Hughes’ ‘Blazing Sky’ is sprawling saga

Amanda Hughes has said that writing “Beneath A Blazing Sky” was especially challenging because history doesn’t include much about how women helped bring about many important events.

The book opens with 27-year-old Piper Albright, who has come to Boston in search of her Aunt Tilly. She had been there to speak in favor of women’s suffrage but had disappeared when the bolts of a massive tank of molasses let go flooding the area in several feet of the sticky syrup. Many people and animals died in the deluge.

Piper goes to the morgue where she finds a woman she identifies as her aunt because of the satchel she is wearing. Suddenly Piper’s world is turned upside-down.

We are then taken back to Piper’s childhood where we learn about what brought her to this point. Lots of immigrants work and live at the very popular Coney Island Amusement Park. It is the only life 11-year-old Piper Albright has ever known. She is tiny for her age, but a total tomboy and tough to win the many fights she gets into.

After wounding a man attacking her mother, she is sent to live with her Aunt Tilly and Uncle Saul in New York city. Piper is awed by the new experience. It doesn’t take her long to realize that Aunt Tilly really cares about her — something Piper’s mother never had time for. Eventually she learns to read, write, dress and how to behave in polite society.

Piper also learns about her aunt’s determined work to obtain the vote for women. Although it isn’t her passion, she does whatever needed to further the cause. When Piper discovers her real passion is fashion design, her uncle encourages her to design hats for his company.

To their delight, the hats are a big success. Piper has a keen eye for what women want and lands a job as assistant buyer for a big department store. Her boss is handsome and charming. Their brief affair leaves Piper shaken, but more certain that she will never give up her freedom for marriage.

With help from Saul, Piper opens her own business, Albright Hats, which is an instant success. Suddenly the dirty waif from Coney Island is thrust into the world of high fashion. That leads to expansion into Europe where Piper finds extended family, inspiration and new friends in Britain, France and Belgium.

Piper is able to form business relationships with many of the women who work creating intricate laces and other specialty items. Many of those women will go on to become fashion icons themselves. When the Germans declare war on Belgium, Piper begins working with the CRB relief organization. There she meets the attractive, but secretive Bret Collier. Their affair is almost inevitable.

During her time in Europe, Piper is involved in many harrowing events, both on her own or with Bret. As the war grinds on Piper’s family put themselves in great danger as they work to help the people of Belgium. Piper is hurt and angry when Bret misses a rendezvous and never contacts her, so she hardens her heart and throws herself into the war effort.

Later she discovers that her “friend” had intercepted Bret’s telegrams which changes everything. When the war finally ends and those who survived are reunited, Piper goes to tell Uncle Saul about Tilly’s death. She is stunned to see her aunt alive and well. Tilly had given her satchel to someone else and was gone when the molasses vast exploded.

She and Bret agree that what they have is perfect as neither of them wants marriage. Suddenly Piper’s world was right again, and she is ready for the next adventure.

Adventures surround us. We just have to be ready when to pop up. Your public library has lots of adventure books waiting for us. Drop by soon and check it out.