“The Dragon Run” is a love letter to aviation, but it also has a few easter eggs & nods to other works, from “Out of Africa” to “Pulp Fiction”. Among these, one stands out. More than a nod, it’s a tribute to Joseph Kessel’s “Vent de Sable”, published in 1929.

In 1925, Kessel was the first passenger on the Toulouse-Saint-Louis line, traveling among bags of letters (there was no seat!) with only an interpreter (in case they crashed in Tuareg territory) and the pilot, Émile Lécrivain. “Vent de Sable” is a glimpse into the lives of these early mail pilots, their trials and their joys, their pioneering efforts, their tragedies…

A conversation with the pilots one night alludes to a colleague whose legend is only beginning. His name is Jean Mermoz. The mythology of the “Line” is in its infancy, but the players are in place.

My scene is an overt tribute to a passage that I actually heard on the radio, in Kessel’s own voice, before I read it in the book, of a particularly difficult episode of this extraordinary journey. It is a hauntingly emotional tale and I can only hope my feeble efforts gave it justice.

“The Dragon Run” is out November 1st in ebook and paperback. Preorders are open now on Amazon! Download a free sample here.