Crossing the Horizon

Notaro (The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club) leverages her humor and keen eye for human foibles in an ambitious fictionalized account of three real-life aviatrixes whose daring exploits catapulted them into global headlines prior to Amelia Earhart’s record-setting flights. This action-packed, character-rich romp through the 1920s’ transatlantic race captures the era’s excitement and sense of possibility. With cash prizes and fame glittering on the horizon, men and women on each side of the Atlantic rushed to be the first to successfully complete the treacherous, storm-ridden flight across it. Notaro shines a spotlight on the now largely forgotten stories of the three women: Elsie Mackay, a courageous and kind-hearted English heiress who braved her family’s disapproval to follow her dreams; Mabel Boll, the scandalously renowned “Queen of Diamonds” and aspiring “Queen of the Air,” who used her wealth and influence to buy herself the fame she craved; and Ruth Elder, a young Southern beauty queen who lifted herself from poverty and obscurity through the strength of her own convictions. Initially slow to get off the ground, the story lumbers through ponderous backstories and hits rough patches of stilted dialogue before soaring into a page-turning, stomach-churning, hilarious, and heartbreaking adventure. Elsie, Mabel, and Ruth defied the odds stacked against them, and their indomitable spirits and vibrant, larger-than-life personalities provide much inspiration. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Oct.)