Publication Date: August 15, 2023
“It was 1978. People didn’t have home computers, video players, or answering machines. We rented our telephones from local phone companies and hand-wrote letters. The terms ‘politically correct’ and ‘African-American’ had not been coined. ‘Eating disorders’ and ‘alternate lifestyles’ were not yet common household phrases. Only strippers wore thongs, which made perfect sense to me, as they only caused one to gyrate their hynie in a desperate attempt to dislodge the bothersome wedgie.”
So writes Sherri Van Ness, an unassuming girl from the burbs of Kansas who’s about to embark on the adventure of her life when she signs up to become a stewardess. But it’s much more turbulent than this doughy-eyed 19-year-old ever imagined as she tries to navigate past grouchy passengers, fly-by-night relationships and the unforgiving, relentless, humiliating, monthly weigh-ins. Some dreams come true. Others require a vomit bag.
That’s not to say Sherri doesn’t enjoy herself. Au contraire! There are friends to be made and men to be made and the maid who made up her room in New York is so nice!
Yes, the work is difficult at times and the money isn’t always good, but there are perks: free flights and an endless supply of tiny vodka bottles and salted peanuts (peanut allergies hadn’t been invented yet.)
Like Dorothy Gale sans Toto, Sherri leaves Kansas and finds herself amidst a cast of characters as strange to her as the Scarecrow and the Munchkins were to Dorothy. Her whirlwind journey takes her from innocent, insecure stewardess to mature and confident flight attendant. Or does she?
Book your flight now with this very enjoyable read, put your seat back in the upright position, and enjoy the ride!
Sherri Van Ness is ready to chart a course in life that is well beyond anything she ever imagined in her small Kansas town. As a stewardess in 1978, the sky is the limit.
Readers get a front row seat as Sherri weathers the turbulence that comes with her new role. Packed with humor, this young woman soon finds there are plenty of ups and downs. Author Susan Humphrey delivers a fascinating tale of a different era in FlightLog: The Novel Adventures of a Stewardess Wannabe Who Becomes a Flight Attendant.
The audio version, used for this review, provides a pleasant narrator who effectively tells the story with the proper amount of emotion. The action moves at a steady pace.
It’s mind-boggling to realize the book takes place almost half a century ago, in a time before TSA checkpoints and budget cuts. The meal service described doesn’t remotely resemble anything offered these days.
For Sherri, there’s much more to learn than her role on the plane. She encounters new terms like the Mile High Club and is stunned to realize some of her male counterparts are gay. The author does a fantastic job keeping the tone light while providing important context for present-day readers.
FlightLog serves up a nostalgic look at life as a stewardess in the late 1970s through the eyes of a small-town young woman. Her observations will leave readers yearning for a simpler time when flying was an adventure rather than a chore.
Susan Jo Humphrey, the daughter of a diplomat, was born in Izmir, Turkey where she lived for three years. She also lived in Korea and Thailand, before returning home to the US with her family as a teenager. She has traveled all over the United States, and has called several parts of this country ‘home.’ Her many airplane rides as a child convinced her she must one day become a stewardess. Suz was a flight attendant for thirteen of her twenty-five years with UAL. She began penning FlightLog with the help of the Naperville Writer’s Group, outside of Chicago. There, she published in their annual pamphlet, had a humor piece printed in an online magazine, and contributed many articles to local newspapers. At the time of publication, she is busy working on FlightLog II.
Away from the keyboard, Suz loves yoga, reading, cooking, listening to music and playing her guitar. She still enjoys mapping out travel to faraway places she’s never seen, as well as planning return trips to her favorite spots.
She currently lives in Southern California and has two grown children. Today, she’s in healthcare, where she’s worked since 2014. Suz was the ‘baby’ of her flight attendant classes – and the ‘senior’ student in her nursing classes. She’s eager to write that story as well: a novice baby-boomer RN begins her dream career as a travel nurse – just as a pandemic breaks out!
Mar 6 – Authors on iTours: Let’s Talk Books! – audiobook review
Mar 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Mar 7 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotight / guest post / giveaway
Mar 8 – Bound 4 Escape – audiobook review / giveaway
Mar 8 – Books for Books – book spotlight
Mar 9 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
Mar 9 – Leanne Bookstagram – book review
Mar 10 – Liese’s Blog – book spotlight
Mar 10 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Mar 11 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
Mar 13 – Jazzy Book Reviews– book spotlight / giveaway
Mar 13 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review / giveaway
Mar 14 – @amandainpa – book review / giveaway
Mar 14– Books are a Blessing – book review / giveaway
Mar 14 –The Adventures of a Traveler’s Wife – book review / giveaway
Mar 15 –Locks, Hooks and Books– book review / giveaway
Mar 16 – Book Queen Bee – book review / guest post / giveaway
Mar 16 – The Obsessed Reader – book review / giveaway
Mar 17 – Novels Alive – audiobook review / giveaway
Mar 17 – Welcome To MLM Opinions Reviews – book review
Mar 20 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
Mar 20 – I’m Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Mar 21 – Gina Rae Mitchell – audiobook review / guest post giveaway
Mar 21 – Adventurous Jessy – book review / giveaway
Mar 21 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Mar 22 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Mar 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Mar 22 – Sue’s Musings – book review / giveaway
Mar 22 – Books and Games – book review / author interview / giveaway
Mar 23 – Paws.Read.Repeat – audiobook review / giveaway
Mar 24 – Inspired J Reads – book review / giveaway
TBD – Amy’s Booket List – audiobook review giveaway
Thank you so much Amy, for such a nice, lovely review of my new (First) book, FlightLog! I appreciate the time you took to read it and think your description of it is perfect! Cheers, Sue