Behind the Smile
As I entered the hotel lobby, a grenade exploded, shattering glass everywhere. An employee shoved me into a hall closet and locked the door.
Eager to taste adventure at age 23, Bobbi Wolverton became an international flight attendant in 1965. It was a more innocent and glamorous time of travel, when passengers dressed formally, smoking was permitted, and the captain allowed in-flight visits to the cockpit.
But there was another side to her profession. It was also hard, sometimes unglamorous, and often dangerous work.
In this memoir, Bobbi shares fascinating true tales that shocked her friends and parents.
Harrowing landings in bad weather.
Unruly passengers.
Sexual escapades.
Babies born during flight.
Terrifying episodes in war zones.
Stories are often set in such exotic locales as Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, France, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, and Egypt.
Behind the Smile takes us on a roller coaster ride of laughter and drama, giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the joys and heartaches of working in the airline industry during its most glamorous era.
Available in: paperback (5-1/2×8-1/2, 219 pages)
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Black Empress
Bobbi Wolverton and her husband became familiar flyfishing figures after graduating from the University of California and traveling around the world. On their eighteen-month trip, they arrived in the Middle East in 1972. They worked in Iran, a Muslim country, for almost four months. From there they flew to India and Nepal. When they returned to the States, their rescued black Labrador Bahnoo, the Black Empress, was with them. The puppy traveled across country, endured Berkeley riots, and lived on an Idaho ranch.
But there was another side to their international journey. They witnessed disastrous conflicts and risked physical injury. Throughout this memoir, Bobbi shares fascinating true tales that alarmed all who knew her.
Frightening police interrogations.
Terrifying river crossings in pitch blackness.
A near rape in Tehran and drugs from Nepal.
The thread that weaves through these tales is the Black Empress, a Labrador retriever that Bobbi saved from certain death. The puppy, a sickly runt, could never have survived without Bobbi’s intervention. Traditional Muslims believe that dogs are impure. Rescuing one in Iran meant putting herself in a dangerous position with co-workers and the residents of Tehran.
Black Empress takes us on an exciting ride of terror, drama, and humor, giving us a look at several thrilling aspects of international travel. Bobbi delivers tales of triumph with compelling chapters of living in Iran, India, and Nepal complemented with maps and photographs. Black Empress is an entertaining book for dog lovers, anglers, thrill-seeking adventurers, and Middle East historians.
