By Melanie Benjamin
Delacorte Press, 2013. 402 pgs. Historical Fiction
Charles and Anne Lindbergh's names are familiar to most. "The Aviator's Wife" tells, from Anne's perspective, of their marriage and life together. Charles was a larger than life icon in the years following his historic flight. Anne was a somewhat timid ambassador's daughter who could not help but fall in love with the daring young captain, her own personal hero. Their seemingly idyllic lives, however, were never far from the public's eye. The Lindberghs were continuously hounded by the press and a never-ending stream of admirers and hangers-on. And when true tragedy struck with the loss of their infant son, the world's fascination with the famous aviators would make a horrible situation immensely worse.
Few people in history have had to cope with the level of public interest and scrutiny the Lindberghs were faced with. Anne's story is one of both tragedy and achievement. Benjamin does an excellent job melding fact and fiction to tell a story that is at once familiar and surprising. Historical fiction fans will not want to miss out on this carefully crafted portrait of a true American heroine.
CZ
1 comment:
American hero Charles Lindbergh often gets the limelight in our history books. But this book illuminates the unsung Lindbergh hero much more deserving of praise. Anne Morrorw Lindbergh was a quiet yet strong rock of the Lindbergh family. She was the only person who Charles would trust to pilot him, and together they made several important inaugural and exploratory flights for early airlines. Anne stoically endured the extremely public nature of marriage to such a famous icon. The heart of this story is how Anne overcomes the hardships of her marriage. Not only did she suffer the devastating (and extremely public) kidnapping and murder of her first child, she endured decades of marriage an unloving and demanding husband. This book is a great testament to the brave and overlooked souls behind the people we usually consider to be historical heroes.
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