Different Lives by Kate Lord Brown, author of The Beauty Chorus

Teddyrose@1

14 years ago

When I was asked to be a tour host for Kate Lord Brown and her book, The Beauty Chorus, I jumped at the chance. I wondered how the woman of the ATA decided to go from their sheltered lives to the ATA. Today, Kate is here to give me her answer. Please welcome Kate Lord Brown to So Many Precious Books, So Little time.

I asked myself exactly that question – how did these women go from their somewhat sheltered lives and join the Air Transport Auxiliary? They did an incredibly dangerous job, flying anything anywhere across war-torn Britain, ferrying everything from Spitfires to huge bombers to the fighter squadrons. They flew without radios, without arms. The bravery and modesty of these women just blew me away – when you speak to surviving veterans, they say they were just ‘doing their job’. These were the women that inspired ‘The Beauty Chorus’.

I think crucially, they also say that it was the most extraordinary time of their lives. If you think back to wartime, it was a unique opportunity for women to fly – and after the war many of them had to go back to ‘real’ life – there just wasn’t much chance for women to fly commercially. So, you had women joining from all over the world. In all 166 women joined the ATA, and they had pilots from 28 countries. Women came from Canada, the US, from as far away as Asia (like the character Stella). You had debutante party girls who had been part of the privileged pre-war flying scene like Evie, and you had young inexperienced girls like Megan who could fly a plane but not drive a car.

Can you imagine how thrilling and terrifying it must have been to join a boat bound for England, having to avoid the Nazi attacks on boat convoys on the way over, and then finding yourself flying these incredibly powerful planes? The women came from all walks of life, and the only thing they had in common was wanting to ‘do their bit’ for the Allied war effort, and their love of flying. The true story of their skill and bravery blew me away, and The Beauty Chorus I hope pays testament to this. They were amazing women, and it was a privilege uncovering their story. It was a remarkable time when women worked alongside men on equal terms and for equal pay – and I hope Evie, Stella and Megan reflect the strength and bravery of the real Spitfire girls.

KLB

Kate studied Philosophy at Durham University, and Art History at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She is currently taking a Masters degree. She worked as an art consultant, curating collections for palaces and embassies in Europe and the Middle East, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She was a finalist in UK ITV’s the People’s Author competition in 2009. Her debut novel ‘The Beauty Chorus’ is published by Atlantic in 2011.