Sky Queen: A Novel

by Judy Kundert

Overview

It's 1967, and Katherine Roebling is a Chicago-based stewardess caught between the hold of highflying travel and the call of her Native American ancestors just as the women’s movement is taking the US by storm. As she vacillates between an ever-present mystical ancestral feather and her alluring stewardess life of excitement and travel, she embarks on a journey from one adventure to the next—each episode bringing her closer to her predestined calling. A chance meeting with a college student from Athens, Greece at a Chicago Playboy Mansion Press Party and her visit to the Oracle of Delphi intertwine with Katherine's discovery of the treasure inside herself. Ultimately, she gains wings that allow her to glide over society’s barriers; she abandons the so-called glamorous life she’s been living, creates her own path, and embarks upon a new career at the Smithsonian in DC—one that will take her on a miraculous experience of personal growth and uncharted paths.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631525230
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	06/18/2019
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Judy Kundert, a recipient of the Marquis Who’s Who Excellence in Authorship award, loves storytelling, from folk and fairy tales to classics for elementary school children. She authors award-winning middle-grade novels designed to inspire and intrigue children. After she left her career as a United Airlines stewardess, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University, Chicago and a Master of Arts from DePaul University, Chicago. Most recently, she completed a master’s Certificate in Public Relations and Marketing from the University of Denver. For fun, she likes reading (usually three or four books at a time), watching movies from the oldies to the current films, traveling, biking, and hiking in the vast Colorado outdoors with her husband. Learn more at www.judykundert.com.

Editorial Reviews

2021 Book Excellence Awards Finalist in Female Empowerment
2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in Women's Fiction

“A former United Airlines stewardess, Kundert paints a vivid portrait of Katherine’s flight attendant world, from the weigh-ins and strict dress code to the leering male passengers . . . A thoughtful and sensitively observed tale with a heroine whose adventures are worth following.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“It's always entertaining to peek into the lives of Golden Age stewardesses—tailored designer uniforms, fawning passengers, steak and lobster meals…and, of course, girdle checks, weigh-ins, smoky cabins, and non-stop sexual harassment. But SkyQueen is more than a nostalgic jaunt. It also offers an uplifting and sometimes mystical take on young women and cultural minorities fighting for their place in a changing world.”
—Tiffany Hawk, author of Love Me Anyway

“Her Native American ancestors guide her along the way using feathers and her beloved talisman. The story addresses a particular era in the fight for women’s rights.”
—Booklist

From the Publisher

2019-04-16
In this debut novel, a series of chance encounters and coincidences sends a college student on a journey of self-discovery.

In April 1965, Katherine Roebling takes a leap of faith and moves to Chicago after accepting a position as an airline stewardess. The job means taking a two-year leave from Beloit College in Wisconsin, where she studies anthropology. But her adviser has given her a waiver to complete course work at Northwestern University before returning to her studies at Beloit. With her best friend and roommate, Charlotte Delaney, a Bunny at the Playboy Mansion, Katherine enjoys a life of travel and escapades; yet she finds herself at a crossroads as she reaches the end of her leave. While she promised her parents and adviser that she would continue her education, she is one-eighth Chippewa and feels the need to examine her Native American roots. Trips to Greece and New York pique her interest in other cultures, and a visit with a friend named Adam Goldstein prompts her to research possible connections between Native Americans and the lost tribes of Israel. She searches for direction until the mysterious appearance of eagle and crow feathers sends Katherine on an exploration of her Chippewa heritage and leads to a new career and the chance for true love in Washington, D.C. Kundert offers a sparkling, sharply observed tale of a young woman's search for personal and intellectual fulfillment during a time of tremendous social and political change. Katherine is a strong, dynamic heroine whose odyssey takes her from academia to busy airports and exotic trips before she finds a home in Washington and a job at the Smithsonian. She is surrounded by a well-rounded cast of supporting characters, including Emma Jean Hasting, a fellow stewardess and Southern belle who dreams of romance; Danny O'Brien, a Playboy Club bouncer; and Neal Meyer, an aspiring Justice Department attorney who falls for Katherine. The author also does a fine job describing Katherine's cultural and social milieu. A former United Airlines stewardess, Kundert paints a vivid portrait of Katherine's flight attendant world, from the weigh-ins and strict dress code to the leering male passengers. The author weaves in several subplots, including one about Luther Williams, an inner-city child Danny mentors. While Luther's story ends abruptly, his friendship with Danny provides additional insights into the bouncer's character.

A thoughtful and sensitively observed tale with a heroine whose adventures are worth following.

Kirkus Reviews