Summary

This chapter is titled “The Top of the Hill.” In the first part of this final chapter, the narration focuses on the aftermath of Thaden winning the Bendix. There was support from other female fliers, including Earhart, and grudging acknowledgement of her success from Henderson. There was also news that even as Thaden was flying the Bendix, a British female pilot was crossing the Atlantic alone. Nevertheless, Thaden’s celebrity peaked, as did her capacity for earning money in speaking engagements.

Meanwhile, Earhart was continuing to make her plans for an around-the-world flight, plans that Thaden said were both dangerous and foolish. After a series of mechanical mishaps, she eventually took off in May of 1937, having a successful flight at first but then running into trouble as they struggled to find the small island at which they were to refuel. The narration references...