In the spirit of Loving Frank and The Paris Wife, acclaimed novelist Melanie Benjamin pulls back the curtain on the marriage of one of America’s most extraordinary couples: Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. “The history [is] exhilarating. . . . The Aviator’s Wife soars.”—USA Today NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWhen Anne Morrow, a shy college senior with hidden literary aspirations, … BESTSELLER
When Anne Morrow, a shy college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family, she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. In the years that follow, Anne becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States. But despite this and other major achievements, she is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness.
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Praise for The Aviator’s Wife
“Remarkable . . . The Aviator’s Wife succeeds [in] putting the reader inside Anne Lindbergh’s life with her famous husband.”—The Denver Post
“Anne Morrow Lindbergh narrates the story of the Lindberghs’ troubled marriage in all its triumph and tragedy.”—USA Today
“[This novel] will fascinate history buffs and surprise those who know of her only as ‘the aviator’s wife.’ “—People
“It’s hard to quit reading this intimate historical fiction.”—The Dallas Morning News
“Fictional biography at its finest.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Utterly unforgettable.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An intimate examination of the life and emotional mettle of Anne Morrow.”—The Washington Post
“A story of both triumph and pain that will take your breath away.”—Kate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker
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A good look at the lives of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh from Anne’s point of view. The daughter of the Ambassador to Mexico in the late 20s / early 30s, Anne Morrow was a middle child who felt like she was often overlooked, with an uneventful future ahead of her. Longing to make a mark on the world, Anne meets and later marries American hero Charles Lindbergh, not long after his epic journey from the US to Paris in The Spirit of St. Louis. At the time, she was smitten and ready for adventure. Adventure is what she got, in spades. What Anne did not anticipate was the rigid, often cold relationship with her new husband. There were good, loving times when the two would fly together, lost in the air away from the harsh realities that came with stardom. More often than not, though, life as the aviator’s wife was a struggle where her fear of being overlooked was realized.
I want to think that Anne was a strong woman with gumption. Benjamin did a great job of presenting Anne as a young, naive woman who is often beaten down emotionally by a man who was overbearing. Throughout the book we see Anne transformed into her own woman with her own voice. It is a well researched book, sticking close to historical events, taking licenses on Anne’s personality and character. I read this right after reading A. Scott Berg’s biography on Lindbergh. It was a nice follow up to see their lives from Anne’s vantage point. She had to be a remarkable person for putting up with the larger than life character that was her husband.
Learned some things I didn’t know from this book
Didn’t know alot about this family, and especially was shocked at the ending!!
This book expanding my understanding of both Charles Lindberg and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindberg. Now I want to read her books!
I read this book for my book club. I was intrigued by the topic because I knew very little about the Lindberghs. I thought this story was well researched and well written. The main focus was on Anne and Charles, and I felt that the author did a good job with character development.
I will say that this book delves into the problems with fame and the harsh influence the media had on their lives. It reminds us that the public faces we see of celebrities is not necessarily who they really are as people. In this story the author shows through Anne how necessary it is to have and know your own self and voice.
Even though this story was not a happy read, I am glad I read it.
Predicatable.
A poignant story of how it took one woman almost a lifetime to find her own voice. More fact than fiction, the author thoroughly explores the life of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. From the shadow of being an Ambassador’s daughter, to the shadow of being Charles Lindbergh’s wife, Anne found her strength through the loneliness, grief and spotlight, becoming a person she never thought possible. The facts of Anne’s life are a sad reminder of how women, no matter how relevant their contribution, are often left out of history.
I love historical fiction, but I simply couldn’t finish this book. Although I was curious to learn more about Lindberg’s world, the main character (the wife) seemed to have no backbone and was a complete turn off for me.
Melanie Benjamin is excellent in the genre of biographical fiction. The Aviator’s Wife was no exception. She brings to light the not so greatness of Charles
Lindberg. Is he a hero or a man with exceptional flaws?
Gripping story!
I knew about her first and read this after. Backwards, I know. So I will say that this was a very satisfying read! This book expands on all the spaces the histories miss, in a very credible way. I loved it!
Wow this book really was amazing. Quit an eye opener. Definitely read it !!
I liked the book. Some excitement!
Writing: 5 Stars;
Characters: 5 Stars;
Plot: 5 Stars;
Entertaining: 5 Stars;
Read Again? No. A one-time read.
Total: 5 Stars
I feel the author has done a wonderful job bringing these historic characters to life. I was deeply moved and touch by this story. I will be looking for more of her work.
Have tissues handy.
Having enjoyed Melanie Benjamin’s previous books (Alice I Have Been and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, which seems never to have made it into the blog, but which I remember liking), I have been looking forward to reading her most recent novel, The Aviator’s Wife. Benjamin’s third book is in the same vein as her previous two – historical figures reimagined and revisited. In this case, the character is Anne Lindbergh, aka Mrs. Charles Lindbergh, himself known by any number of nicknames, not least “Lucky Lindy” after his successful solo flight from New York to Paris in 1927.
Character voice – the extent to which Benjamin is able to embody Anne Lindbergh and make the reader forget that The Aviator’s Wife is a fictional account – is the real strength of this book. The weakness is the characters themselves. Anne and Charles both become, very quickly, people it is hard to like (although the reader can at least feel sorry for Anne who is so hunted by the early paparazzi that one cannot help but compare her to Princess Di – or Kate Middleton). Both Anne and Charles are complex characters, but Charles is portrayed here, accurately or not, as a domineering bully, pompous and bombastic on the best of days; cruel and sneering on the worst. Also he seems to have been an anti-Semitic Nazi-sympathizer, which doesn’t really help him much. As for Anne, although I was frequently irritated by Anne’s seeming indecision and weakness, I also recognize that it is difficult (at best) to judge a woman who lived in such a different era, when opportunities and expectations were so very different from today.
As with The Paris Wife (the story of Ernest Hemingway’s first marriage to Hadley Richardson, and still the best of the historical fiction character embodiment novels that I’ve read), it’s hard to know where the facts end and the fiction begins. Benjamin includes a few pages of notes at the end where she sites specific incidents that are true – such as the kidnapping of their firstborn – for example, as well as incidents she created for the purposes of her story. Still, I was left scratching my head over her decision that Anne would never reveal Charles’s womanizing to their children; this information is clearly in the public domain today, so it’s not clear if the real Anne ever felt this way or if Benjamin made that decision for her own reasons.
(This review was originally published at http://www.thisyearinbooks.com/2013/08/the-aviators-wife.html)
Historical fiction is a favorite category of mine, what a sad story.
This is an excellent book that chronicles the life events of Charles and Anne (Morrow) Lindbergh, the famous aviator that made the first transatlantic flight to Paris in 1927.
Having read biographies about Charles and Anne, their lives together and apart , the book has wonderful dialogue and insight into their marriage, family, and the many events, some tragic that followed them wherever they went.
Would highly recommend.
Great story about the woman/family behind the man Charles Lindbergh, I had NO IDEA. Surprising to the end!
Found it very interesting and administrative red how strong she was while he got all the fame
One of the best books I have read in a long time. I highly recommend it
Not much action but interesting life.