The Boy with Wings
by Berta Ruck (1878–1978)
- Free to read
- 6 hours to read
- 37 chapters
- Reading level: 6th grade
"The Boy with Wings" by Berta Ruck is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around Gwenna Williams, a young Welsh girl who has left her rural home to pursue a life in London. Here, amidst the excitement of the aviation world, she dreams of adventure and love, particularly with a charming airman named Paul Dampier. The opening of the novel introduces Gwenna and her friends as they attend a flying exhibition at Hendon. Enchanted by the sight of biplanes soaring through the sky, Gwenna feels a spark of passion and longing for a life filled with excitement. As the story unfolds, she expresses her desire to fly and becomes enthralled by Paul Dampier, who embodies the adventurous spirit she yearns for. The narrative captures her youthful enthusiasm as she navigates new experiences, friendships, and the throes of first love, setting the stage for her journey of self-discovery and the challenges she may face as the backdrop of World War I looms ahead.
- Love stories
- World War, 1914-1918 · England
- England · Social life and customs · 20th century
- Air pilots, Military
Read the opening
Chapter I
AERIAL LIGHT HORSE
Hendon!
An exquisite May afternoon, still and sunny. Above, a canopy of unflecked sapphire-blue. Below, the broad khaki-green expanse of the flying-ground, whence the tall, red-white-and-blue pylons pointed giant fingers to the sky.
Against the iron railings of the ground the border of chairs was thronged with spectators; women and girls in summery frocks, men in light overcoats with field-glasses slung by a strap about them. The movement of this crowd was that of a breeze in a drift of coloured petals; the talk and laughter rose and fell as people looked about at the great sheds with their huge lettered names, at the big stand, at the parked-up motors behind the seats; at the men in uniform carrying their brass instruments slowly across to the bandstand on the left.
At intervals everybody said to everybody else: "Isn't this just a perfect afternoon for the flying?"
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About this edition
This free edition of The Boy with Wings by Berta Ruck comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #36223, released 2011-05-27. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Historical Novels, Romance, Adventure, Novels, British Literature.
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