Which novel had the character who was the namesake for Enola Gay Tibbets nee' Haggard?

Question

On 11/01/07, the NYT obits reported the death of Paul Tibbets Jr., the pilot of the Enola Gay, which dropped the first A-bomb on Japan. The obit states: "His mother, the former Enola Gay Haggard, grew up on an Iowa farm and was named for a character in a novel her father was reading shortly before she was born."

Can't find reference to the particular novel or information on the character. I wonder if, as many know, the fact that "Enola" spelled backwards is "alone" has any significance in the book?

Thanks for the quick response and the link! The blogger is only guessing that "Enola" is the fated novel, but the dates seem to work.

I was hoping for more information on the content of the book or a discussion, but my own research doesn't bring up anything about the summary. I enlisted the help of a local librarian and feel confident that she'll help get to the bottom of this mystery.

Answer 1

Enola, or, Her Fatal Mistake (1886), by Mary Young Ridenbaugh