The Long Flight Home
The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad is a historical fiction novel published by Kensington on April 28, 2020. This reprint edition spans 384 pages and is presented in English. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the story unfolds in September 1940, as German bombs threaten Britain. It follows Susan Shepherd, who finds solace in raising homing pigeons with her grandfather, Bertie, after losing her parents. The narrative intertwines her life with that of Ollie Evans, a young crop-duster pilot from Maine, who joins the Royal Air Force and becomes involved in a covert mission to air-drop homing pigeons into German-occupied France.
Readers will discover a tale of love, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit amid the chaos of war. The bond between Susan and her pigeon, Duchess, plays a pivotal role as they navigate the challenges of separation and danger. The novel explores themes of courage and hope, highlighting the impact of war on civilians and the extraordinary lengths individuals will go to for connection and survival. This edition invites readers to engage with a moving narrative inspired by true events, reflecting on the power of companionship in the darkest of times.
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A USA Today Bestseller
Inspired by fascinating, true, yet little-known events during World War II, The Long Flight Home is a testament to the power of courage in our darkest hours—a moving, masterfully written story of love and sacrifice.
It is September 1940—a year into the war—and as German bombs fall on Britain, fears grow of an impending invasion. Enemy fighter planes blacken the sky around the Epping Forest home of Susan Shepherd and her grandfather, Bertie. After losing her parents to influenza as a child, Susan found comfort in raising homing pigeons with Bertie. All her birds are extraordinary to Susan—loyal, intelligent, beautiful—but none more so than Duchess. Hatched from an egg that Susan incubated in a bowl under her grandfather’s desk lamp, Duchess shares a special bond with Susan and an unusual curiosity about the human world.
Thousands of miles away in Buxton, Maine, young crop-duster pilot Ollie Evans decides to join Britain’s Royal Air Force. His quest brings him to Epping and the National Pigeon Service, where Susan is involved in a new, covert mission to air-drop hundreds of homing pigeons in German-occupied France. Many will not survive. Those that do will bring home crucial information. Soon a friendship between Ollie and Susan deepens, but when his plane is downed behind enemy lines, both know how remote the chances of reunion must be. Yet Duchess will become an unexpected lifeline, relaying messages between Susan and Ollie as war rages on—and proving, at last, that hope is never truly lost.
“Hlad adeptly drives home the devastating civilian cost of the war.”
—Booklist
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