The Closest Exit May Be Behind You: Memoir of a Fearful Flight Attendant - Couverture souple

Davis, Kathi Davidson

 
9798992427509: The Closest Exit May Be Behind You: Memoir of a Fearful Flight Attendant

Synopsis


Why would someone choose a career that terrifies her?

The smiling girl in the cover photo harbors a dark secret. A graduate of Delta Air Lines rigorous training program in August 1970, she is, in fact, terrified of flying. A traumatic flight from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba, at age eight convinces her she will never take to the sky again. But her recently earned BA in psychology leaves few options for a career path without an advanced degree. She is broke and desperate to find a job.

A friend convinces her to apply to be a stewardess, one of a few good-paying jobs available to women. Laughing at the suggestion, and not believing she can convince anyone she belongs on an airplane, she is simultaneously excited and appalled when she gets the job. At age twenty-one, she has, thus far, lived a sheltered life and is unprepared to feel like a fraud in a stewardess uniform.

Gradually she meets the challenges that confront her:

  • Quirky passengers and coworkers
  • Women's workplace issues
  • Surviving a toxic first marriage, complete with harrowing experiences on a sailboat
  • The loss of the man she chooses as a life partner
Davis's breezy, easy-to-read writing style (reminiscent of Kelly Bishop's The Third Gilmore Girl), is filled with tales of airline travel in the 70s, 80s, and 90s ranging from the absurd to the tragic, from memorable travel experiences to anecdotes no one could make up.

This book offers encouragement to anyone who has ever faced fear and adversity while providing an inside look at airline travel in the last part of the twentieth century.

Book clubs/groups have selected the book because it generates lively discussions. The author offers free discussion questions at www.kathidavis.com.

Les informations fournies dans la section « Synopsis » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

À propos de l?auteur

Kathi Davidson Davis is a debut author of the memoir, The Closest Exit May Be Behind You, Memoir of a Fearful Flight Attendant. She worked as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines from 1970 to 2005, an era when flying was a more pleasant experience for many passengers and crew than it is today. Her book provides a nostalgic look-back for travelers of that era and a revelation to younger people who were not lucky enough to experience it. While she includes many humorous anecdotes, her content touches on cultural history, travel, and the psychology of phobias. She grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, and graduated from the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. During her time as a flight attendant, she earned a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Florida Atlantic University while simultaneously caring for her husband who suffered from dementia. After his death and her retirement, she moved to Normal, Illinois, to be near family.

Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.