Happy Friday Traces reader! It's time for our weekly Friday Book Giveaway! This week's chosen book is from our friends at Wakefield Press: Long Flight Home, written by Lainie Anderson.
The First World War is over and air mechanic Wally Shiers has promised to return home to his fiancée, Helena Alford. But Wally never reckoned on charismatic fighter pilot Ross Smith, and an invitation to compete in the world's most audacious air race.
A £10,000 prize has been offered for the first airmen to fly from England to Australia. Smith is banking on an open-cockpit Vickers Vimy, a biplane with a fuselage that looks ominously like a coffin.
And who can resist a hero? Wally writes to Helena to say he won't be home for another year - and the love of his life is left holding her hand-stitched wedding dress.
Using war diaries, letters and Churchill Fellowship research from along the race route, Long Flight Home recreates one of the most important - and largely forgotten - chapters in world aviation history.
To enter: Like the post, tag a friend and tell us in the comments section: "What was your experience when researching your own family history?" Entries close Monday 9 November 5pm AEST. Australian entrants only. Winner will be announced via Facebook on Wednesday 11 November
https://www.facebook.com/TracesMag/photos/a.262237540469159/5331356273557235
Australian Competitions Club
