Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of addiction.

The novel shifts to Earhart’s life and history. Between 1928 and 1935, Earhart expanded her aviation career. After writing her first book, she took off on an unstructured cross-country flight to California in her Avian airplane. She navigated by following roads and rivers, stopping wherever she found food or shelter. The journey involved frequent mechanical issues and a crash landing, but she embraced these setbacks as part of the adventure. Upon reaching California, she became the first woman to fly coast-to-coast and back. She continued her public career, delivering speeches, endorsing products, and becoming Cosmopolitan magazine’s aviation editor. These activities supported her financially and built her public image, but she remained more interested in flying than publicity.

In 1929, Earhart entered the first all-women’s air race, flying a powerful Lockheed Vega. However, there were doubts about whether she could handle such a heavy plane. George Putnam tried to secretly hire a more skilled pilot to fly for Earhart, but the pilot refused. During the race, Earhart struggled with mechanical problems and landed poorly in Cleveland, Ohio, placing third despite flying the fastest plane.