Review of "Dorothy Dixon Wins Her Wings," by Dorothy Wayne

 Review of

Dorothy Dixon Wins Her Wings, by Dorothy Wayne

Five out of five stars

A feisty, fighting heroine

 This is the first Dorothy Dixon adventure book that I have read, and I was impressed. There were many book series that featured a female character, but they tend to be soft adventures in that there is little real danger and not much in the way of physical confrontations. Published in 1933, this story was a surprise in that it lacks those girly features, something almost nonexistent in that time frame.

 Dorothy turns out to be a very instinctive pilot as she goes through flight training from a skilled pilot her age. Even though he is somewhat of a male love interest, it is very much downplayed. There is one scene where Dorothy is in a physical confrontation with a very large man that is a member of a dangerous criminal gang. Rather than performing a fluttery backing down, she goes toe-to-toe with him, using her knowledge of martial arts to give as good as she gets.

 Dorothy’s speech when interacting with her flight instructor is also not that of the era of publication. When there is a hint of condescension, she snaps back with authority and vigor. Her father provides a bit of protectiveness, but it is muted as well, allowing Dorothy to be her adventurous self.

 In an age when women as the hero of an adventure were usually kept in the feminine roles of the time, this book goes out of those bounds and that makes it a story that has not aged as much as the others.