The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB by Helen Simonson (Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand and The Summer before the War) is a delightful romp in the English countryside. WWI has just ended and society is still under its shadow, adjusting to the return of soldiers and changing gender and class norms. All of which provides an extraordinary setting for main characters Constance Haverhill (a young woman of limited resources who has just lost her mother) and Captain Harris Wirrall who flew planes during the war. Simonson cleverly weaves in concerns about finances, the disabled, and prejudice against women, particularly those like Poppy (Harris’ sister) and Iris (a champion racer) who have strong independent streaks, while relating the story of a fledgling title club. Poppy is trying to create an ongoing delivery and taxi business and she befriends Constance who quickly embraces the adventuresome spirit. Constance’s kindness and growing self-confidence (“I've decided that a woman should always aim to be competent rather than decorative”) allow her to confront social society’s dictates and connect with characters who are facing their own struggles (e.g., alcoholism, prejudice against Germans). Throughout the novel, hope and building community are key elements in battling adversity. As Harris reflects, “it was funny … how each person saw their own circumstances loom large, as if through a telescope, and the tribulations of others as if backwards through the small end.” One needs only to look at the other authors (e.g., Ann Napolitano with Hello Beautiful; Christina Baker Kline with Orphan Train and The Exiles; or Carol Rifka Brunt with Tell the Wolves I’m Home) promoting this book to know what an entertaining comfort it will be to read. Helen Simonson is adept at creating memorable, relatable characters and as Publishers Weekly says, “Readers are in for a treat.” Plus, Simonson recommends more enjoyment through Dave Richmond’s Motorcycle Timeline website with images and articles from the nineteenth century to today.