Estranged from her family since just after World War II, Mary Browning has spent her entire adult life hiding from her Jewish heritage. Now eighty-seven years old and a widow, she is haunted by a lifetime of secrets and fading memories of the family she left behind. Her one outlet is the writing group she's presided over for a decade, but when a new member walks in--a fifteen year old girl who reminds her so much of her beloved sister Sarah--Mary is certain fate delivered Elyse Strickler to her for a reason. She hires the serious-eyed teenager to type up her story of a daring female pilot during WWII who gambled everything for her dreams--and both their lives take flight in unexpected ways.