Read Sherri L. Smith's posts on the Penguin Blog

Ida Mae Jones dreams of flight. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didnÕt stop him from fulfilling his dreams. But her daddyÕs gone now, and being a woman, and being black, are two strikes against her.

When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the Army creates the WASP, the WomenÕs Airforce Service PilotsÑand Ida suddenly sees a way to fly as well as do something significant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the WASP wonÕt accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of Òpassing,Ó of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding oneÕs racial heritage, denying oneÕs family, denying oneÕs self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be.