Autobiography

Fly Girl: A Memoir

Fly Girl: A Memoir

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  • Create Date：2022-04-11 16:21:36
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Ann Hood
  • ISBN：B09KMCKDCF
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Summary

In 1978， in the tailwind of the Golden Age of air travel， flight attendants were the epitome of glamor and sophistication。 Fresh out of college and hungry to experience the world， Ann Hood joined their ranks。 She carved chateaubriand in the first-class cabin， found romance on layovers in London and Lisbon， and walked more than a million miles in high heels， smiling as she served thousands of passengers。 She flew through the start of deregulation， an oil crisis， massive furloughs， and a labor strike。


As the airline industry changed around her， Hood began to write—even drafting snatches of her first novel from the jump-seat。 She reveals how the job empowered her， despite its roots in sexist standards。 Packed with funny， moving， and shocking stories of life as a flight attendant， Fly Girl captures the nostalgia and magic of air travel at its height， and the thrill that remains with every takeoff。

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Reviews

Krista | theliterateporcupine ，

From learning how to apply mascara to mixing drinks to putting out a fire on a plane， being a flight attendant was the ultimate multi-tasking job。 It was fascinating to read how sexist the role of "stewardess" was。 Women had to be a certain height or weight and have a flirtatious look so that male passengers would want to fly， which caused extreme dieting， mental illness， and depression。 Flight attendants were viewed as pretty but dumb， and often looked at as housewife material。 It was so common From learning how to apply mascara to mixing drinks to putting out a fire on a plane， being a flight attendant was the ultimate multi-tasking job。 It was fascinating to read how sexist the role of "stewardess" was。 Women had to be a certain height or weight and have a flirtatious look so that male passengers would want to fly， which caused extreme dieting， mental illness， and depression。 Flight attendants were viewed as pretty but dumb， and often looked at as housewife material。 It was so common for flight attendants to meet their future husband on a flight， that big name airlines marketed their planes as a matchmaking service in the sky。 Throughout her narrative， the reader gets snippets of Hood's personal life and how her career shaped who she is today。 As an aspiring writer， she would jot down stories in her notebook on long flights， dreaming for the day that her work would be published。 Her career saw many changes in flight services， such as the rise and fall of Pan Am and TWA， male flight attendants， and terrorist hijackings。Ann Hood gives the reader a personal and in-depth look into the world of flying from the perspective of a flight attendant。 She admits that it was exciting to be in Cairo one day and LA the next， often with layovers that allowed for time to explore。 Hood was able to see cities that most Americans at that time could only read about in books。 As a flight attendant， she saw it all， like the businessman who wouldn't wear pants because he didn't want them wrinkled。 Her role didn't come without hardships， however。 As a TWA flight attendant， she was required to provide hospitality and flirt with the rudest misogynists in first class， cater to every single want of the passenger， and be ready to work at a moment's notice which required staying within an hour's drive of the airport。 Hood and her colleagues cooked hot meals in the air while on a time crunch， hand tossed salads in front of passengers， and provided world class service on long and short flights alike。Exhilarating， Bold， and Remarkable， this is by far one of my favorite memoirs。Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy of this ARC！ 。。。more

Narci Drossos ，

Hood has written several best-selling novels， but this is nonfiction about her experience as a Trans World Airline （TWA） flight attendant back in the “golden age” of flying when “stewardesses” wore heels and passengers didn’t wear sweatpants。 In 1978， fresh from college， she entered the air when it was “the epitome of glamour and sophistication。” Her flight school experience was grueling; surviving the rigors of the training academy was a feat itself， preparing her not only to evacuate seven dif Hood has written several best-selling novels， but this is nonfiction about her experience as a Trans World Airline （TWA） flight attendant back in the “golden age” of flying when “stewardesses” wore heels and passengers didn’t wear sweatpants。 In 1978， fresh from college， she entered the air when it was “the epitome of glamour and sophistication。” Her flight school experience was grueling; surviving the rigors of the training academy was a feat itself， preparing her not only to evacuate seven different types of aircraft， but also to carve chateaubriand （in first class） and deliver a baby。 Of course， she learned how to mix cocktails and fend off amorous pilots and passengers， which many of her colleagues married。 tShe opens with her early fascination with air travel， recalling how as a preteen she followed the adventures of Laika， the dog that the Russians launched into space in Sputnik 2 and reading/studying the book How to Become an Airline Stewardess （published in 1964）。 Hood experienced adventures all over the world and was so often called upon at parties to tell stories about her TWA days that she decided to write this memoir。 She actually began writing her first novel from the jump seat。 Ultimately， she saw the job change – enduring labor strikes， fare wars， hijackings， and corporate takeovers。 Hood relates a riveting narrative， and the trials she weathered in the flying industry are colorful and fast-paced。 。。。more

Margie Bunting ，

I was fascinated by Ann Hood's memoir about her experiences as a TWA flight attendant beginning in 1978。 It took me back to the "golden years" of air travel when people dressed up to take a plane and stewardesses （later called hostesses） were all attractive young women who could be fired if they gained a few pounds of forgot to wear lipstick。 The author describes the long， arduous interview process， the intensive training， and the sneers of friends who felt she was throwing away her college educ I was fascinated by Ann Hood's memoir about her experiences as a TWA flight attendant beginning in 1978。 It took me back to the "golden years" of air travel when people dressed up to take a plane and stewardesses （later called hostesses） were all attractive young women who could be fired if they gained a few pounds of forgot to wear lipstick。 The author describes the long， arduous interview process， the intensive training， and the sneers of friends who felt she was throwing away her college education。 But as someone who truly enjoyed the job， she also provided insights into the joys of being a flight attendant， not the least of which was a perk which allowed her to fly on a whim to exciting international destinations when she had some time off。 Yes， difficult customers， back-breaking work， and inherent dangers that were a part of the job， but she found the benefits infinitely rewarding。 I was happy to go along with the ride！ My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of the book。 。。。more

Linda Hutchinson ，

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I have always loved to travel by plane， and even at 60+， it is still my primary form of transport。 Fly Girl by Ann Hood is a memoir of her years as a flight attendant during the more glamorous days of airplane travel。 I remember when I was younger traveling in stockings， a Sunday dress， and makeup。 Flying meant looking your best。 Ann takes us through the early years of TWA employment with mandatory weigh-ins， high heel shoes， and the ability to make a mean Mojito。 She described the heady ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I have always loved to travel by plane， and even at 60+， it is still my primary form of transport。 Fly Girl by Ann Hood is a memoir of her years as a flight attendant during the more glamorous days of airplane travel。 I remember when I was younger traveling in stockings， a Sunday dress， and makeup。 Flying meant looking your best。 Ann takes us through the early years of TWA employment with mandatory weigh-ins， high heel shoes， and the ability to make a mean Mojito。 She described the heady experience of walking through an airport with a team of stewardesses getting ready to fly to the next stop。 The air travel business has changed dramatically since the 70s， when many attendants were flying solely to get their MRS degree。 This memoir was fun to read， and descriptions of TWA’s designer uniforms， training， and international travel sounds so appealing。 The author shares the bold behavior of some passengers （the Mile-High club） and the crazy and unusual things that flight attendants had to attempt to control。 Ms。 Hood’s stories were fun and took me on a sweet journey of a time when travel was grand。 #FlyGirl @netgalley @w。w。norton #annhood #airplanes #twa #travel #flightattendant #stewardess （Pub。 Date: May 3）✈️Thank you to W。W。 Norton books， Ann Hood， and NetGalley for this free ARC; my thoughts and review are my own and without bias。 #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #author #instabooks #literature 。。。more

Mia ，

4。50/5 rounded up to 5/5 for my enjoyment and quality of the writing。 Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for my copy--This memoir is from a time in Ann Hood's life when she was a flight attendant from age 21 to 28。 But it really begins from the time she was a small child ， and all she had dreamed about was going up into the sky or space for an adventure away from her small town roots。 This book is like a love letter to the aeronautic industry and is quite readable and enjoyable。 Quote from the 4。50/5 rounded up to 5/5 for my enjoyment and quality of the writing。 Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for my copy--This memoir is from a time in Ann Hood's life when she was a flight attendant from age 21 to 28。 But it really begins from the time she was a small child ， and all she had dreamed about was going up into the sky or space for an adventure away from her small town roots。 This book is like a love letter to the aeronautic industry and is quite readable and enjoyable。 Quote from the book， subject to change upon release date of 5/3/22。 "The history and culture of being an airline stewardess that I stepped into was a combination of women fighting for equal pay， fair work rules， and respect for their jobs as flight attendants while those same women were being used to dress sexy， act demure， and lure businessmen onto airlines。 It seemed， in 1977， to pretty much capture the role of women in general。"This book contains so many new facts for a reader to learn about: the first stewardess and what her job entailed （hint: she was a nurse and that was what her role was， to take care of and cater to men passengers）。 Also how the uniforms changed over the years， and the name too， from hostess to stewardess， to flight attendant， from women only to men included。 。。。to the days of only hiring females 5'1-5'7 and not over 115 lbs or age 28。 It was said back in the day that if you didn't find a man （through your stewardess career） by age 28 then no man wanted you and neither did the airline。 Ms。 Hood shares so much trivia about a fascinating career that intrigued me！ For instance the TWA terminal， which was a modernistic space age hangar during its heyday， closed when TWA closed up for good。 It is now the TWA Hotel and lots of people， including Ms。 Hood， go there for the ambience of the cocktail lounge， the restaurant， the chalet bar， and an infinity pool。。。 and for a place to reminisce。 I've read two other books by Ms。 Hood and liked them enough to take a chance on a memoir specifically dealing with her hiring process for major airlines， endless interviews to secure a flight attendant career， and then the joys of dealing with the public & performing a service to put stressed out people at ease。 I'm very glad that I did！ Recommended！ 。。。more

Ronald Gruner ，

More than a book about the adventures and travails of being a flight attendant， Fly Girl is a moving account of a young girl's dreams， and how she achieved them。 Growing up in a small New England town， Ann Hood had two ambitions: to see the world and become a writer。 Neither was easy， but her passion and determination drove her to reach and then exceed both of her childhood dreams。 In between， we learn that catering to passengers was hard physical work and often challenging emotionally。 But the More than a book about the adventures and travails of being a flight attendant， Fly Girl is a moving account of a young girl's dreams， and how she achieved them。 Growing up in a small New England town， Ann Hood had two ambitions: to see the world and become a writer。 Neither was easy， but her passion and determination drove her to reach and then exceed both of her childhood dreams。 In between， we learn that catering to passengers was hard physical work and often challenging emotionally。 But the author loved her job， and we see her grow professionally and personally as the book progresses。In the end， Ann Hood didn't leave flying， flying left her。 Her beloved airline， TWA， went bankrupt giving her the chance to pursue a successful writing career。 I intend to give Fly Girl to my three grandchildren。 Ann Hood is an excellent role model for any young adult with dreams。 。。。more

Leah DeCesare ，

I always love Ann Hood's stories and FLY GIRL is full of them。 We're immersed into that era and get to fly alongside Ann and her fellow flight attendants with a behind-the-scenes look at their challenges and adventures。 So much fun！ I always love Ann Hood's stories and FLY GIRL is full of them。 We're immersed into that era and get to fly alongside Ann and her fellow flight attendants with a behind-the-scenes look at their challenges and adventures。 So much fun！ 。。。more

Kathy ，

Thanks for making me a lucky winner of this book through the First Reads program and I look forward to reading and reviewing。

Nina ，

Were flight attendants in the 1970's and 1980's prohibited from ever gaining any weight after being hired？ Yes。 Were they required to wear high heels whenever walking through a terminal in uniform？ Yes。 Were they restricted to using certain colors of lipstick？ Yes。 These are just a sample of the interesting facts in this book， which is a fascinating glimpse into the sexist world of being a female airline employee in the last century。 Information about deregulation， trip scheduling， the uniforms， Were flight attendants in the 1970's and 1980's prohibited from ever gaining any weight after being hired？ Yes。 Were they required to wear high heels whenever walking through a terminal in uniform？ Yes。 Were they restricted to using certain colors of lipstick？ Yes。 These are just a sample of the interesting facts in this book， which is a fascinating glimpse into the sexist world of being a female airline employee in the last century。 Information about deregulation， trip scheduling， the uniforms， the exhausting assigned tasks， the layoffs， and the travel benefits are all revealed in this entertaining memoir。 This will be great for book clubs where all can share memories of flying when it was considered a special occasion。 。。。more

Kelley Clemente ，

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of W。W。 N]orton & Company。 I used to fly TWA all the time。 My cousin was a pilot for them。 Through all my flights， he never flew one I was on。 This is a great memoir and history of flight attendants。 I loved all her stories of what happened both on and of the flights。 Even after all my travels， I never realized how hard and varied their jobs were。 Highly recommend！

Sylvia ，

I’m old enough to remember the glamour of air travel and the way flight attendants were admired。 This was also back when sexism was expected and part of the world that most women experienced。 Hood’s story of her years flying were evocative of that time。 My one criticism would be that there was some repetition of the minutiae of the flights and preparation that were the least interesting part of the book。 While the specific stories of passengers， both good and bad， were the best part， I wish ther I’m old enough to remember the glamour of air travel and the way flight attendants were admired。 This was also back when sexism was expected and part of the world that most women experienced。 Hood’s story of her years flying were evocative of that time。 My one criticism would be that there was some repetition of the minutiae of the flights and preparation that were the least interesting part of the book。 While the specific stories of passengers， both good and bad， were the best part， I wish there had been more of those。 。。。more

Naberius ，

Hood's love for her time spent as a flight attendant come through clearly in her new memoir， as you might expect。 What you might not expect is the level of detail that Hood gives about the different airplanes， the rigorous training and other aspects of air travel。 She also includes some interesting history of air travel， as well as flight attendants。 The only drawback is that the reader may long for the Golden Age of air travel， a time when traveling by airplane meant luxury and an occasion to d Hood's love for her time spent as a flight attendant come through clearly in her new memoir， as you might expect。 What you might not expect is the level of detail that Hood gives about the different airplanes， the rigorous training and other aspects of air travel。 She also includes some interesting history of air travel， as well as flight attendants。 The only drawback is that the reader may long for the Golden Age of air travel， a time when traveling by airplane meant luxury and an occasion to dress up （a distant past from the current air traveling experience for most of us）。 Smoothly paced and written in a conversational style， this book is a pleasure to read。 。。。more

Michelle Kidwell ，

Fly GirlA Memoirby Ann HoodPub Date 03 May 2022 | W。 W。 Norton & Company Biographies & Memoirs | Travel I am reviewing a copy of Fly Girl ， A Memoir through W。W。 Norton & Company and Netgalley:It was 1978， the tail wind of the Golden era of traveling by air， back when flight attendants were the epitome of glamor and sophistication。 Ann Hood was fresh out of college， ready to experience the world and maybe even write about it， and perhaps even write about it someday！After a grueling job search， Fly GirlA Memoirby Ann HoodPub Date 03 May 2022 | W。 W。 Norton & Company Biographies & Memoirs | Travel I am reviewing a copy of Fly Girl ， A Memoir through W。W。 Norton & Company and Netgalley:It was 1978， the tail wind of the Golden era of traveling by air， back when flight attendants were the epitome of glamor and sophistication。 Ann Hood was fresh out of college， ready to experience the world and maybe even write about it， and perhaps even write about it someday！After a grueling job search， Hood survived TWA’s rigorous Breech Training Academy and learned to evacuate seven kinds of aircraft， deliver a baby， mix proper cocktails， administer oxygen， and stay calm no matter what the situation。 Ann Hood joined the ranks。Ann Hood found both the adventure was all she dreamed of as well as the realities of life on the job。 She carved chateaubriand in the first-class cabin and dined in front of the pyramids in Cairo， fended off passengers’ advances and found romance on layovers in London and Lisbon， and walked more than a million miles in high heels。 She flew through the start of deregulation， an oil crisis， massive furloughs， and a labor strike。Just as the air industry started to change around here， Hood began writing even drafting snatches of her first novel from the jump-seat。 She reveals how the job empowered her， despite its roots in sexist standards。 Packed with funny， moving， and shocking stories of life as a flight attendant， Fly Girl captures the nostalgia and magic of air travel at its height， and the thrill that remains with every takeoff。If you are looking for a writing advice book， full of tips on how to go about different aspects of a writing career， Fly Girl is not that book…But if you are looking for one writers inspiring， and exciting start to writing， I highly recommend Fly Girl。Five out of five stars！Happy Reading！ 。。。more

MBenzz ，

I can count on one hand the number of Non-Fiction books I read in a year。 They tend to bore me， and I prefer to escape to another time and place， not read about someone's life， so I avoid them。However， even though I'm terrified of airplanes and have to be heavily drugged to fly without making the local news， I have a fascination with flight attendants from the '60s and '70s， when flying was glamorous and exciting。 I wasn't sure Mrs。 Hood's story would interest me， given that she was a flight att I can count on one hand the number of Non-Fiction books I read in a year。 They tend to bore me， and I prefer to escape to another time and place， not read about someone's life， so I avoid them。However， even though I'm terrified of airplanes and have to be heavily drugged to fly without making the local news， I have a fascination with flight attendants from the '60s and '70s， when flying was glamorous and exciting。 I wasn't sure Mrs。 Hood's story would interest me， given that she was a flight attendant in the early '80s， but I absolutely loved this book。From dreaming of flying as a young girl to her stressful job search looking for the perfect airline to the thrill of finally achieving her dream and flying the friendly skies， I was completely enthralled。 What an exciting journey to be on！ She had so many cool experiences， and while it wasn't all sunshine and lollipops， those 8 years shaped her into the person she is today。It was kind of sad to read about how it all came to an end， though。 Instead of retiring on her own terms and planning her final flight， she， along with so many other hard-working flight attendants， were unceremoniously dumped after going on strike in 1986 after TWA threatened to cut their wages by 22%。 TWA hired young women straight out of high school to replace the veterans on strike and refused to do what was right in a bid to save money for the floundering airline。 In the end， many flight attendants never went back to the job they so loved， and their time in the air was cut short by misogyny and mismanagement。Overall， if you have an interest in flight attendants and the 'good 'ol days' of flying， then I absolutely recommend this book。 It was so well done， and not once was I bored！ 。。。more

Travel Books and Movies ，

Book: Fly Girl: A MemoirAuthor: Ann HoodFormat: KindleGenre: Nonfiction， Memoir/BiographyPlaces Featured: SeveralBook Club/Reading Challenge: N/AReview Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Review: As a young girl in Rhode Island， Ann Hood dreamed of being a writer and seeing the world， so in 1978 she became a flight attendant for TWA--"Fly Girl" is all about everything it took to become a flight attendant and what life was like during the eight years she was one （especially interesting since it was during the rise of fem Book: Fly Girl: A MemoirAuthor: Ann HoodFormat: KindleGenre: Nonfiction， Memoir/BiographyPlaces Featured: SeveralBook Club/Reading Challenge: N/AReview Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Review: As a young girl in Rhode Island， Ann Hood dreamed of being a writer and seeing the world， so in 1978 she became a flight attendant for TWA--"Fly Girl" is all about everything it took to become a flight attendant and what life was like during the eight years she was one （especially interesting since it was during the rise of feminism and the deregulation of the airline industry）。 Hood also includes some really interesting information about the history of flight， the airline industry， and， of course， flight attendants。 As someone who has spent a lot of time on airplanes， this book was fascinating and I really apprecaited learning some of the ins and outs--the writing needed to be more concise and a little more editing would have made it five stars， but I think anyone that travels will find it a good book。 。。。more

Tina Panik ，

You know that friend that you always invite to dinner because they tell the best stories？ Ann Hood is that friend， and Fly Girl is filled with those stories。 This is a succinct， honest rendering of a bygone era， filled with details that make the story pop。 This was an ARC。

Cat ，

Wonderfully fun memoir！ Ann Hood became a TWA flight attendant in 1978 at 21 years old and provides a detailed account of her career。 Some interesting information on the history of flight attendants， deregulation， and lots of entertaining， if scattered， anecdotes。

Sherry ，

Anyone who's ever been to an Ann Hood book signing has heard her talk about her days as a stewardess （or flight attendant）。 What a fun walk down memory lane this book was。 Anyone who's ever been to an Ann Hood book signing has heard her talk about her days as a stewardess （or flight attendant）。 What a fun walk down memory lane this book was。 。。。more

Gillian Wyckoff ，

I love the topic and intent of this story; however， it felt all over the place at times。 The details and stories were great， and I was along for the ride， but sometimes I wasn't sure what year we were in because the timeline seemed to jump a lot based on history of a policy or depending on which airline she was discussing。 That said， it was nostalgic and fun。 It took me back to the days of traveling to visit my Dad during summers and spring breaks in the 80's on TWA- which he called， "Teenie Wee I love the topic and intent of this story; however， it felt all over the place at times。 The details and stories were great， and I was along for the ride， but sometimes I wasn't sure what year we were in because the timeline seemed to jump a lot based on history of a policy or depending on which airline she was discussing。 That said， it was nostalgic and fun。 It took me back to the days of traveling to visit my Dad during summers and spring breaks in the 80's on TWA- which he called， "Teenie Weenie Airlines'。 It was a trip seeing how much has changed through the years。Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more

Kerry ，

As a long-time fan of Ann Hood， I was excited to read this book， and it did not disappoint。 Nobody tells a story quite like Ann Hood。 Fly Girl follow's Ann's adventures as a flight attendant during the heyday of air travel。 While this is a memoir filled with fun and entertaining stories about her experiences， it also explores what it was like for young women in the late '70's and early 80's to work in a sexist environment just as feminism was emerging。 I highly recommend this one for fans of Ann As a long-time fan of Ann Hood， I was excited to read this book， and it did not disappoint。 Nobody tells a story quite like Ann Hood。 Fly Girl follow's Ann's adventures as a flight attendant during the heyday of air travel。 While this is a memoir filled with fun and entertaining stories about her experiences， it also explores what it was like for young women in the late '70's and early 80's to work in a sexist environment just as feminism was emerging。 I highly recommend this one for fans of Ann Hood， or for anyone who enjoys memoirs written by women。 。。。more

Linden ，

Ann Hood worked as a TWA flight attendant from 1978 until the mid 1980's。 （It was strange reading this book so soon after I read another soon-to-be-published book， The Great Stewardess Rebellion， which detailed the abysmal treatment and disrespect the women endured from the beginning through the late 1960's。） In 1978， the flight attendants had made gains， but could still be fired for going above their starting weight （she was 5'7" and 120 pounds）。 Ann talks about her love of travel， some of the Ann Hood worked as a TWA flight attendant from 1978 until the mid 1980's。 （It was strange reading this book so soon after I read another soon-to-be-published book， The Great Stewardess Rebellion， which detailed the abysmal treatment and disrespect the women endured from the beginning through the late 1960's。） In 1978， the flight attendants had made gains， but could still be fired for going above their starting weight （she was 5'7" and 120 pounds）。 Ann talks about her love of travel， some of the odd occurrences on her flights， and what a wonderful job it was until greedy corporate raider Carl Ichan bankrupted the airline。 Hood has written an entertaining memoir of a time which is long gone。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this advance copy。 。。。more

Leslie Williams ，

Thank you to #NetGalley and #wwnorton and @annhood56 for the ARC。There is nothing better than booking a ticket， arriving at the airport， boarding the plane and jetting off to a far off destination， except maybe doing it as a job。 Ann Hood， became a flight attendant （not a stewardess） in 1978 when they were the epitome of glamor and sophistication。 As a TWA flight attendant， Ann trained in everything from emergency evacuations on seven different planes to serving cocktails while avoiding handsy p Thank you to #NetGalley and #wwnorton and @annhood56 for the ARC。There is nothing better than booking a ticket， arriving at the airport， boarding the plane and jetting off to a far off destination， except maybe doing it as a job。 Ann Hood， became a flight attendant （not a stewardess） in 1978 when they were the epitome of glamor and sophistication。 As a TWA flight attendant， Ann trained in everything from emergency evacuations on seven different planes to serving cocktails while avoiding handsy passengers。 Enduring furloughs， strikes， airline disasters， and unpleasant airline routes， Ann eventually travelled the world and proudly wore the TWA uniform。I dreamed of becoming a flight attendant after college and I lived vicariously through Ann's book。 It is not the glamorous job you think it is （expect for the free travel）。 Unhappy passengers， dirty diapers shoved under seats， long layovers and loneliness are all a part of the job。I have so much more respect for flight attendants now， who get even less benefits and perks than in the 70's and 80's。 They work hard， for little pay， little benefits and even grumpier passengers。Everyone should read this book and be extra nice on your next flight！ 。。。more

Sara ，

Ann Hood and I are the same age， so this book resonated with me， though I would have never wanted to be a flight attendant。 She started out at TWA which was headquartered in my home city of Kansas City and her memories of Breech Academy and how "mod" it was matched mind。This is a very sweet tribute to the joy of flying and how it used to be。 I imagine it will be an eye opener for a younger generation。 Those days when we dressed up for a flight as if it was an occasion unto itself are long gone， Ann Hood and I are the same age， so this book resonated with me， though I would have never wanted to be a flight attendant。 She started out at TWA which was headquartered in my home city of Kansas City and her memories of Breech Academy and how "mod" it was matched mind。This is a very sweet tribute to the joy of flying and how it used to be。 I imagine it will be an eye opener for a younger generation。 Those days when we dressed up for a flight as if it was an occasion unto itself are long gone， but thanks to Ann Hood they need not be forgotten。 Read it for the history and read it for the joy。 。。。more

Cheri ，

The first time I flew， I had just had my 5th birthday， my older brother had his 8th three days after mine， and my younger brother had just been born， and in two days it would be Halloween。 It was years before I made the connection between that first trip - to Disneyland with my older brother and my father - that we’d left the day after my mother， and my then new-born brother had come home from the hospital。 I remember that flight more than I would remember our stay there， and our visiting Disney The first time I flew， I had just had my 5th birthday， my older brother had his 8th three days after mine， and my younger brother had just been born， and in two days it would be Halloween。 It was years before I made the connection between that first trip - to Disneyland with my older brother and my father - that we’d left the day after my mother， and my then new-born brother had come home from the hospital。 I remember that flight more than I would remember our stay there， and our visiting Disneyland had it not been for the photographs my father took。 What I remember about the flight - on a TWA plane - was that I was sitting next to an older couple， I had no idea where my older brother was sitting， and my father was the pilot。 The older couple kept insisting I should be sitting with my parents， and called the flight attendant over。 She asked if I knew where my mother was， and I told her she wasn’t on the plane。 The older woman huffed at that。 Then she asked where my father was， and， in tears， I said he was flying the plane。 I was immediately moved to a seat alone by a window。 Later on， my father came back to check on me sometime after we’d reached altitude， and after that， I was invited by the flight attendants working that flight to join them in their private space， with a small-ish semi-circular couch。 There I was taught the whole ‘drill’ that we all have heard by now， “in case of emergency” etc。 When I saw this title and the cover， I knew I wanted to read this。 Ann Hood joined TWA in the 1970’s， and began working as a flight attendant during the glory days of TWA， an era when people would still dress up to fly， and flying had become more commonplace than in earlier years。 My mother had been an ’Air Hostess’ for PCA Capital Airlines， and although I rarely heard stories about those days from her， somewhere I have a copy of a telegram sent to her by a male passenger， sent via her supervisor at Capital。 So I wasn’t surprised to read about the amorous requests for dates from passengers， but there was more to this story than that。 Long days， of course， but so much more。 I was happily surprised when I read that Ann Hood had also worked as a flight attendant， albeit briefly， for Capital Airlines during a TWA strike。 Ann Hood had been obsessed with the idea of flight since she was young。 The story of Laika， the dog that the Russians had launched into space in Sputnik 2， and the race to be the first in space was on the minds of everyone。 For Halloween， Ann dressed as a space girl， wrapped in a costume made of aluminum foil and pipe cleaners for her antennae。 As a young girl， her family would go to watch the progress being made as the new airport in Chantilly， Virginia was being built。 It was another era， progress was being made - visibly - in the race for space， as well。 When she was eleven， she read a book called ’How to Become an Airline Stewardess’ and was enamored with the idea of being able to have a career flying。 At the age of sixteen， traveling with a friend， she flew for the first time。 Her first ’great adventure。’ Another dream of hers was to become a writer， and with her belief that all writers needed to experience great adventures in order to have worthy tales to tell。 Her desire to fly would， indeed， allow her many opportunities， many places to visit， and many stories to tell。 Thus began her love of flying， born in the years before TSA checkpoints， in the years when people could still meet you at the gate upon your arrival， or watch your plane as it taxied away from the gate， and watch as your plane took to the skies。 The glamour of flying has faded somewhat over the years， more so after 9/11 and the last couple of years as reports of people needing to be restrained， or flights needing to land so an unruly passenger can find a more appropriate place to remain。 I loved every minute of reading this， even though I never dreamed of being a flight attendant， I loved reading her story， and the memories it brought back of the era， and more。 Pub Date: 03 May 2022Many thanks for the ARC provided by W。W。 Norton & Company 。。。more

Pooja ，

Ann Hood became a flight attendant at TWA in 1978 and worked there for many years。 In this book， she recounts the places she saw and the people she met， and how the shifting culture of air travel at the time affected her and her job。I do like to travel， even though riding in economy in airplanes is not precisely a lovely experience。 However， I have long been fascinated by the heyday of jet-setting， back when flying places was a glamorous， expensive business。 This book is not quite about that， as Ann Hood became a flight attendant at TWA in 1978 and worked there for many years。 In this book， she recounts the places she saw and the people she met， and how the shifting culture of air travel at the time affected her and her job。I do like to travel， even though riding in economy in airplanes is not precisely a lovely experience。 However， I have long been fascinated by the heyday of jet-setting， back when flying places was a glamorous， expensive business。 This book is not quite about that， as Hood became a flight attendant just as air travel was deregulated， allowing airlines to set their own prices and routes。 But it was a fascinating read all the same。The author did a great job conveying how being a flight attendant changed her， helping her gain confidence in herself。 It was also interesting to learn the nitty-gritty details of being a flight attendant， ranging from what training they received to how they bid on routes to decide which flights they would end up flying。However， I did think the recollections became scattered in the second half of the book， likely because there were just so many things that she could have written about that we dart， bird-like， from one morsel to the next in no particular order。Overall， a nostalgic look back at air travel in the 70s and 80s， told through the eyes of a likable protagonist。Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more

Emily ，

Airline industry memoir。 TWA。 Travel。

Chris ，

FLY GIRL soars: Ann Hood’s memoir of her experiences as a flight attendant is a love letter to the years when flying was a dream — and the 747s ruled the skies。 I was catapulted back in time and savored every second and every story from 35，000 feet in the air。

Kristen ，

This was an interesting look at air travel from the perspective of flight attendants。 A lot has changed in the industry & this was an interesting inside peek into its history。

Marika ，

Review to come。* I read an advance copy and was not compensated。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Fly Girl: A Memoir

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Fly Girl: A Memoir&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Fly Girl: A Memoir&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0