Take the Blue Line to Wonderland: Stories of Turbulence & Transformation in the Golden Age of Air Travel - and Beyond

An unforgettable memoir of courage, curiosity, and finding your voice—at 30,000 feet and beyond.

When Susan Nolan casually told a coworker to “take the Blue Line to Wonderland,” she didn’t realize she was naming the philosophy that would guide her entire life. What sounded like simple directions from Boston’s Logan Airport became an invitation—to possibility, independence, and a life far bigger than she had once imagined.

Take the Blue Line to Wonderland traces Susan’s journey from a shy, observant girl in mid-century Connecticut to a pioneering flight attendant during the Golden Age of Air Travel, and eventually to a respected leader navigating union negotiations, airline mergers, cultural change, love, loss, and reinvention. Along the way, she flies through decades of transformation: the glamour and contradictions of 1960s aviation, the rise of women’s independence, the hard-won battles for dignity in the workplace, and the deeply human moments that unfold in the aisles, galleys, and jump seats of commercial flight.

With warmth, humor, and remarkable insight, Susan introduces readers to unforgettable characters—fearless stewardesses, union “queen bees,” sailors, artists, executives, and lifelong friends—while sharing stories of resilience shaped by turbulence both literal and emotional. From labor negotiations and international travel to unexpected romance, devastating loss, and the reinvention that follows grief, this memoir is as much about inner flight as it is about crossing oceans.

At its heart, this is a book about voice: how it’s found, how it grows, and how it never expires. Reflective, funny, and deeply moving, Take the Blue Line to Wonderland reminds us that you don’t have to be fearless to live a remarkable life—you just have to be curious enough to say yes.

Perfect for readers who love memoirs about women breaking barriers, aviation history, personal transformation, and the quiet courage it takes to keep moving forward.