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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Anne Morrow Lindbergh gets 5 stars, but the novelization of her life with Charles gets a 3. The best thing about the book was it goaded me to spend time in the public library, rummaging through Anne's journals, a couple of biographies about her. I also spent an hour reading timelines about A.M. Lindbergh and reading the NYT's comprehensive and elegant obituary for her. And after decades of having _Gifts from the Sea_ on my "to read" list, I finally get a copy of A.M. Lindbergh's best-selling book on my nightstand.
Admittedly, Benjamin has a difficult task. A.M. Lindbergh has written over a dozen books, some of them accounts of her flights exploring airways with her husband, some of them compilations of her journals and letters. That's a lot of material, and I applaud Benjamin for distilling all of that into a 300-ish page novel for readers less inclined to read so many primary texts.
However, the writing was at times overly sentimental and repetitive. I wasn't going to finish it, because I kept thinking that A.M. Lindbergh herself was a prolific and gifted writer. Why not go to the source? But after spending several hours reading books by Anne and about Anne, I found myself at a doctor's office waiting on a friend, and I had Benjamin's book in my purse to return to the library later, so I did finish it. I actually liked the last chapter. It was the most poetic, philosophical and elegant part of the book.
_The Aviator's Wife_ does ask questions about the difficulty of being married to someone who is famous, controlling and cold. Readers watch Anne struggle to find the emotional support she needs with a husband who is often absent physically and certainly absent emotionally. Her book _Gifts from the Sea_ meditates on the difficult and evolving roles that women have.
Well, at least can say that Benjamin didn't let her artistry crowd out the subject of her novel. _The Aviator's Wife_ does invite readers to view Anne as talented, tender-hearted, and resilient in the face of many challenges, chief among them her unsatisfactory marriage to an American hero.
Admittedly, Benjamin has a difficult task. A.M. Lindbergh has written over a dozen books, some of them accounts of her flights exploring airways with her husband, some of them compilations of her journals and letters. That's a lot of material, and I applaud Benjamin for distilling all of that into a 300-ish page novel for readers less inclined to read so many primary texts.
However, the writing was at times overly sentimental and repetitive. I wasn't going to finish it, because I kept thinking that A.M. Lindbergh herself was a prolific and gifted writer. Why not go to the source? But after spending several hours reading books by Anne and about Anne, I found myself at a doctor's office waiting on a friend, and I had Benjamin's book in my purse to return to the library later, so I did finish it. I actually liked the last chapter. It was the most poetic, philosophical and elegant part of the book.
_The Aviator's Wife_ does ask questions about the difficulty of being married to someone who is famous, controlling and cold. Readers watch Anne struggle to find the emotional support she needs with a husband who is often absent physically and certainly absent emotionally. Her book _Gifts from the Sea_ meditates on the difficult and evolving roles that women have.
Well, at least can say that Benjamin didn't let her artistry crowd out the subject of her novel. _The Aviator's Wife_ does invite readers to view Anne as talented, tender-hearted, and resilient in the face of many challenges, chief among them her unsatisfactory marriage to an American hero.
I'm a fan of this genre -- the lives of women who were overshadowed by famous men -- and this novel did not disappoint! At times, the narrative dragged, but I loved the internal changes that happened within the character at the end of the novel.
I usually don't like to read historical fiction, but this was an excellent story.
I gave the book three stars, not for the writing but for the story line in general. While I realize this is a fictional account of the life and times of Anne Lindberg, I found the story line both fascinating and sad. I was born much later than the majority of the storyline; therefore, I wasn't fully aware of the impact the Lindberg's had on the world. I found Anne's courage to be extraordinary on the one hand and yet, I was puzzled that such a remarkable woman could be in such a controlling relationship. Her need for approval was pivotal to her relationship with Charles. The portrayal of Charles Lindberg was perhaps the most difficult to understand given the degree to which he was revere through most of his life. A truly great man with a vision and determination beyond the imagination of his time, he was also an extremely complex man with an inability to connect on a personal level with those who loved and needed him the most -- his family.
I had really high expectations for this book. I thought the writing was good but couldn't get over what a terrible person Charles Lindbergh was!
This historical fiction was a fabulous story about Anne Lindbergh. She was a strong woman married to a not so easy man.
It grew on me-- while I didn't love it at the beginning, the story got intriguing as it went on. The life story of the Lindberghs is a fascinating one --now I need to reread her book Gift from the Sea, which I'm not sure I appreciated when I read it the first time!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book started off slow and kind of dull, but grew into an entirely compelling read. The writing wasn’t really high quality but it did the job to tell the tale. I have to admit that while I’d heard of Charles Lindbergh, I knew little to nothing about him. This book was such an interesting look into the time period and shows how controlling male figures were in marriages. I’m so glad that I’m alive in a time where this is different because I found myself so frustrated on multiple occasions with how Charles spoke to Anne and how she diminished herself. However I’m glad that even she felt this and started to use her voice. In the end, we all just want to feel loved and seen as our true selves.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
I really liked this more than I thought. She was such a strong woman in the shadow of her husband. Showed how different the times are and how much more progressive we have become with marriages.