Black Dove White Raven

Black Dove White Raven takes a deep dive into the culture of a proud, independent African nation struggling to maintain its identity and culture as it emerges into the modern world as an attractive target for predatory nations. The story moves from the heady days of freedom in post-World War I Paris, where it seemed nobody cared what color you were, to the United States, where a female, biracial aviation team faced discrimination for race and gender, to Ethiopia, never colonized to this point, which many Black people in the U.S. saw as a beacon of hope -- and where, they discovered, slavery still existed. There's also some exploration of religion, as the kids experience the deeply held Quaker beliefs of their grandparents and the spiritual practices and cultural preservation of hermit monks in Ethiopia. Like all Elizabeth Wein's stories, this one is complex, nuanced, and not given to easy answers as characters find their hopes and dreams overwhelmed by events and forces beyond their control -- and struggle to do the right thing anyway.

Delia's death in an aviation accident when the kids are little sets the story's events in motion, and protagonists are constantly caught up in potentially deadly forces beyond their control. Set on the eve of World War II in Ethiopia, the story finds characters on the receiving end of brandished weapons, bombs, and mustard gas that burns, blinds, and sometimes kills them. Ethiopians with spears and ancient rifles are no match for bombers and tanks. There's cultural violence aplenty as a character who's fled racial discrimination in the U.S. discovers he's a slave by birth under Ethiopian law and can't do anything about it. Two adult characters get in a fistfight -- which Em breaks up by firing a gun into the air. When war breaks out, Ethiopian men and boys are ordered to report for military service under penalty of death.

Rhoda is charming and flirtatious with her rarely seen Italian husband and his friends, mainly to protect the life she's built with the kids. It's mentioned that Delia and Rhoda sleep in the same bed in their barnstorming days, and also that little Teo and Em sleep in the bed with them. There's a profound bond between the two women that is less romantic than what Rhoda's mother describes as "soulmates": "Any two people who understand each other so well that one of them can fly blindfolded and the other will stand unafraid on the wing of the plane." In Ethiopia, Em notices that not even married couples kiss, hold hands, or show affection in public.

Em mentions that despite the efforts of French aviators to get her mom drunk, Rhoda never drinks before flying, especially since Prohibition was in full force when she was flying in the U.S.