{"product_id":"seized-by-the-sun-19-james-w-ure-9781613735879","title":"Seized by the Sun: The Life and Disappearance of World War II Pilot Gertrude Tompkins Volume 19","description":"Of the 38 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) confirmed or presumed dead in World War II, only one--Gertrude \"Tommy\" Tompkins--is still missing. On October 26, 1944, the 32-year-old fighter plane pilot lifted off from Mines Field in Los Angeles. She was never seen again. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeized by the Sun \u003c\/i\u003eis the story of a remarkable woman who overcame a troubled childhood and the societal constraints of her time to find her calling flying the fastest and most powerful airplane of World War II. It is also a compelling unsolved mystery. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBorn in 1912 to a wealthy New Jersey family, Gertrude's childhood was marked by her mother's bouts with depression and her father's relentless search for a cure for the debilitating stutter that afflicted Gertrude throughout her life. Teased and struggling in school, young Gertrude retreated to a solitary existence. As a young woman she dabbled in raising goats and aimlessly crisscrossed the globe in an attempt to discover her purpose. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs war loomed in Europe, Gertrude met the love of her life, a Royal Air Force pilot who was killed flying over Holland. Telling her sister that she \"couldn't stop crying, so she focused on learning to fly,\" Gertrude applied to join the newly formed Women's Air Force Service Pilots. She went on to become such a superior pilot that she was one of only 126 WASPs selected to fly fighter planes. After her first flight in the powerful P-51 Mustang, her stutter left her for good. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGertrude's sudden disappearance remains a mystery to this day. Award-winning author Jim Ure leads readers through Gertrude's fascinating life; provides a detailed account of the WASPs' daily routines, training, and challenges; and describes the ongoing search for Gertrude's wreck and remains. The result of years of research and interviews with Gertrude's family, friends, and fellow WASPs, \u003ci\u003eSeized by the Sun \u003c\/i\u003eis an invaluable addition to any student's or history buff's bookshelf.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e James W. Ure\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1613735871\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781613735879\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Chicago Review Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/01\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.70w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/01\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eVoice of Youth Advocates\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/01\/2017 - Recommended - Readable","brand":"James W. Ure","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43939179069695,"sku":"9781613735879","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_f241e470-36dd-4d6c-85f0-ca2249d0e008.jpg?v=1681439965","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/seized-by-the-sun-19-james-w-ure-9781613735879","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}