The books of Michelle “MACE” Curran

Books written by Michelle Curran (Nadia Saadeh / The Puma Prensa)

By Nadia Saadeh, Staff Writer

When you are in a stressful situation, it is easy for fear to take over.  Former Air Force fighter pilot and current author Michelle “MACE” Curran had many experiences with fear, all of which taught her that fear does not control her, and that she had the power to flip her fear into something new.  This is what she expresses in her book, The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower.  The book offers advice on how to fight fear and become confident in one’s self.   When I read the book, I felt her feelings and experiences, even though I am not in the Air Force and never plan to fly fighter jets.  

Curran has also written two children’s books, Upside Down Dreams, and What’s Your Callsign?.  In Upside Down Dreams, eight-year-old Lilly Padilly dreams of being a fighter, but is met with doubt, causing her to lose confidence in her dream.  Lilly’s grandfather, a former fighter pilot, comforts her and takes her to an airshow, where she meets a female pilot and her dream is brought back to life.  In What's Your Callsign? Lilly gets an embarrassing nickname after making a mistake and feels terrible about herself. Lilly's grandfather teaches her about fighter pilot callsigns, and how they come from mistakes that teach important lessons to boost her confidence.  Both books are good reads for people, especially girls, who dream big and need more confidence in themselves. 

All three of Mace Curran’s books have connectable themes of fighting against your self-doubt and gaining the confidence to do great things.  

Book ratings:

The Flipside ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book felt helpful to me because I was able to relate to Mace’s experiences even though I haven’t experienced some of those things.  It's a great book to read if you struggle with self-confidence or imposter syndrome.  Four stars because I prefer books with pictures in them but this doesn't make The Flipside any less important. 

Upside Down Dreams ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed the pictures and the overall message inspires people, especially young girls, to overcome self doubt and fulfill their dreams. 

What's Your Callsign? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beautiful illustrations, a very important message about learning from mistakes and failure, fun facts about fighter pilot call signs, and important life lessons.