Even as a small girl, Amelia Earhart was "different".  She was the kind of child who invented games and stunts for her playmates.  When she reached high school, though, that difference which made her a leader as a child, set her apart from her companions. She was referred to as "the Girl in Brown Who Walks Alone."

Amelia's individualism, however, was too deep her character too strong for her to change her personality to fit the common pattern.  Because she dared to be herself and follow the dictates of her own soul, instead of walking alone she brought the world to her feet.

She became interested in aviation during World War I when she was a nurse's aid in Canada, but she didn't learn to fly until 1920. After ten hours of instruction she soloed and then she knew what she wanted to do with her life. She worked at odd jobs to earn money for her lessons and eventually she bought her own second-hand plane.

Eight years later, her dreams were fully realized when she was offered the chance to be the first woman to fly the Atlantic, a flight which brought her world fame and led to a dazzling record of "firsts". She became the outstanding flyer of her day.

Though her attempted around-the-world flight in 1937 ended in her tragic disappearance, Amelia Earhart stimulated world interest in aviation and opened the way for other women in the air.

Shannon Garst has written the story of this great aviatrix with warmth, understanding and great admiration.

From the dust jacket