glad that the author wrote this story about the brave women who enlisted to aid our injured soldiers. They risked their lives the same as any male soldier. The death toll was tragic along with the injuries soldiers suffered. I enjoyed this poignant historical novel. Flying Angels is a touching tale with tragedy, heartbreak, dedication, courage, optimism, and valor.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
This is one of my favorite Danielle Steel novels. Set during WWII, it’s the story of Audrey Parker, who after high school graduation, goes to nursing school to better care for her mother who has Parkinson’s. Dec. 7, 1941, changed that. Her brother a Navy pilot is killed and after her mother’s
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death, Audrey and her nursing school friend, Lizzy, join the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron to help the war effort. While in training they meet Louise a black woman from the south and must continually fight segregation in this elite group of nurses. In fact, all the women do. The pay is low and there is little recognition of the challenging and dangerous work they do. There’s a lot of backstories which is necessary for the reader to understand the different background of the women in the story. They were truly flying angels.
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LibraryThing member LyndaInOregon
Steel has taken a fascinating chapter in WWII and managed to pulp it down to her usual level. She follows the lives and fortunes of six young women (each a perfect by-the-numbers cliché) serving in Britain's Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron, serving as nurses to critically wounded
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soldiers being evacuated from combat zones.

From this rich potential, she has served up a bland porridge with all the emotional impact of a pot roast recipe. Steel tells, never shows, as the characters go through predictable by-the-numbers events of young women leaving their families, forming new friendships, and finding romance.

It remains a mystery of the ages how she has managed to get over 140 novels published, let alone see the majority of them shoot to the tops of the best-seller lists.
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LibraryThing member Layla.Ann.Ashby
Couldn’t get into this book. Even though it’s ww2 and I love ww2 fiction. This book wasn’t great.
LibraryThing member marciablnc
I normally like Ms. Steel's books but I thought that this one missed many details of war that nurses would have seen. I recently read "The Women" which was much more real.

Language

Original language

English

ISBN

9781984821560
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