“At every page a guilty secret bobs up; at every page Lawhon keeps us guessing. Who will bring down the Hindenburg? And how?”– New York Times Book ReviewOn the evening of May 3rd, 1937, ninety-seven people board the Hindenburg for its final, doomed flight to Lakehurst, New Jersey. Among them are a frightened stewardess who is not what she seems; the steadfast navigator determined to win her … navigator determined to win her heart; a naive cabin boy eager to earn a permanent spot on the world’s largest airship; an impetuous journalist who has been blacklisted in her native Germany; and an enigmatic American businessman with a score to settle. Over the course of three hazy, champagne-soaked days their lies, fears, agendas, and hopes for the future are revealed.
Flight of Dreams is a fiercely intimate portrait of the real people on board the last flight of the Hindenburg. Behind them is the gathering storm in Europe and before them is looming disaster. But for the moment they float over the Atlantic, unaware of the inexorable, tragic fate that awaits them.
Brilliantly exploring one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century, Flight of Dreams is that rare novel with spellbinding plotting that keeps you guessing till the last page and breathtaking emotional intensity that stays with you long after.
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Stunning story set aboard the Hindenburg on its final, fateful voyage, following a handful of intertwined plot lines to the inevitable and wrenching conclusion. Bonus: a denouement that made me shout “DAMMIT ARIEL” to the not-present author when I read it. Don’t miss.
Ariel Lawhon’s historical novel Flight of Dreams imagines the lives of the Hindenburg passengers in the final days before the epic disaster that destroyed the airship.
The history is well-known: in the 1930s, the world’s aviation industry was rapidly changing and expanding into intercontinental passenger travel, and nothing was a greater symbol of those ambitions that the Hindenburg. The giant airship was filled with lifting gas and could travel from Europe to the east coast of the United States in just three days, cutting the transatlantic travel time by more than a half. In May 1937, at the end of a routine flight from Frankfurt to Lakehurst, New Jersey, the airship exploded and burned in less than 40 seconds, killing 36 of the 97 people on board.
The exact cause of the catastrophe has been a subject of speculations ever since. Explanations have ranged from bad weather and errors made by the crew to a variety of conspiracy theories. The latter have been fueled by the fact that as the pride of Hitler’s Germany, the Hindenburg (which had swastikas emblazoned on its tail) came to be associated with the Nazi regime. As such, the airship was a target for those opposing Hitler, and it was reported that prior to the fatal flight it had received bomb threats.
Taking this wealth of historical material (as well as speculation), and using her own imagination, Lawhon tells a fictionalized story of several of the Hindenburg’s passengers and crew. Each character narrates their own perspective on the flight, and through their eyes we witness the carefree, decadent, champagne-fuelled lifestyle, alongside the growing fear of Germany tilting ever more toward tyranny, antisemitism and war. In Lawhon’s telling, the motivations, passions, and secrets of these characters intertwine vividly and dramatically as they and the iconic ship hurtle toward their doom.
Ariel Lawhon is a talented historical fiction writer, who offers interesting takes on watershed events in world’s history, combining meticulous research with expansive imagination.
Wow! Just wow! Lawhon has brought the story of the Hindenburg’s last flight to life in a stunning creation. Based on the actual passengers and crew on board, she has woven a beautiful portrayal of passion and intrigue in her creative imagining of what could have happened before the enormous airship burst into flames just as it landed in the US.
There is nothing in Lawhom’s story that rings false likely because of her intensive research about the Hindenburg itself as well as the bits and pieces of information that she could find about the passengers and crew.
BLURB:
On the evening of May 3rd, 1937, ninety-seven people board the Hindenburg for its final, doomed flight to Lakehurst, New Jersey. Among them are a frightened stewardess who is not what she seems; the steadfast navigator determined to win her heart; a naive cabin boy eager to earn a permanent spot on the world’s largest airship; an impetuous journalist who has been blacklisted in her native Germany; and an enigmatic American businessman with a score to settle. Over the course of three hazy, champagne-soaked days their lies, fears, agendas, and hopes for the future are revealed.
Flight of Dreams is a fiercely intimate portrait of the real people on board the last flight of the Hindenburg. Behind them is the gathering storm in Europe and before them is looming disaster. But for the moment they float over the Atlantic, unaware of the inexorable, tragic fate that awaits them.
Brilliantly exploring one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century, Flight of Dreams is that rare novel with spellbinding plotting that keeps you guessing till the last page and breathtaking emotional intensity that stays with you long after.
http://www.darlenejonesauthor.com
Thought the book was good, but not exceptional. Found the characters to be, at times, not quite believable. Though I had suspicions about what happened in the end, I’m still not quite sure what did. Recommend for a different take on this.
This novel is about the tragic flight of the Hindenburg. My husband’s grandparents actually watched the ship take off in Germany, a reason that drew me to this book. The main characters were actually a part of the real history of this event. Obviously the author had to create some conversations, emotions, actions but that was well done. Several times I googled Hindenburg to help in understanding what went on–who survived and who didn’t, speculation at the time about the cause of the explosion. A lot of historical information was woven into the stories of the people on board the flight. Entertaining, informative, well-written.
Loved the “what if” story around the well-known explosion of the Hindenburg.
An interesting twist on a famous historical event. Includes some pre-WWII references to life in Germany.
I found this really interesting until I went online and learned the Emilie was real 49 (and as ugly as a mud fence) and Carl was 28. Sort of spoiled the story
I LOVED this book! Historical fiction at its best! Great character descriptions – loved not knowing if one were a “good guy” or a “bad guy”! I will probably reread this book and I have never reread a book before!!!
I loved this book and the story of the Hindenburg.
Loved learning all the history behind this.
Expected more, so a little disappointed. I’m not good with fictional history though, so it’s probably my personal bias.
While the end of the story was part of my knowledge, the story woven with characters and the structure of the dirigible and its function were all new. The people became so real and the anxious ending was heartbreaking.
The story was about the Hindenburg’s last flight. Fictional, but largely based on fact. Good read.
Wasn’t a page turner for me
I never knew many of the facts this novel contains and truly thought everyone on the Hindenburg perished during landing. The back stories are fascinating.
I liked this book because the author developed some really interesting characters. I also had no idea what the Hindenberg consisted of especially inside. Her descriptions of the dining room and the rooms is fascinating. This also has a good storyline. She also makes it clear how people were living during this time. And there is a little
mystery going on too.
Very informative and entertaining. Great read!