This is one of my other favorite books of all time although I've not read it for a fair few years now and I'd forgotten how much I love it - this is the third time I've read it (not including the time I read just the parts relating to my favorite character; Winnie Briggs)..
You could say this book has two parts to it. The characters and the plot which makes up the stories within, and then the historical aspect of it being set in the second world war. I admit that I'm not completely au fait with the ins and outs of WWII (one of my life regrets is not ever asking my grandfather what it must have been like for him and my Nan). But in reading Bluebirds I think you get a pretty good idea of what it must have been like - not just physically but emotionally too. To not know whether you will ever see your family, friends or husband again. Mayhew even manages to touch on the disappointment and feelings of inadequacy felt by those who were too old or too sick to volunteer to fight for Queen and Country. Whether the historical aspects of Bluebirds are accurate or not (although I strongly suspect they are...) Mayhew manages to give an engaging and endearing portrait of Britain in the early 1940's - full of patriotism. And then when the Yanks come to our aid she cleverly captures the social transitions that take place.
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I won't lie - this is a total woman's book. Full of romance, heroic women and men that are real men (but still managing to steer totally clear of the Mills & Boon genre!). The plot follows the lives of four women in Britain from the time they join the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in 1939 as war breaks out in Europe. They come from all backgrounds and must work together in a new and alien environment where their presence is not welcome - especially not by Station Commander David Palmer who makes this clear from the beginning. Mayhew writes about their struggle to become accepted in the eyes of the men who think war is no place for a woman, their friendships with each other, the RAF crew and pilots they fall in love with and subsequently lose in the throes of war-time, and their need to prove to themselves and other that they really are valuable assets in the war against Hitler. The synopsis on the front describes the book as "heartbreaking and triumphant" and I really can't put it any better myself to be honest.
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Mayhew is a brilliant writer. Her characters are so alive and vibrant and she can plot a scene to perfection. She absolutely knows what she needs to put in to guide you in the right direction, and what to leave out to let your own imagination fill in the details important to you, making the story your own.
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It's nigh on impossible to find any biographic info on Mayhew save that she was born in London, lived through the Blitz as a child and is now married to Phillip Kaplan, an aviation author. I keep asking myself why I have never read any other of her books since I love Bluebirds so much. I can only think it's because when you find perfection you don't want anything else to spoil it :)
