Aimie Runyan - Daughters of the Night Sky

• Abby Polzin, for sharing in the excitement of this project with me and for being a wonderful photographer and Seattle tour guide. Fortuitous wrong turns and all!

• The ladies of the BWW: Jamie Raintree, Kate Moretti, Ella Olsen, Orly Konig, Andrea Catalano, and Theresa Alan. Your support makes this crazy business all worthwhile.

• To Kate Quinn for being my comrade in Russian headaches for the past year and for being a dear friend. And to Libbie Hawker and Kate Quinn (again) for the Facebook comedy of errors that led to this book deal.

• The Tall Poppies: I learn so much from you each and every day. I am honored to be a part of this movement to promote excellence in women’s fiction.

• The Ladies of the Lake for welcoming me into the fold. You’re all remarkable authors.

• The good people of RMFW and WFWA: You’re a wonderful tribe. I love you all.

• My readers everywhere—you’re the reason I do this, and I appreciate all of you! Especially all of the active members of my beloved Facebook readers’ groups: Bloom, Great Thoughts Great Readers, Readers’ Coffeehouse, A Novel Bee, Women Readers Women’s Books, and so many more. It is a joy to get to interact with you every day.

And as always, I thank:

• My family, both the Trumbly and Runyan clans, for your unwavering support.

• My darling children, Ciarán and Aria, for reminding me daily about what’s important.

• My brilliant, adorable husband, Allan, for standing by me as I navigate the world of make-believe friends. You’re truly wonderful, and I appreciate all you do.

Aimie K. Runyan is a historian and author who writes to celebrate history’s unsung heroines. She is the author of two previous historical novels: Promised to the Crown and Duty to the Crown . She is active as an educator and a speaker in the writing community and beyond. She lives in Colorado with her wonderful husband and two (usually) adorable children. To learn more about Aimie and her work, please visit www.aimiekrunyan.com.

“Fans of The Nightingale will be transfixed by this thrillingly original portrait of wartime valor.”

“ Daughters of the Night Sky was everything I love about historical fiction. Runyan crafts the perfect balance between plot, characters, and setting, all while educating the reader in an unknown part of women’s history. At once compelling, tragic, and uplifting, this is one that I will not soon forget.”

“Aimie K. Runyan breathes life into the gripping tale of the Night Witches—Russian female combat pilots in World War II. A page-turner!”

“Aimie K. Runyan has combined my three favorite literary topics: historical fiction, World War II, and courageous and strong women. She is an incredible historical fiction writer.”

“A lively and stirring tale of the brave vanguard of female pilots fighting for Russia and, as often, for respect from their male counterparts. As enthralled as I was by this dive into social and military history, it was the humanity of Daughters of the Night Sky that won me over: comrades, lovers, and families swept up and torn apart by war. Runyan delivers a well-paced and heartfelt story that fans of World War II novels should not miss.”

“ Daughters of the Night Sky is a compelling World War II story of bravery, determination, and love set within the Forty-Sixth Taman Guards—Russia’s all-female pilot regiment. Author Aimie K. Runyan brings four unique women vividly to life: Katya, a superb navigator; Taisiya, her pilot and best friend; Oksana, who risks all for love of her country; and Sofia, the major who leads the women to triumph. Highly recommended.”

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Text copyright © 2018 by Aimie K. Runyan

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by Lake Union Publishing, Seattle

www.apub.com

Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Lake Union Publishing are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

ISBN-13: 9781503946774 (hardcover)

ISBN-10: 1503946770 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 9781542045865 (paperback)

ISBN-10: 154204586X (paperback)

Cover design by Laura Klynstra

First edition