The Aviator's Wife

A Novel

By: Melanie Benjamin

Narrated by: Lorna Raver

Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

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.

Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century - from the late twenties to the mid-sixties - and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator’s Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriage - revealing both its dizzying highs and its devastating lows. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure.

©2013 Melanie Benjamin (P)2013 Random House Audio

Difficult Listening

I have to say the narrator's voice was very annoying. Her reading was a bit too dramatic for my taste. There were many times I was ready to give up on the audio version, and go to the print, but I persisted.
I was disappointed in the quality of the writing. I agree with a previous listener that it was more appropriate as a young adult selection..
The book did, however, prompt me to do further reading about Charles Lindbergh.

Really slow in the beginning, but picks up!

I enjoyed the book, but not until about the 4th chapter. It was a book club selection, and I would not have picked it, but wound up enjoying it. I found the central character interesting, and made me glad I am not married to someone like Charles Lindbergh! The details of the kidnapping were so sad, and the end was also sad. I thought it was well researched and thought out, just really slow at the beginning.

Very Sad & a bit of harsh Reality about Marriage

For a historical novel, it was actually pretty interesting, but for a normal book, it was a little bit long and somewhat hard to finish at times.

Compelling story

This book captivated me from the moment I started listening. As the daughter and wife of aviators, I identified with many of the aeronautical escapades as well as the personality traits many pilots share. Loved it!!

Speechless!!!

I absolutely loved everything about this book. It was brilliantly written. And, just like the book suspected of its readers. I researched to no end Anne, Charles and their life together. Thank you for this book!

GREAT READ!

I enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. The choice of the narrator did not fit the the story. I highly recommend this book.

Wonderful read

Loved this book. The writing is flawless and beautiful. Melanie Benjamin is an extremely talented author and I greatly admire her. This novel is a must read for lovers of historical fiction.

Fascinating book, mis-matched performance

The Lindberghs shared an amazing life in exhilarating times. The book is interesting indeed, truly a fascinating story, well told. However, the book is told in the voice of Anne Lindbergh, writing as a woman of some 60 to 70 years, but telling the story primarily of their early years, tumultuous years together.

The only problem is with the performance. This was the first time I have been disappointed with the choice of reader for an Audible book. In this case, the reader is one who has a mature, almost elderly voice, yet most of the book is told by Anne Lindbergh as a twenty-something, and the voice is disconcerting. Anne is sometimes depicted as small and petty as you might expect a spoiled, privileged twenty-something to be. Read in a young person's voice, her resentments might be understood as immaturity. Read in the voice of the mature reader, she comes across as unbelievably petty and small-minded, whiney and irritating. I think the fault is primarily in the voice of the reader not matching the voice of the narrator. This is a case where the use of two readers, as was done with Water for Elephants, would have been preferable.

However, the story is worth the time spent listening. Just be aware that you might find the voice not perfectly fit to the story's narrator.

Can't believe she was a feminist.

Where does The Aviator's Wife rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Average, not stellar. The story was fine, but I think I was emotionally turned off. I headed into it without much knowledge of the Lindberghs other than that he was a pilot, she was a feminist and their baby was kidnapped. This book did a good job filling in the gaps - but I found it hard to reconcile this version of Anne Morrow Lindbergh with the feminist - she seemed to tolerate a lot of crap and dish out a lot of self-pity. I know it was fictionalized, but she wasn't a very inspiring or sympathetic character, and Charles seemed like a Grade-A douche.

Don't get me wrong - it's a quick listen and a fun way to fill your gaps about the LIndbergh lore, but it's hard to find a single character you actually like.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me want to kick everyone... Anne needed to grow a set and Charles needed to have his set removed.

Wonderful story.

I enjoyed this story. listened to it all and like every minute of it. I highly recommend it.