The novel’s protagonist, Sarah Jane “Sookie” Poole, discovers that her mother and two of her aunts were Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during the Second World War. The program had two different divisions: The Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), launched in 1942, and the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD), formed in July 1943. The former included women pilots to help transport aircraft from factories to government training facilities, while the latter trained women pilots to serve in the WAFS. On August 5, 1943, the two programs merged and became the WASP program.

Initially, WAFS summoned women pilots who already had their private pilot licenses, but with the addition of WFTD, women with no previous flying experience could join the services. Except for combat acrobatics, women received the same training as men. The military’s goal was to free up more male pilots for combat by having women transport aircraft from factories to airbases. The program’s founders, Jackie Cochran and Nancy Harkness Love, hoped that eventually the US government would militarize the program, giving WASPs equality in pay and benefits. 

However, when Army Air Forces Commanding General Henry H. Arnold made plans to commission WASPs as Second Lieutenants, members of Congress opposed the move. By this time, the military situation no longer required as many pilots; instead, foot soldiers were needed. The WASP program was closed on December 20, 1944. Its records were sealed, hiding the role that women had played in the war effort. 

When the military tried to present their decision to accept women pilots in 1977 as the first time it had ever done so, former WASPs called for recognition of their contributions to the United States military. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed a law that finally acknowledged their role and granted them veteran status, albeit with limited benefits (Wackerfuss, Andrew. “Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).” Air Force Historical Support Division).