Carolyn Dasher

Carolyn Dasher grew up in a military family, which meant she lived in ten different places before she graduated from high school. It also meant that every 4th of July she got to climb around on tanks and helicopters and watch the Blue Angels buzz overhead in tight formation. When she learned about the WASP—amazing women who stepped up during World War II to serve their country, and, as soon as the war was over, were told to step right back down again and transfer their talent and energy to home and family life—she knew she had to write about them.

American Sky is Dasher's first novel.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The original working title of the book was American Girls. That was too close to other titles already out in the world, so my publisher requested a change. Between my editor, my agent, myself, and my family, we generated a list of probably twenty possibilities, none of which fit the book. After a lot of back and forth, and some growing despair on my part, the words American Sky popped into my head. And that was the one.

The title nods at the aspirations of the characters and the tone of the book, but it doesn’t suggest much about the plot. It’s more of a vibes title.

What's in a name?

One of the main characters in the book is a young, female pilot who becomes a WWII WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilot). I called her Georgeanne, because I think it’s a beautiful name, and I wanted her to go by a “male” nickname: George. The name also fits the WWII setting of the book. George’s last name, Ector, comes from my nerdy, lifelong affection for the Arthurian legend. Ector was the foster father who raised King Arthur. In American Sky, Georgeanne raises a daughter who is not biologically hers. The two names read well together. It’s a strong name, and it suits George’s strong character.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

My teenage self would be shocked that I’d written a novel at all. I loved reading and enjoyed creative writing, but I didn’t dream of writing books myself. I didn’t know any writers. Whatever magic conjured words onto the page, pages into books, books onto shelves, happened far away in some mystical, mysterious place. It wasn’t until I was grown that I realized—or allowed myself to realize—that I wanted to be a writer.

My teenage self would be even more shocked that I wrote a book about women repairing cars and flying planes. My mechanical inclinations are nonexistent, although I’m somewhat astonished by the complexity and beauty of certain machines. Obviously, writing this book required a lot of research.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I love writing beginnings. So much freedom and possibility! It begins with a mental image of my main character, in this case, Georgeanne/George, in a specific setting or situation. In the original first scene of American Sky, George is fifteen—tall and awkward and trying to hide her hands, because she has grease under her fingernails from working on the family car—and she and her friends are watching a barnstormer fly loop-de-loops. When George realizes the pilot is a woman, she forgets all about her hands and her height; she just knows she has to go up in that plane. It’s a catalytic moment for her. And those moments are always fun to write.

This scene now appears on page 51, so, yes, I make big changes as I write and revise. My agent suggested I start the story earlier, focusing on George’s mother, Adele. Which turned out to be great advice. The book now begins with Adele, an independent and unusual woman for her time, and readers keep telling me how much they love her.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I’m too private a person to intentionally put myself in a book. But the characters all come from my head, and small parts of me live in each of them. Mostly, though, I love how these characters are different from me, especially the ways they are braver than I am. The women in this book dare to live their differences out loud in a time and place when that just wasn’t done.

Visit Carolyn Dasher's website.

--Marshal Zeringue