Required to have a college education, speak two languages, and possess the political savvy of a Foreign Service officer, a jet-age stewardess serving on Pan Am between 1966 and 1975 also had to be between 53" and 59", between 105 and 140 pounds, and under 26 years of age at the time of hire. Cooke's storytelling weaves together the real-life stories of a memorable cast of characters, from small-town girl Lynne Totten, a science major, to Hazel Bowie, one of the few Black stewardesses of the era, as they embrace the liberation of their jet-set life and their role in the Vietnam War.