Flight of Dreams

A Novel

By: Ariel Lawhon

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

With everyone onboard harboring dark secrets and at least one person determined to make sure the airship doesn't make the return trip, Flight of Dreams gives an utterly suspenseful, heart-wrenching explanation for one of the most enduring mysteries of the 20th century.

On the evening of May 3, 1937, Emilie Imhof boards the Hindenburg. As the only female crew member, Emilie has access to the entire airship, from the lavish dining rooms and passenger suites to the gritty engine cars and control room. She hears everything, but with rumors circulating about bomb threats, Emilie's focus is on maintaining a professional air...and keeping her own plans under wraps.

What Emilie can't see is that everyone - from the dynamic vaudeville acrobat to the high-standing German officer - seems to be hiding something.

Giving free rein to countless theories of sabotage, charade, and mishap, Flight of Dreams takes us on the thrilling three-day transatlantic flight through the alternating perspectives of Emilie; Max, the ship's navigator, who is sweet on her; Gertrud, a bold female journalist who's been blacklisted in her native Germany; Werner, a 13-year-old cabin boy with a bad habit of sneaking up on people; and a brash American who's never without a drink in his hand. Everyone knows more than they initially let on, and as the novel moves inexorably toward its tragic climax, the question of which of the passengers will survive the trip infuses every scene with a deliciously unbearable tension.

With enthralling atmospheric details that immediately transport and spellbinding plotting that would make Agatha Christie proud, Flight of Dreams will keep you guessing till the last minute. And, as The New York Times Book Review said of her last novel, "This book is more meticulously choreographed than a chorus line. It all pays off".

©2016 Ariel Lawhon (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"For her second outing, Lawhon once again reimagines a front-page news event, filling in the entertaining backstory with passion, secrets, and nail-biting suspense, this time taking on the disastrous crash of the Hindenburg in 1937.... Lawhon threads many stories together, connecting passengers and crew and bringing behind-the-scenes depth and humanity to a great 20th-century tragedy - even though we all know the Hindenburg's fate." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Ariel Lawhon has real vision and the writing chops to back it up. She weaves the voices and lives of the Hindenburg's doomed - and surviving - passengers together in intricate fashion, linking them at startling intersections that bind them into a single, riveting tale. It's a fascinating blend of love and murder, big dreams and betrayal, history and pure imagination - I could not put it down." (Sara Gruen, New York Times best-selling author of Water for Elephants and At the Water's Edge)

" Flight of Dreams enthralls, taking the reader on the doomed last flight of the Hindenburg with a story so vivid, it is impossible to pull away. Mystery, romance - it is all here, told in a mesmerizing tale." (Kate Alcott, New York Times best-selling author of The Dressmaker)

More like a Field of Dreams

What did you like best about Flight of Dreams? What did you like least?

I liked the idea of learning about the people on the flight - this is what I liked the best.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Surprise.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the steward was paid to feed the dog in the cargo dept.

Was Flight of Dreams worth the listening time?

Not really.

Any additional comments?

Not my favorite book.

Thoroughly engaging

I really felt like I knew the characters. Sadly, we all know how this one ends. I liked how the author gave references at the end for the stories of these real people in the book.

What a great and interesting topic

I really enjoyed this book. I found the topic fascinating and didn’t know a lot about The Hindenburg. The author did a great job developing the characters,who were based on real people. There was some technical information about zeppelins and how they flew, but not so much that it was overwhelming or boring. I recommend this book. We read it for book club and it was enjoyed by all the women in our book club. Audible 20 review sweepstakes entry

Well Told, Capturing and Delightful! Albeit melancholy

As I have come to expect from Ariel Lawhon, this novel is no exception to her witty style and her ability to draw you in so deep you forget that you’re washing the dishes or driving. Before reading Flight of Dreams I had zero knowledge of airships or the like, which she quickly rectified. And the characters immediately come to life and become friends or mysterious enemies with the reader. Can’t wait for her next book!

Well written and engaging

Even though this story is fiction, the author did his research to extract as much truth of the incident as possible. The fictional stories created around each characters was plausible. While I can't say I liked each character, I found each was portrayed well. I liked how each chapter centered around the events and circumstances of certain characters. This story was well worth the credit

oh the humanity!

loved this work of true fiction. the performance by John Lee was phenomenal. I've fallen in love with the writing of Ariel Lawhon .

Not a common focus

Very well executed. I felt like I was getting to know the passengers well & the weave of relationships was intriguing. I’ve like learning about something new, so this novel for that criteria too.

Historical fiction based on real events and people

Took awhile to keep all the characters straight. Beautiful story but tough when you know what’s coming. With that being said, there was also resilience. I learned so much.

Very Vivid and Interesting

If you are a history buff, and enjoy a bit of a WWII mystery mixed in with real life, don't miss this book. I am glad I read it and would read another by this author. Also, the narrator is great, and the author paints vivid pictures with her words.

From all the pictures I assumed everyone on board this airship died but that isn't so. The book opens telling you of two, possibly three, survivors that this story hinges around. This way, it's very much cat and mouse as you are left guessing who did what and who survived. Well written.

A mixed bag

This was an interesting book, with interesting theories. I found almost everything far fetched. The reality of the very end was moving perhaps because that part was most authentic. The deaths were tragic and the survivors were left seemingly devastated and being sent back to Hitlers Germany.

The parts I completely skipped were about the dogs. As a dog lover, I struggled to find their poor quality of life necessary for the storyline.