The Wright Sister by Patty Dann
The Wright Sister by Patty Dann tells the story of the last three years of Katharine Wright’s life through diary entries and letters to her brother Orville. From her marriage to Harry Haskell to her last breath as well as glimpses of the past. The Wright brothers’ sister lived a very full life.
A monstrous amount of research must have gone into this book with how detailed it is. The diary entries and letters are a very creative and personal way to tell the story. I’m generally not a fan of this style since I feel odd reading such intimate details of people’s lives. But, it does make it a fast read that’s easy to digest and makes the story and person very relatable. The random memories creeping up, the confusing feelings of new life experiences, the mundane thoughts and moments of everyday life. We all experience these things in different capacities and across any time. Books like these give a real human aspect to historical figures that we’re now removed from. It’s been 95 years since Katharine Wright died. That’s not so long ago but the world has changed so much. It changed a lot in her day and she was a catalyst for change being both a suffragette and having a hand in inventing airplanes. Patty Dann covers the ongoing change and Katharine Wright’s part of it in the book. Even if it’s fiction, it is interesting to get a glimpse at what might be going on in the mind and world of such an important woman in history.
I would recommend The Wright Sister by Patty Dann to anyone who likes history, especially the Wright brothers and airplane history or women’s history. I would also recommend it to people who like the intimate style of memoirs and diaries.
Happy Reading!
~ Rosie
Rosie Reads 