Ever wonder about the lifestyle of a flight attendant? Stories of excitement and glamour of flying to exotic places, the jet lag and drudgery of serving unruly passengers can be found in Ann Hood’s memoir.
Hood grew up in Rhode Island, dreaming of adventure and the possibility of seeing the world. She also wanted to be a writer. Her memoir, Fly Girl, is about her first career after college. The book describes how becoming a flight attendant helped her achieve her dreams.
After a very competitive application process, Hood recounts Trans World Airline’s intense six-week training program where she learned everything from charm to safety.
The first stewardesses were required to be petite, yet expected to load baggage and mail, refuel and push the airplane into the hangar at the end of the day. Even in the 1980s, flight attendants had weight limits, and sexism was acceptable.
Follow Hood’s transformation from naïve student to sophisticated traveler as she learns from mistakes, meets celebrities, dates passengers, deals with bizarre behaviors and encounters life and death situations.
Hood is the author of seven novels and three other memoirs.
Sharon Noble is a librarian at Hennepin County Library-Maple Grove. Read more at hclib.org.