About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is transitioning into the more complex realities of adulthood or expressing interest in history and aviation. It serves as a bridge for readers who loved Dahl's whimsical fiction but are now ready for the grit of the real world. This memoir follows a young Roald Dahl as he leaves home for Africa, joins the RAF, and survives harrowing dogfights and a near-fatal desert crash. It captures a rare blend of youthful wonder and the sobering realities of war, offering a masterclass in resilience and the power of finding humor in dire circumstances. While it deals with genuine danger and the loss of friends, Dahl's signature voice keeps the narrative accessible and deeply engaging for the 10 to 15 age range.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
1. DISTRESS: The description of Dahl's plane crash is visceral, detailing his face being smashed and his nose being driven into his skull. He also describes the death of fellow pilots, including a scene where he witnesses friends taking off for missions from which they never return. There are also descriptions of wartime injuries and the physical toll of combat. 2. CONVERSATION: Be ready to explain the context of British colonialism in Africa during the 1930s. Dahl’s descriptions of East Africans often reflect the racist and paternalistic attitudes of the 1930s British Empire. Parents should be prepared to discuss how these depictions dehumanize local populations and reflect the era’s colonial prejudices. Additionally, the high mortality rate and the way young pilots were often sent on missions with little training or chance of survival may require a conversation about the ethics and tragedy of wartime attrition.
Ideal Reader
A middle schooler who is a 'history buff' or obsessed with aviation, particularly one who appreciates dark humor and needs to see how a person survives traumatic setbacks through grit and storytelling.
Parent Prep
Parents may want to preview the chapter titled 'The Pitch Black,' which details the immediate aftermath of his crash and his surgery, to ensure their child can handle the medical descriptions. A parent might hear their child describing a graphic injury, like Dahl's temporary blindness or his face being rebuilt, or asking about the reality of young men being sent into certain-death missions.
Age Experience
Younger readers (10-11) will focus on the adventure, the snakes, and the 'cool' factor of the planes. Older readers (14-15) will likely pick up on the isolation Dahl feels and the absurdity of the military bureaucracy.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many WWII memoirs, this is written by a master of children's fiction. It possesses a 'storyteller's pace' that makes historical facts feel like high-stakes drama, avoiding the dry tone of typical military history.
Read plot summary
This is the second installment of Roald Dahl's autobiography, following 'Boy.' It begins with his 1938 departure for East Africa to work for Shell, where he explores his experiences working in British-occupied Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and the social hierarchy of the colonial era. Upon the outbreak of WWII, he joins the RAF, undergoes pilot training, and is sent to the Western Desert. The narrative focuses heavily on his 1940 crash in Libya, his recovery from temporary blindness and skull fractures, and his subsequent combat missions in the Battle of Athens, flying Hawker Hurricanes against the Luftwaffe.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Dahl says that 'a life is made up of a great amount of small things and a very few big ones.' Looking at his time in Africa, which 'small things' do you think prepared him for the 'big' event of the war?
2
How does Dahl's tone change when he is describing the animals in Africa versus when he is describing the air battles over Greece?
3
After his terrible crash in the desert, Dahl returned to flying even though he had severe headaches. Do you think this was bravery, or was it simply because he felt he had no other choice?
4
Dahl often writes about the people he meets as if they are characters in a story. Does this make the history feel more or less real to you?
5
Why do you think Dahl titled this book 'Going Solo'? Consider both the literal meaning (flying a plane alone) and the metaphorical meaning (leaving home for the first time).
