Come see Keith! — Tour Dates

“Mr. O'Brien, a former reporter for the Boston Globe working in the tradition of Hidden Figures and The Girls of Atomic City, has recovered a fascinating chapter not just in feminism and aviation but in 20th-century American history.” -WALL STREET JOURNAL

"A vivid, suspenseful story of women determined to defy gravity—and men—to fulfill their lofty dreams."  - KIRKUS REVIEWS

“This is more than history; it is a powerful story for our times. This book has it all: adventure, tragedy, and heroes who overcame cruel prejudice to rule the air. Fly Girls reads like a heart-stopping novel, but this story is all true—and thoroughly inspiring." - KAREN ABBOTT, author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy

"O'Brien details in crisp and engaging writing how his subjects came to love aviation, along with their struggles and victories with flying, the rampant sexism they experienced, and the hard choices they faced regarding work and family ... Highly recommended." - LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Exhilarating...vibrant...O’Brien’s prose reverberates with fiery crashes, then stings with the tragedy of lives lost in the cockpit and sometimes, equally heartbreaking, on the ground.” - NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

A riveting account that puts us in the cockpit with Amelia Earhart and other brave women who took to the skies in the unreliable flying machines of the 1920s and '30s." - PEOPLE MAGAZINE

"O’Brien’s book deserves favorable comparison to Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book The Right Stuff ... [He] brings his characters to life." - ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

“This is a thrilling story of courage, competition, skill, and triumph.” - LIZA MUNDY, author of Code Girls.

 “If you liked The Boys in the Boat or Unbroken, you’ll love Fly Girls. This story—carefully researched and expertly written—offers an irresistible cast of characters and high-octane drama. Buckle up; you’re in for a hell of a ride.” - JONATHAN EIG, author of Ali

"Keith O’Brien, a former Boston Globe reporter and frequent NPR contributor, has brought these women – mostly long-hidden and forgotten – back into the light where they belong. And he’s done it with grace, sensitivity and a cinematic eye for detail that makes Fly Girls both exhilarating and heartbreaking." - USA TODAY

"This fast-paced, meticulously researched history will appeal to a wide audience both as an entertaining tale of bravery and as an insightful look at early aviation." - PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

“America’s past is full of remarkable women who have been unjustly forgotten. Fly Girls gives its heroines their due at last, It is a thrilling and important story, superbly told.” - DAVID MARANISS, Pulitzer-prize winning author of Once in a Great City

“This book is a soaring tribute to forgotten American heroes, filled with white-knuckle thrills and gut-wrenching emotion. It’ll take your breath away.” - MITCHELL ZUCKOFF, author of 13 Hours