“Behind every successful man is a woman who …”
The glory that the Wright Brothers experienced after their historic 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., was due to an unheralded and forgotten woman—their sister, Katharine.
Georgia Writers Museum has announced its October Meet the Author presenter, international bestselling author Tracey Enerson Wood, who will discuss her new book, Katharine, The Wright Sister. The event will be held on Oct. 1 at the Georgia Writers Museum in downtown Eatonton, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. program start.
Wilbur and Orville Wright risked life and limb in their ultimately successful pursuit of human flight. But their sister Katharine was the behind-the-scenes mastermind of their inventions. She sourced materials, managed communications, and kept Wilbur and Orville focused on their goal – even when it seemed hopeless – all at the expense of her own dreams and plans.
But the Wright Brothers’ success wasn’t the end of Katherine’s sacrifice. At the height of her brothers’ fame, tragedy ripped them apart time and again, forcing Katharine to make choices that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Katharine, The Wright Sister is an intricate and refreshingly emotional historical novel that reveals the story of one of the most consequential women in history, and the incredible, courageous choices she made so that others might fly.
After graduating from Ohio’s Oberlin College, she pursued a professional career as a high school teacher in Dayton – and became an international celebrity.
A significant figure in the early 20th-century women’s movement, she served as the third female trustee of Oberlin College. She also made three flights with Wilbur, becoming one of the first women worldwide to go up in an airplane.
Wood is a retired registered nurse and published playwright whose family is steeped in military tradition. She is the national and international bestselling author of The Engineer’s Wife, The War Nurse, and The President’s Wife. She started her own interior design company, raised two children, and bounced around the world as a military wife, all while indulging her writing passion.
Wood has authored screenplays, magazine columns and articles, web content, and other nonfiction, as well as written and directed plays of all lengths.
Wood also co-authored an anthology/cookbook titled Homefront Cooking: Recipes, Wit, and Wisdom from American Veterans and Their Loved Ones, which was released by Skyhorse Publishing. All author profits were donated to organizations supporting veterans. Life Hacks for Military Spouses is her latest nonfiction release.
Visit Georgia Writers Museum online at georgiawritermuseum.org to register for Wood’s presentation and pre-order a copy of Katharine: The Wright Sister.
Tickets are $40 and will include a unique gourmet meal that Chef Brent will fashion around the theme of Wood’s new book.