The Flying Circus
By: Susan Crandall
On a country road, in 1920’s Indiana, a plane and a motorcycle seem to be racing headlong for a grove of trees. At the last minute, the plane pulls up but the motorcycle plows into a pond. Henry Schuler, is walking on that road and rushes to save the motorcyclist from drowning. The pilot, Charles “Gil” Gilchrist lands and they are surprised to see that the motorcyclist is a young woman. Cora Rose Haviland is determined to become a part of a flying circus as a stunt rider. But Gil prefers to go it alone as a barnstormer, and Henry is fleeing from severe and false accusations from members of a farm family with whom he once lived one county away.
Through Cora’s skill at attracting paying customers to Gil’s act and her ability to provide ever more thrilling stunts, the three travel through Indiana (including Noblesville), Illinois, and Missouri. All the while Henry is avoiding attention from the police and falling in love with Cora, while Gil hides his sorrows.
Written by Noblesville author Susan Crandall, Flying Circus ties rural farm life with changes in technology in post World War I America. A mixture of romance, suspense, and adventure that makes for a story that is difficult to put down.
Review By: Sherri Bonham