Flight Path by Hannah Palmer
Flight Path is a memoir written by Hannah Palmer, an Atlanta native who discovers that all three of her childhood homes have been wiped out by the expansion of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. In this book, Palmer chronicles the overlooked devastation and beauty along the airport’s fringe communities, unearthing startling narratives about race, power, and place that continue to shape American cities.
Palmer embarks on a quest to determine the fate of her lost homes and of a community that has been erased by unchecked Southern progress. Her journey takes her from the ruins of kudzu-covered, airport-owned ghost towns to carefully preserved cemeteries wedged between the runways. Along the way, Palmer becomes an amateur detective, an urban historian, and a mother.
The birth of Palmer’s first son forms another narrative component of the book, deepening its themes of heritage, belonging, and family. Flight Path is a riveting account of one young mother’s attempt at making a home where there’s little home left.
What I Liked
I love, love, love any detailed, engaging book about Atlanta – and this one delivers. It’s a must-read for any Atlantan, but especially any transplant looking to rapidly understand why Atlanta is the way it is.
What I Did Not Like
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