Excerpt from Crossing the Horizon by Laurie Notaro, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

It wasn't until they had seated for dinner that he saw the trend he had been laughing at was actually bandages that rendered his daughter's hands almost useless.

"Now, before you say anything, Father," she said the moment she saw his mouth drop as Effi and Mother braced themselves for the scolding, "it's not as bad as it seems. Just two cuts; they will heal quickly."

"Exactly how bad are they?" he demanded. "Your hands are entirely bandaged!"

"Not all useless." Elsie grinned slightly as she wiggled the tops of her fingers that were visible above the wrappings.

"Let me ask if this injury was a result of your reckless hobby. I warned you about propellers and hot parts of the engine," he said sternly. "Airplanes! Ridiculous! This is complete insanity. I don't know why . . . anyone—"

"You mean a woman, Father," Elsie interrupted, mimicking his stern stare and furrowed brow.

Effie giggled as Lady Inchcape suddenly looked away and smiled. "All of my daughters are capable of anything they set their mind to. But you have so much already on your schedule with the design of the new ship that learning to fly an airplane seems preposterous to me, and that is aside from the prevalent danger," he insisted, then softened. "My darling girl, my thoughts are only for you."

The women burst out laughing, and Inchcape grinned as he cut into his roast.

"It's quite safe, I can assure you," Elsie relayed. "As long as you have a reliable safety belt, it can be quite a delightful hobby."

"At the very least, you'll have Dr. Cunningham look at it," he added after he had swallowed.

"I am a nurse, dear father," she reminded him. "You do remember that."

"Oh, indeed I do," he volleyed. "And it is because of the result of your nursing that I am so concerned for you now. We nearly lost you once, Mousie Mine, with that marriage incident, and I am reluctant to lose you again. Your girlish charms have unbridled powers."

Elsie smiled slightly as a response, but quickly withdrew it. She wasn't hungry—the food on her plate actually repelled her—and her fingers were throbbing. After Herne had pried her sliced hands off the bracing wire, he wrapped one of them with her handkerchief and the other with her flying scarf, then drove her to Dr. Cunningham, who stitched ten loops in her right and twelve in her left, and gave her a small bottle of laudanum for the pain. Elsie would get the use of her hands back in several weeks, the doctor said, but until then, there was no flying. Herne looked on and agreed.

"I'm going upstairs," Elsie said as she pushed back her chair. "I'm in need of some rest. Sophie had said she might stop by; if she does, send her up, will you?"

Excerpted from Crossing the Horizon by Laurie Notaro. Copyright © 2016 by Laurie Notaro. Excerpted by permission of Gallery Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.