Imagine finding out that your dad is not who raised you. Imagine finding this out after your mother dies, in a letter she left you. All you have is the letter, a ring, and a pin that looks like wings, and no one left to ask questions. That’s what has happened to Conner’s dad. At first dad is depressed and withdraws, but then he and Conner decide to see what they can find out. Using the ring as a starting point, they go to the library to begin their research. The inscription leads them to information about the Tuskegee Airmen. As Conner and his dad deal with this new information they grow closer. This super short read brings up some interesting family dynamics and reactions to what it would be like to have your whole world turned upside down.

I think I would have liked it better if it had been a bit longer. The poems are only on the right side of the book, so it was a really short read. I think it took me no longer than 30 minutes.


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Still not totally a fan of books in verse, but this was really interesting and the format didn't detract from the story for me too much. I particularly loved the inclusion of historical photos, along with the fictional parts of the narrative. Solid choice for history fans. ( )

Short chapters move this story along quickly.
I want to say it is a story about family secrets, but in most book review that would mean other people knew except for the main characters. In this book, the secret was held only by the 2 grandparents, and not revealed until the last one died. That secret, however, cast doubt on their first son's racial heritage.
Told from the point of view of the teen-aged grandson, who gets interested in finding out about who his dad's biological father really was. In the process, the reader learns a lot about the first Black Americans to be pilots in WWII: The Tuskegee Airmen.
The father takes a DNA test which confirms his mother's secret. The loving support of his half-siblings reassures him he is still family.
Read as an audiobook--I had no idea it was written in verse, but that does explain the pauses and slowness of the narration. ( )

Nelson approached writing this book by directing it at young readers who never heard of the Tuskegee Airmen. The book and topic are approachable with each chapter taking one page. Readers unfamiliar with the Tuskegee Airmen may be inspired by the text and four photographs to pursue further information. An author's note explains her inspiration. ( )

Connor Bianchini is sixteen years old when his grandmother dies and he discovers that his grandfather isn't his biological grandfather. His grandmother had had a relationship with an American soldier, known only as Ace, stationed in Italy during WW2. Armed with only his grandmother's letter, a class ring, and a pair of wings, Connor tries to find out more about his family's history.

It turns out that Connor's grandfather is an African-American pilot and part of the Tuskegee Airmen. Or, at least, he presumably is. Connor is never able to find out exactly who his grandfather is, although there are a couple of possibilities. An oddly-specific DNA test confirms that Connor's father is indeed part African American (so specific that it is able to differentiate Great Britain from Ireland and Benin from the Congo...I don't think that is possible yet).

Anyway, although it was a little disappointing to not have closure at the end of the book, I still thought that it was a good read.

The book is short - only 123 pages, and about half of those are blank except for a few words. The remainder of the book is written in verse, which makes the book go by even faster. I would have enjoyed a longer book, but I really liked what was written. Connor isn't an annoying narrator, and he seems very real and relatable.

No one seems upset that Connor's grandmother kept her first son's parentage a secret. One person seemed a little put out when it was revealed that the biological father was African-American, but that only lasted for a page. I found this a bit unrealistic, but maybe Connor's family is super progressive? I just know if this had been my family, unfortunately a lot of racism would have come out. :/

I would recommend this book to younger YA readers (ages 12-14), especially those interested in American history. Even as an adult, however, I enjoyed this book. ( )