The “government” was an antagonist for a good section of the novel and sometimes it almost felt like the government was a caricature–that’s literally the only way anyone addressed an aviation regulation department, and I would have liked it to go more into how the people who work for the government aren’t necessarily as evil as the government. There were a few things I wasn’t too peachy-keen on just with plot. She becomes a better person by the end yet still keeps her independence and ambition–the modern woman truly can have it all.

I also thought that Grace was an admirable woman and her personal character growth, although not as easily detectable for most of the novel until the end, was a good story and a good lesson learned. It’s a time period some people aren’t too familiar with, but I think Trueblood did a great job of establishing the setting and customs without being too lush or descriptive.

It definitely wasn’t one of America’s brightest moments in history, but it was like you, the reader, were plopped in that time period experiencing that thrill of sneaking alcohol. I could definitely see how much effort Trueblood put into shaping the era of this novel and it made the time period so vivid and rich for the reader. I personally have grown bored of the 1800s etiquette and novels (Sorry, Jane Austen) and have moved my attentions to other periods in history, post World War I as one of these. Historical fiction is such a rare commodity just because I know a lot of people are not ready to go to that extra degree of intensive research.

In the end, Grace must decide what she’s willing to risk for one final trick. Henry Patton, a Great War veteran and mechanic, joins her barnstorming team and he questions her ambition, but Grace continues her test of the powers of the sky despite her attraction to Henry and others’ urging. Grace Lafferty is a wing walker after the Great War and she’s determined to get to the World Aviation Expo, prove her scrappy team’s worth, and earn a coveted Hollywood contract.

Nothing but sky by amy trueblood