In her fourth historical novel, Katharine, the Wright Sister, Tracey Enerson Wood charts the Wright brothers' thrilling (and sometimes harrowing) journey toward mechanical flight, made possible in large part by the efforts and sacrifices of their sister, Katharine. Diving into the loving but complicated dynamics of the Wright family and the scientific, financial, and political challenges facing early aviators, Wood draws a nuanced portrait of a woman determined to support her brothers' dreams, but also hoping for happiness of her own.
Wood (The President's Wife) toggles expertly between three points of view: those of Wilbur, Orville, and Katharine herself, providing their varied perspectives on the highs and lows of their attempts to build and perfect their flying machines. Katharine, while happy to spend long hours poring over blueprints and brainstorming solutions to mechanical problems, must also spend her time managing the Wright household, cooking and cleaning for her brothers and father after her mother's death. She urges her brothers to keep chasing their dreams of flight even as they earn their primary income by fixing and selling bicycles. Intelligent and vivacious, Katharine thrives during her years at Oberlin College and then enjoys her job teaching Latin at a local school, but increasingly, her brothers' projects and their needs take precedence over her own ambitions.
Although most Americans have heard of the Wrights' flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., Wood fills in the background of how they got there: dozens of failed attempts, countless calculations of wind speed and resistance, and numerous yards of white muslin, which Katharine sourced for her brothers. Wood explores the sometimes tricky dynamics among the siblings: Wilbur's ambition, Orville's social anxiety, and Katharine's inner conflict between pride in her brothers' work and resentment at missing some key triumphant moments. Later in the book, that conflict comes to a head when Katharine begins to wonder if it's entirely too late to pursue her own happiness--or if her family will understand why she needs to.
Wood draws on historical documents and research to immerse the reader in the Wrights' world of Dayton, Ohio, at the turn of the 20th century, sharing details of the music, clothes, food, and social issues of the day. Katharine later becomes involved in the suffragist movement in Ohio, and her brothers--and she--travel across Europe, meeting heads of state and touring iconic cities. Wood's narrative provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of three clever, hardworking inventors, and a sensitive emotional exploration of one woman's quest to support her brothers--and later to soar on her own. Readers will be swept away by Wood's vivid depictions of early flight, and inspired by Katharine's dedication to stay true to both her brothers and herself. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams
Shelf Talker: Tracey Enerson Wood's fourth novel charts the Wright brothers' journey to successful flight and celebrates the vital contributions of their sister, Katharine.