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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audio book. Obviously, much has been written about the Lindberghs, but for me, this was an introduction to their stories. I have no idea how true the portrayal of Anne is, but the author certainly created a credible characterization of both Anne and Charles. Also, as a mother who has lost a young child, I felt the author did a good job of capturing the drowning agony of that loss, and the steps to healing.
3.5 stars.
Like most, I was familiar with the Lindbergh's prior to reading this novel, but I did not know very much beyond the fact that he flew solo to Paris and they had lost a child to kidnapping. It was nice to get a bit more of a complete picture, though I will admit a bit of guilt to my interest after reading how much their lives were affected by overzealous fans and the exposure of their lives through the media. Even this novel, ultimately, started to feel like a bit of an intrusion into their privacy...though they have both been deceased for several years.
I liked the writing style of this book for the most part. I felt that it was very intimately told and that I had a good sense of who Anne really was. However, there was a heavy-handed repetition of Charles's character that felt terribly one-sided. Looking into the facts of historical events, it seems that there were some ways in which the author presented a propagandized version of Lindbergh rather than the truth. I suppose a little extra controversy was needed to help make the plot more sensational. There were also a few instances where descriptions felt overly explicit in a way that didn't fit with the remainder of the narrative.
Reading Anne's story was a good exposure to the other side of the coin, so to speak. She was a remarkably extraordinary woman whose accomplishments should have been lauded like her husbands, yet she has somehow slipped from the history books unnoticed. This was a sad realization. So...even though I felt a bit unsettled at knowing I was prying into their lives, it felt somewhat good to know that she was getting some of the acknowledgments she deserves.
Overall, a good read...but one that is truly historical fiction rather than a fully accurate account.
Like most, I was familiar with the Lindbergh's prior to reading this novel, but I did not know very much beyond the fact that he flew solo to Paris and they had lost a child to kidnapping. It was nice to get a bit more of a complete picture, though I will admit a bit of guilt to my interest after reading how much their lives were affected by overzealous fans and the exposure of their lives through the media. Even this novel, ultimately, started to feel like a bit of an intrusion into their privacy...though they have both been deceased for several years.
I liked the writing style of this book for the most part. I felt that it was very intimately told and that I had a good sense of who Anne really was. However, there was a heavy-handed repetition of Charles's character that felt terribly one-sided. Looking into the facts of historical events, it seems that there were some ways in which the author presented a propagandized version of Lindbergh rather than the truth. I suppose a little extra controversy was needed to help make the plot more sensational. There were also a few instances where descriptions felt overly explicit in a way that didn't fit with the remainder of the narrative.
Reading Anne's story was a good exposure to the other side of the coin, so to speak. She was a remarkably extraordinary woman whose accomplishments should have been lauded like her husbands, yet she has somehow slipped from the history books unnoticed. This was a sad realization. So...even though I felt a bit unsettled at knowing I was prying into their lives, it felt somewhat good to know that she was getting some of the acknowledgments she deserves.
Overall, a good read...but one that is truly historical fiction rather than a fully accurate account.
I just finished revisiting Berg's Lindbergh biography and heard of this book, so I quickly checked out the digital audio version from my library's Libby app.
I enjoy good historical fiction based upon real life subjects, and I had already spent quite a bit of time down the Lindbergh kidnapping rabbit hole in my early adulthood. I understood then, as now, that Anne Morrow Lindbergh was a force in her own right.
This novel shows how difficult it must have been to be the wife of the world's most celebrated man. It also showed how accomplished Anne was at a great many things, but it was always in the shadow of her husband. The book also telegraphed the message of what a difficult man Charles Lindbergh must have been to live with, and in fact there were many times he left for months at a time. Of course, anyone who follows the news knows now that it was because he had three other families in Europe. This book presents those facts as ones Anne knew about.
I appreciate the fact that more women's stories are being told, both in fiction and nonfiction venues. This is a very good introduction to a woman who was accomplished in her own right, but who wasn't allowed to shine too brightly because of who her husband was.
I enjoy good historical fiction based upon real life subjects, and I had already spent quite a bit of time down the Lindbergh kidnapping rabbit hole in my early adulthood. I understood then, as now, that Anne Morrow Lindbergh was a force in her own right.
This novel shows how difficult it must have been to be the wife of the world's most celebrated man. It also showed how accomplished Anne was at a great many things, but it was always in the shadow of her husband. The book also telegraphed the message of what a difficult man Charles Lindbergh must have been to live with, and in fact there were many times he left for months at a time. Of course, anyone who follows the news knows now that it was because he had three other families in Europe. This book presents those facts as ones Anne knew about.
I appreciate the fact that more women's stories are being told, both in fiction and nonfiction venues. This is a very good introduction to a woman who was accomplished in her own right, but who wasn't allowed to shine too brightly because of who her husband was.
I would have enjoyed it more if there were more facts and action and less concern towards the emotional and relationships. Maybe that's because of the way Anne is portrayed in the relationship:
"I knew, with a weary resignation, that whenever he asked, wherever he went, I would follow. Charles was the wind that blew me hither and yon, that lifted me off this earth, kept me aloft, pulled me along like a helpless kite, but also gave me wings with which I could touch the sun. What chance did a baby have against him?" - Page 153
"Because he had been returned to me. My husband, my Charles; the one loss I knew from which I would never recover." - Page 310
Um.. excuse me. Pretty sure you should never put your husband above your child.. and "The one loss I knew from which I would never recover"? Hello! You had a child kidnapped and murdered. Why are you so enamored with this control freak, anti-semetic, douchebag? ... Yes, EVENTUALLY, she becomes
a stronger female character- in the last few pages. Not enough for me.
Obviously, I realize there's a "fiction" in "historical fiction" for a reason, so perhaps I am better off reading Anne's diaries, or their daughter's memoir, or one of the many other non-fiction accounts out there. Melanie Benjamin says herself in the author's note, "as a historical novelist, the most gratifying thing I hear is that the reader was inspired, after reading my work of fiction, to research these remarkable people's lives further. That is what historical fiction does best, I think; it leaves the reader with a desire to know more." -- So, kudos, on that point, because now I'm intrigued by what the truth could actually be, in relation to this... this.
I've read "Gift from the Sea" many times, and I'm sure the author delved deeply into Anne Morrow Lindbergh's diaries....which is great, because I felt as though the voice of the narrator of this book was close to how AML really wrote. I felt as though these were truly her words.
I knew very little about the couple other than the flights, and the fact that AML spent a lot of time on Captiva Island, FL. This book definitely sent me to google to search some things. Wow. Great book. Loved it.
I knew very little about the couple other than the flights, and the fact that AML spent a lot of time on Captiva Island, FL. This book definitely sent me to google to search some things. Wow. Great book. Loved it.
This book earned four stars, instead of five, only because I finished it and felt so much empathy for the main character that I felt oddly melancholy for the rest of the day. But it was a good story and one that needed to be told. I find that past events, historic events, retold in a woman's narrative (daughter/lover/mother/wife) to be so much more interesting than the basic facts found in history books. I will definitely look for other books by this talented author.
I thoroughly enjoyed this slice of Anne Morrow's life and loves. Heartfelt and intriguing.
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her, including her millionaire father and vibrant older sister, who often steals the spotlight. Then Anne, a college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family. There 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 celebrated 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. Hounded by adoring crowds and hunted by an insatiable press, Charles shields himself and his new bride from prying eyes, leaving Anne to feel her life falling back into the shadows. In the years that follow, despite her own major achievements—she becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States—Anne 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.
I haven’t heard of Linnberg’s, not till I picked up the novel. I love historical novels and when I came across THE AVIATOR’S WIFE in library I had a good feeling about, a feeling that it was going to be a great story. After reading the book I can see why it’s popular and why so many readers fell in love with the story. THE AVIATOR’S WIFE was intriguing, unlike any other historical books I have read before. A love story with twists. I wasn’t aware that it was an actual story till halfway through novel and then reading facts in story which seemed accurate, I looked it up. Of course that sparked my interest more once I realized that it was based on real events. I was blown away by the story, the characters. I felt all the emotions that Anne was feeling through the book. I fell in love with the story. It’s not just a love story but story about friendship, family, hope, acceptance, grief.
Anne was one of those characters that you can’t help but love. There weren’t a single moment in the book where I didn’t love her. I loved everything about her and the book fit well, from her point of view, a way for reader to see what Anne thought, how she was feeling at certain times. On more than one occasion I felt bad for her, she married Charles because she loved him but only end up being in his shadow. One of reasons that she became so well know, was because how famous her husband was and because of his last name. I felt like Anne wasn’t appreciated at all, even by her own husband. I liked Charles in beginning but as they married I saw him for who he truly was and I wondered if he actually cared about her at all. The way he treated her, especially after their son died. How can you just let go after your son was kidnapped and killed? I was wondering at that point if he even had heart. At same time when he did something unexpected I found myself having mixing feelings about the character. I can tell why Anne felt that she was in his shadow, because she was.
The historical aspects in the novel were amazing, I saw myself picturing everything while I was reading the novel. Once I reached the end of novel, I knew so much more about Linnberg’s that before and was fascinated by their story that I read even more, online. It’s not a happy story; you will shed tears few times you will also get angry, mostly at Charles. It’s a story that you will think about afterwards and have trouble letting go. An Unforgeable love story.
This book is an entertaining, interesting take on the life of Charles Lindbergh’s wife. A bit soapy for me, but would be a great beach read.
I had a hard time identifying with the characters, and found the character development thin
I had a hard time identifying with the characters, and found the character development thin