Seized by the Sun: The Life and Disappearance of World War II Pilot Gertrude Tompkins (19) (Women of Action)

Presents the life of the American air pilot who overcame a stuttering handicap to become a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots in World War II and who disappeared in a flight from Los Angeles in 1944.;It's awful having a stutter -- Childhood ups and downs -- Confidence grows -- Traveling abroad -- Finding her footing -- Taking flight -- The WASPs are born -- Welcome to the WASPs -- Basic and advanced training -- Pecos -- On silver wings -- Flying for her country -- Dilemma -- Seized by the sun -- Searching. Of the 38 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) confirmed or presumed dead in World War II, only one—Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins—is still missing. On October 26, 1944, the 32-year-old fighter plane pilot lifted off from Mines Field in Los Angeles. She was never seen again. Seized by the Sun is the story of a remarkable woman who overcame a troubled childhood and the societal constraints of her time to find her calling flying the fastest and most powerful airplane of World War II. It is also a compelling unsolved mystery. Born in 1912 to a wealthy New Jersey family, Gertrude's childhood was marked by her mother's bouts with depression and her father's relentless search for a cure for the debilitating stutter that afflicted Gertrude throughout her life. Teased and struggling in school, young Gertrude retreated to a solitary existence. As a young woman she dabbled in raising goats and aimlessly crisscrossed the globe in an attempt to discover her purpose. As war loomed in Europe, Gertrude met the love of her life, a Royal Air Force pilot who was killed flying over Holland. Telling her sister that she "couldn't stop crying, so she focused on learning to fly," Gertrude applied to join the newly formed Women's Air Force Service Pilots. She went on to become such a superior pilot that she was one of only 126 WASPs selected to fly fighter planes. After her first flight in the powerful P-51 Mustang, her stutter left her for good. Gertrude's sudden disappearance remains a mystery to this day. Award-winning author Jim Ure leads readers through Gertrude's fascinating life; provides a detailed account of the WASPs' daily routines, training, and challenges; and describes the ongoing search for Gertrude's wreck and remains. The result of years of research and interviews with Gertrude's family, friends, and fellow WASPs, Seized by the Sun is an invaluable addition to any student's or history buff's bookshelf. Seized by the Sun introduces teens to the remarkable life of Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins, who overcame many challenges to find her passion in flying. She became one of 126 elite women chosen to pilot World War II fighter planes for the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). Her dissappearance remains a mystery and no crash site was ever found. The result of sixteen years of research and interviews, Seized by the Sun is an invaluable addition to any student's or history buff's bookshelf. --Provided by publisher