American women [in the 1920’s] had earned the right to vote only a few years earlier and laws still forbade them to serve on juries, drive taxicabs, or work night shifts. It is not surprising, then, that the few women who dared to enter the elite, male-dominated aviation fraternity endured a storm of criticism and insults.
-- The Author (Keith O’Brien) (Introduction )

Importance: This quote from the Introduction places the narrative that follows, which focuses on a group of women fighting to earn respect in a male-dominated field, within the context of history. As such, it defines the core theme of the book and its stories in terms of early, or first-wave, feminism.

By accident, almost, [Raymond Orteig’s] money was about to start a race that would forever shrink the world, ending lives and launching careers, inspiring countless men to fly and encouraging a few women, too.
-- The Narration (chapter 4)

Importance: This quote is taken from the section of the...