Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

The novel shifts back to Earhart’s history. Earhart used part of her mother’s inheritance to attend the Ogontz School in Pennsylvania, a top college-preparatory institution. The school emphasized marriage as the ideal future for women. Earhart disagreed and collected articles about women in various careers.

During a 1917 visit to her sister in Toronto, Canada, Earhart was struck by the number of wounded soldiers from World War I. She decided not to return to Ogontz and worked as a volunteer nurse’s aide until the war ended in 1918. While in Toronto, she often watched planes at a nearby airfield and became interested in aviation. Although she was not allowed to fly, she spoke with pilots and attended a stunt flying exhibition.

After the war, Earhart enrolled in pre-medicine courses at Columbia University. Her parents urged her to move to California, and she planned to return to Columbia after the summer of 1920. However, in California, she had her first direct experience with aviation, which changed her life.

The novel reverts back to Earhart’s last flight. News of her disappearance spread quickly, and on the second day of the search, a Hawaiian radio station proposed broadcasting a message in case she could hear it.