In a world consumed by war, a small group of young women take to the skies to "do their bit". Their bravery and determination play a vital part in changing the course of history. During WWII, 22-year-old Molly Rose, a flight engineer and pilot in her family’s aviation business, joins the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), an organization tasked to deliver aircraft from factories and maintenance units to the RAF’s front-line squadrons. Accepted into an intense training program and posted to an "all-women" ferry pool, Molly has to adapt quickly to an organization made up of pilots from diverse backgrounds, including Britain’s social elite, all of whom share the same insatiable appetite to fly. Flying without armament, radios, or navigation equipment and subjected to the daily dangers of adverse weather, friendly fire, barrage balloons, and marauding German fighters, Molly’s emotions and flying skills are put to the ultimate test when the unthinkable happens. This is a story of love, passion and overcoming adversity both on the ground and in the air.

Foreword by Minnie Churchill DL.

Author Statement

Attagirls is a story about a person who experiences a number of personal tragedies but still "carries on" in a way that sets an example to us all. My initial reaction was that the story would make a wonderful film, but then I thought about how it could also inspire young women everywhere who may at some point need to find courage under pressure. Hopefully they’ll take a leaf out of Molly’s book, so to speak...embrace every opportunity and never take no for an answer if it's something that they really want, because that’s exactly what Molly did. 

Molly’s daily objective was to get from A to B and she perfected the art. That’s in a way synonymous with every young girl’s plan for their future. Molly had a goal and nothing was going to get in her way. That sets a good example when considering the obstacles that young girls have to face in today’s world. Not only did Molly always have a plan, but she also anticipated what could go wrong. She sometimes flew aircraft designated NEA, "not essentially airworthy", but she planned for all the possibilities. 

Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese military strategist and general who wrote The Art of War. One of his principals was to “consider everything” and to make a plan for all eventualities. Molly did that, and all young girls need to do that today. Molly was brought down to earth with this on more than one occasion. But she would always get back up, dust herself off, reevaluate, refocus, and carry on. I’ve been saying this to my daughters for many years…you have to believe in yourself. Most importantly, never feel that a woman can’t do anything as well as a man.

READER QUOTES:

“I absolutely loved it. The descriptions of her flights really allowed me to imagine her whole experience. I felt the joy with her and will admit to shedding a few tears at the losses along the way." (Zoe Cameron, pilot, Virgin Atlantic)

“A superb and exciting read.” (Graham Rose, Chairman, the Air Transport Auxiliary Association)

“The power of Paul’s writing is what makes Molly’s story captivating. It isn’t written in a traditional academic historical style, more like fiction, igniting every element of my imagination." (Olivia Smith, book critic, History of War magazine)