3 out of 4 stars
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Stars in the Sky: Stories of the First African American Flight Attendants, written by Casey Grant, is a nonfiction book which explores the lives and history of African American flight attendants and pilots from the 1920's to the early 2000's; although, the title is a bit deceptive. When I first began reading, I thought it would read more like a history book with a few quirky stories inserted here and there. Instead, the book may more aptly be described as "the life of a flight attendant through the eyes of an African American." The book, in fact, recounts Grant's own experiences as an African American flight attendant (along with her colleagues and friends), starting with her childhood and ending with her retirement in 2005.
Grant addresses a number of issues in her retelling of her life, which include the numerous accounts of racism that she experienced as a pioneer in the desegregation of Delta airlines. I have always felt that books, especially nonfiction, must bring something new to the table in order to catch and hold the reader's interest. Racism in literature is not a new topic, but Grant finds her niche by exploring the trials both African American males and females experienced while trying to become pilots and flight attendants during this period. Her accounts are eye-opening, moving, and unique to the aviation world. She also focuses on other forms of discrimination and abuse, such as discrimination against the homosexual male attendants, the sexual harassment that some women endured, and the frequent combative and argumentative passengers. This book is by no means a stream of negative stories. Grant recognizes both the good and the bad of her experiences and intertwines them.
Stars in the Sky, also focuses on other aspects of a flight attendant's life. Grant discusses the daily comings and goings of a stewardess, including her own encounters with famous people, such as Ron Ely, Muhammad Ali, and Dr. Martin Luther King Sr., to name just a few. She reveals the rigorous training stewardesses must go through, some of the dangerous situations attendants found themselves in (such as hijackings), and the steamy (if not somewhat disturbing) sexual escapades that happened both on and off the plane. Grant's life, and the lives of her colleagues, will not leave you bored; there is a lot more that goes on on a plane than you might think about — or even care to.
Grant's writing style — even with the sensitive subject matter — is witty and charming, and I couldn't help but smile while reading some of her stories. On the other hand, Grant was also quite candid throughout; I feel she did not leave out details to make anyone look good or to make the reader feel more comfortable. She told it like it was and how it happened, keeping the integrity of her stories. I enjoyed how Grant was able to combine her own stories with the actual history of African Americans breaking into the aviation field. She includes pictures of these history changing men and women along with pictures of herself and her fellow attendants, which I thought added to the experience and made it more personal.
I gave Stars in the Sky 3 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in African American history, and also those simply interested in the mysterious life of a flight attendant. I would suggest this for an adult audience because the book contains some sexual and graphic content. I did not give the book four stars because of its organization. I felt the story "hopped" around a lot, and the author sometimes repeated details which did not need to be clarified. Also, the titles of the chapters did not always describe the content within them. I felt many of the stories could have been grouped together, but instead, they were separated throughout the book.
Overall, Stars in the Sky was both an entertaining and informative read. I felt like I finished the book with knowledge of a world I had previously not known and developed a deep respect for the African American attendants and pilots who paved the hard road to racial desegregation.
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Stars in the Sky
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