What was the most challenging part of writing this book? The most rewarding?Įlinor accomplished so much at such a young age! It was hard to decide which record to focus on. While the idea for this book hit me like a bolt of lightning, it took two years of research and revision to learn all the details of Elinor’s story, write it up, and revise and revise and revise. Whenever I had a question-what does the engine of a Farman pusher biplane sound like? How does the throttle on a Waco 9 work?-there was always someone at the Smithsonian or another aviation museum, airport, or flying club ready with an answer. so I could visit the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress often. The archivists were wonderful, helping me search for even more. And they did! Scrap books, paintings, old magazine articles! It was a treasure trove. I bolted up in bed, grabbed a pen and a skinny piece of paper I use for making to-do lists, and scrawled Soar Elinor at the top with world’s youngest pilot underneath. Later that day, I began to research, first reading a variety of books about women pilots I have in my own collection, then surfing the internet. By that afternoon, I’d contacted the archives at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to see if they had materials about Elinor and her career. Once the idea came to you, what happened next? Early one morning, while my eyes were still closed, the words SOAR ELINOR hit me, almost commanding me to tell Elinor’s story. Elinor was a record breaking pilot who did some of her most amazing flying as a teenager. I grew up in a family of pilots-my dad, my mom and even my little sister flew small planes-so it feels like I’ve always “known” pioneer aviatrix Elinor Smith. How did you get the idea for SOAR, ELINOR?
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