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Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
In the 1920s, best friends Rhoda, who is white, and Delia, who is African American, are a bit of an anomaly—not just because of their cross-cultural friendship, but because they are stunt pilots performing at aerial events throughout the country. When Delia is killed in a plane crash, Rhoda decides to raise Delia's son Teo alongside her own daughter, Em, in Ethiopia, the birthplace of Teo's father. In Ethiopia the three find a land of peace and beauty, but when Mussolini prepares to invade the country, Teo's and Em's lives are thrust into turmoil, testing the makeshift family's bonds of love and loyalty. Author Wein “brings this fascinating period in history to life with several well-engineered plot twists, lots of high-flying, nail-biting tension, and meticulous research”
Review from School Library Journal Starred:
In her latest World War II-era novel, Wein returns to themes of aviation and the enduring bonds of platonic love and friendship. Best friends Rhoda, a white Quaker, and African American Delia were "barnstorming" pilots, a team who performed in air shows across the United States as White Raven and Black Dove, their children, Emilia and Teo, in tow. When Delia is killed in a plane crash, Rhoda commits to fulfilling Delia's dream for Teo—to live in a land where he wouldn't be judged by the color of his skin—and moves them all to Ethiopia, where Teo's father was born. Life on the coffee farm at Tazma Meda is wonderful, especially since Rhoda is teaching the children to fly, but rumors of invasion by Italy become reality, and bureaucratic snafus mean that the family can't leave the country. Then the war becomes even more personal when all young men of Ethiopian heritage are conscripted. Wein continues to present multidimensional characters within her effortless prose.
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