LitPick Review
The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Aviation Girls by Tom Durwood features eight girls and a starling bird, who show us grit and determination in doing what needs to be done. Nine stories fused in one book tell us the journey of different girls and their contribution to the history of flight. Each story showcases their roles in aviation and how it contributed to critical moments from personal passion to world war. 'Gia Finds Love', a story in this nine-part collection, is centered on a young mathematician with the task of capturing a Mitsubishi A6M Zero in the Pacific Northwest during the World War II. Gia Tomasso, a young mathematician girl whose late father left her and the rest of her family with nothing but debt, has to join the Statistical Research Group during the World War II as a means of paying off her debt. The group believes that mathematics can be used to win the war and they've been tasked with finding a way to capture the Japanese aircraft, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, that has been blowing up the Americans' aircraft in the war. Could she actually be the answer? How strong is her determination to succeed? Each story in this book keeps its readers fixed until the very end.
Opinion:
The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Aviation Girls is a well-written book that emphasizes resilience, passion, and breaking barriers. The writing style was so engaging that it had me taking personal notes. The addition of notes and commentary after each story by the author helped me understand how the author's mind worked. It was helpful that the author clearly separated the fiction from the history in his notes and in-between the juicy parts of the stories, making sure the main storyline did not lose its velocity. What stood out to me most is that in each story we meet girls of different races, ethnicities, backgrounds, and timelines who are key inventors and innovators in various aspects of flight, including space flight. This inspired me and taught me that no matter the odds, gender, age, or circumstance is not a limitation for achieving greatness and putting your mark in history. I recommend this book to anyone searching for the motivation to achieve something daring.
