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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I really enjoy this author. She excels in character development, factual content, and introduces readers to people, events, generations that may be not well known to most people – perhaps we know of Lindbergh, but nowhere near the extent of what is written in this book about him and his wife. I didn’t really like either Charles or Anne, but their lives were gut wrenching and fascinating! I will read more of her books, for sure!
Excellent book. Enjoyed the histoy and savored the read.
I liked that, although it is a novel, the writer based the story on facts. Very well written.
If only Anne could speak up to Charles that her life was important and she should have been treated with more respect. She found this out later in her life but she spent too many years of loneliness. He was so selfish and motivated by his fame not her equal.
A story of a woman who never gave up to follow her dreams, in spite of a very famous and controlling husband.
Easy read. A new look at an American hero and his family through the eyes of his adoring wife, Anne Morrow.
This was a good read, and an interesting glimpse into the lives of Anne and Charles Lindbergh.
I recommended it to our Book Club and it was accepted. Everyone enjoyed it.
Excellent
We have a preconceived idea of our heroes, but sometimes they have feet of clay!
Very interesting read!
The perspective of this story is very interesting. It is not Charles’ story but the coming of age of Anne Morrow Lindberg. At first I found the book repetitive and the characters flat. However, as Anne develops into a more complete character the book becomes rich in both story and history.
Based on a true story, what the author gleaned from history, I felt like I got quite a bit of history
I truly liked this book about the woman who was also the wife of Charles Lindbergh. Although Charles was the most prominent person in her life, the book was about her heroism as an aviator and woman. Since this is a novel, and Anne Lindbergh did not write about her personal life, we will never know is this book was true to her thoughts and emotions.
Loved reading more about Ann Morrow Lindbergh and her personal story, separate from his.
Good historical fiction.
Wonderful. Insightful. Historically dramatic and romantic. I loved and felt the emotion of these people. Loved it!
This is a great historical novel, well written and interesting. It gave me a good sense of what this famous couple’s lives were like.
Loved learning about the Lindbergh
This is a very interesting take on the lives and the relationship of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. Because it is fiction, there are no doubt a number of artistic exceptions (in fact in the afterword, the author mentions several). However, I think her imagination has given us some possible answers to questions I had, having read AML’s diaries and letters as well as her biography by Reeve Lindburgh. This is the story of a woman who initially feels forever inferior to this golden hero who by some chance is her husband and after a lifetime of being ignored and of ignoring her own needs, realizes that she is not only the stronger of the two, but that he has far deviated from his own acceptable norms. This would be an especially good book for a reading group.
In inside look at a famous family. Shared from the wife’s point of view.