The novel reverts back to Earhart’s last flight. News of her disappearance spread quickly, and on the second day of the search, a Hawaiian radio station proposed broadcasting a message in case she could hear it. The Coast Guard approved, and arrangements were made with two major Honolulu stations, KGU and KGMB, which Earhart was known to listen to. While the stations transmitted their messages, Coast Guard and Navy stations in Hawaii, Midway, and Wake Island prepared to monitor for a response. Using direction finders, they aimed to determine the source of any reply.

The novel shifts back to Earhart’s biography. Earhart attended her first air meet shortly after arriving in California, where aviation was rapidly growing in popularity. Enthralled by the sight of planes racing and performing stunts, she told her father she wanted to fly. Edwin initially dismissed her interest but arranged for her first flight, which only solidified her desire to fly.

Lacking financial support from her father, Earhart took a job to pay for flying lessons. She chose to train with Neta Snook, one of the only female pilots in Southern California. Earhart quickly immersed herself in aviation, adopting the attire and habits of a pilot. Though enthusiastic, she made frequent mistakes. Snook questioned her focus and ability, but Earhart remained determined.

After just six months of training, Earhart decided that she needed her own plane. She purchased a small, fast, yellow aircraft, nicknamed the Kinner Canary, with money borrowed from her mother and sister. On her first flight, the plane suffered engine failure and crashed. Unharmed, Earhart took the incident in stride.

In 1922, Earhart set a women’s altitude record by reaching 14,000 feet. The following year, she became the 16th woman in the world to earn a Federation Aeronautique Internationale license. However, financial circumstances soon forced her to sell her plane and put her aviation career on hold. After her parents’ divorce, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts, with her mother and briefly returned to Columbia University before deciding against medical school. She then took a job at Denison House, a settlement house assisting immigrants, where she became active in social work.

Although her career had changed, Earhart remained involved in aviation. She joined the National Aeronautic Association and frequently visited airstrips. At one event, she witnessed a female stunt pilot crash, prompting some spectators to doubt women’s ability to fly. Frustrated by these remarks, Earhart took to the air and impressed the crowd with her flying skills.

Shortly after, Earhart received an unexpected phone call from a man offering her a potentially dangerous opportunity in aviation.

The novel shifts back to Earhart’s final journey. At 10:00 pm on July 3, an NBC station in Honolulu broadcast a special message urging Earhart to respond. Soon after, a faint signal was detected on her assigned frequency, but it was too weak to be understood. Multiple stations, including those in Hawaii and aboard the Itasca, also picked up signals but could not decipher the words.

Attempts to determine the signal’s location were unsuccessful. When the Itasca contacted Howland Island for an update, the radioman there said that they had not yet obtained a directional bearing. At midnight, another broadcast was made, and three military stations in Honolulu reported hearing a reply, but interference prevented them from making out the message. Further attempts by the Itasca to coordinate with Howland Island yielded no results, and the island’s radiomen eventually signed off to sleep.

At 1:30 am, new reports surfaced. A station on Wake Island heard an unreadable male voice, while a Coast Guard station in California detected a strong signal coming from the west. In Wahiawa, Hawaii, a civilian named Mr. Donaldson reported hearing the call letters “KHAQQ” and the word “help” on his radio. His report coincided with similar transmissions heard by stations on Wake Island and Midway and by the Hawaiian Coast Guard. Then, without warning, the transmissions stopped.

The novel reverts back to Earhart’s history and life. While Earhart worked at Denison House, aviation was rapidly advancing. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh’s nonstop flight from New York to Paris made global headlines, turning him into a national hero and inspiring others to take on new flying challenges. The first woman had yet to cross the Atlantic. Several women attempted it, but most failed, disappeared, or had to be rescued. Wealthy adventurer Amy Guest planned to make the flight herself but withdrew after her family objected. Instead, she instructed her lawyer to find a suitable woman to take her place.

This search led to Earhart. Through a series of connections, including publisher George Putnam, Earhart’s name surfaced. When Hilton Railey called her to ask if she would be interested in a dangerous aviation opportunity, Earhart agreed. Her appearance, including her resemblance to Lindbergh, was seen as an advantage for publicity.

Although Earhart was named the flight’s captain, her role was limited to keeping the flight log. The actual flying and navigation would be handled by pilot Bill Stultz and mechanic Slim Gordon. To avoid publicity and competition, Earhart stayed away from the airfield during test flights. The flight itself was plagued by bad weather and repeated delays. After they were stuck for 12 days in Newfoundland, Earhart pushed for takeoff. Low on fuel near the end of their flight, they finally spotted land and made a successful landing in Wales.

Earhart instantly became a celebrity. She was celebrated with parades, receptions, medals, and high-profile meetings. Putnam capitalized on the attention, arranging interviews, photo shoots, endorsements, and a book deal. From this point on, Earhart’s career became a cycle of record flights followed by lectures, product endorsements, and publicity stunts, all managed by Putnam. Between 1928 and 1937, Earhart stayed in the public eye to fund her flying. She endorsed products, opened a clothing line, and became a sought-after lecturer.

The novel shifts to Earhart’s final journey. Dana Randolph, a 16-year-old radio hobbyist in Rock Springs, Wyoming, picked up a faint signal on his shortwave radio. To his surprise, the voice identified itself as Amelia Earhart, who stated that her plane was on a reef south of the equator. Acting quickly, Randolph and his father reported the message to the local police, who directed them to the nearby Department of Commerce Aeronautical Radio Facility. The facility’s operator contacted Navy officials in Washington, DC. Back at Randolph’s house, he and his father continued to hear the voice, but the signal was too weak to understand. Hours later, the Itasca received word of the incident. The Coast Guard said that it was possible for inland radios to pick up signals from the Pacific when coastal stations could not, so Randolph’s story may have been true.