Bird's Eye View by Elinor Florence - 20BOS26-14

For those of us who enjoy historical fiction, especially when set during WWII, it is a pleasure to encounter a book that reveals a new aspect of the war. Rose is a recent high school graduate, living on the family farm in Saskatchewan, and longing for the adventure of war overseas.  In the meantime, she has finagled a job as a reporter/photographer/Girl Friday at the local newspaper, The Touchwood Times. 

Her youthful patriotism is at odds with the newspaper’s editor, who feels strongly Canadians should not become cannon fodder in a European war:

“And what about the front page?” I tried to sound casual as I hung my cardigan on the coat rack.

MacTavish’s enormous tangled eyebrows bristled like cat’s fur. “I suppose you want a big splash about Canada springing to the defence of the Mother Country and all that malarkey! Well you can put that idea out of your little head!”

“Mr. MacTavish, please! Every newspaper in the country will have the war on the front page!”

“Not this one. And the last time I looked at the masthead, it was still my newspaper!”

Rose longs for the opportunity to enlist, like the 45,00 women in Britain who are already in uniform. Short term, however, there is distraction when the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, an agreement signed in 1939 by Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, brings thousands of men to Touchwood to train as pilots and ground crew. There is enough time for Rose and her friend June fall for pilots, more exciting than ordinary Charlie Stewart, son of neighboring farming family.

In 1941, Rose finds a way to get to England where she enlists in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. This is where the book became very interesting: because Rose knows a little about photography she is chosen for extra training on photo reconnaissance and made to sign the Official Secrets Act. One unit is responsible for flying the planes and taking photos for the army, navy, and air force, and Rose’s new unit, the Central Interpretation Unit, deciphers the results. Her Section Officer describes the process:

“One set of prints goes to the first phase interpreters for a quick once-over. Next they are passed to second phase interpretation for the next twenty-four hours. If something suspicious is found, the photos go to third phrase. That requires the most intense scrutiny by subject specialists, who are divided into fifteen sections: aircraft, bomb damage, camouflage and so forth.”

I have always been fascinated by women doing their bit in war and really admire how the author found a new angle to tell a WWII story. Florence's research is detailed and conveyed naturally (unlike some historical fiction authors who hit you over the head with their prowess). Rose’s struggles, successes, and plain hard work analyzing aerial photography analysis are vividly portrayed, including challenges with the male members of her team. 

I heard about this book originally from Bill Selnes at Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan and was intrigued to read about a Canadian heroine. Rose has many adventures in England which I will allow you to discover for yourself – some were predictable but others were a surprise, and the book wound up being my favorite this month. It took me a while to get to because I find it easy to forget eBooks, unless I am traveling, so I included it in my 20 Books of Summer (it was cold enough today for a jacket but technically September 22 is the final day of summer).

I was reminded of a charming movie I saw years ago called For the Moment, set in 1942, in which Russell Crowe, playing an Australian pilot, comes to train in rural Manitoba in the 1942 to go overseas and become bomber pilots in World War II.

The success of Florence's most recent book, Finding Flora, has led to a new paperback edition of Bird's Eye View, coming in November.  I urge you to track down a copy!

ISBN 9781668227589

     

Title: Bird’s Eye View

Author: Elinor Florence
Publication: Dundurn Press, eBook, 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction
Setting: Canada and England, 1939-1945
Source: Copy provided by the publisher

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 20 Books of Summer 2026

• Historical Fiction Challenge 2026