You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and her marriage to Charles Lindbergh.
While this is historical fiction, it read like a memoir. engaging story
The book was well written but I just couldn't relate to the characters. Charles is a jerk. I understand that Anne was born of a different era, and that the author was limited because the story involved real people, but I would have related more if Anne had been stronger.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The first time I heard of Charles Lindbergh was when I saw My Girl and Vada says, “The Lindbergh baby was stolen from his room. I’m sleeping with my window open tonight!” When I picked up this book I actually thought it was going to be another WW2 story and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t.
Everyone has heard about Charles Lindbergh and his famous 1927 nonstop flight across the Atlantic and about the baby who was stolen from his crib, but very few people know about the woman behind the man- the aviator’s wife. Melanie Benjamin did a phenomenon job bringing Anne Morrow Lindbergh to life. While most of the events in this book are true, Ms. Benjamin took creative liberties in combining a few together and embellishing others, but the substance of who Anne was is perfectly intact.
My feelings about this were all over the place. I loved the beginning, hated parts of the middle (not the writing, just the jerkish nature of Charles Lindbergh), and loved the end.
Anne always lived in the shadow of Charles, which is exactly how he wanted it, and it wasn’t until her fifties that she finally found the courage to speak out and stand up for herself.
As interesting as this book was I found the parts that took place during WW2 to be very difficult to listen to. I never realized how antisemitic Charles was and listening to his opinions was anger inducing, to say the least.
Melanie Benjamin is a master of historical fiction. I love how she weaves fact with fiction in a way that doesn’t compromise the integrity of the person/event about which she has written and I love how her books always send me down the rabbit hole.
Decent historical read but now I also hate Charles Lindbergh and I’m not too fond of his wife either. Prime example of why marriages need communication ✈️
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Excellent historical fiction.... Curious to read Anne's novel a gift from the Sea
Ugh. What to say? About halfway through (pg 235, right as they go to Germany) I finally just started skimming. I detested Charles for being such an egotistical, self-centered SOB and ANNE....OMG ANNE! I wish I could have given Anne a good, hard shake! I know times were different back then but even before she got with Charles she was so pitiful and woe-is-me and I'm not the one they like, waaah. Seriously, Anne, stop being weak! Argh. I can't argue with the actual writing in the book but clearly Melanie Benjamin had a different view than I did, "She also recognized that she had been the strong one, all along...Anne-tender, courageous, resilient Anne-is the reason we all "love the Lindberghs.""(pg 400). Nope, not feeling the love and still not able to understand Benjamin's defense of this awful marriage and sad main character. People can be flawed and still loveable but if nearly all of what you show us is flaws then I can't buy in. Even (most of) the great things Anne did were forced upon her by her no-good, "hero" husband so they weren't really her triumphs anyways. Okay, done with my rant. Sorry, I just really did not like this book! (Alice I Have Been was definitely more enjoyable for me).
Learned some things about Charles Lindbergh I didn't know. Found myself being annoyed at the first person voice of a historical fiction about a real person.