This time the story is told by Emilia Menotti and her black foster brother Teo. Their mothers Rhoda (White Raven) and Delia (Black Dove) were stunt pilots working flying shows in America in the 1920s. Although they loved what they did, both women had to deal with gender and racial prejudices about women being pilots and about whites and blacks mixing together as they did. They were each others best friend.
Delia dreams of raising her son in society that does not judge him by his race. She decides to take him to Ethiopia because his father was Ethiopian. Unfortunately, Delia is killed in a crash before she can take Teo to his father's country. Em's mother determines to raise Teo as her own son and to take both children to Ethiopia.
The children have to adjust not only to a different culture, but also to living in a county that is just coming out of the middle ages and has few modern conveniences. Add to that the fact that slavery still exists in Ethiopia and that war with Italy is looming. All these factors will lead to some high flying adventures that force Em and Teo to face challenges with which children and teens should not have to deal.
We do have the first two books in the series in the TA library as well. All three books are excellent historical fiction.
- Code Name Verity - Winner of the 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel, winner of the Teens' Top Ten Books of 2013, and a Michael L. Printz Honor Book Book Trialer
- Rose Under Fire - Winner of the American Library Association's 2013 Schneider Family Book Award, on the 2014 Top Teen Best Books for Young Adults