Lost

Amelia Earhart's Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life

By: Rachel Hartigan

Narrated by: Helen Laser

Unravel one of history's greatest mysteries in this spellbinding narrative exploring three leading theories of Amelia Earhart’s tragic disappearance.

When Amelia Earhart’s plane disappeared in 1937, the clues poured in, attracting wild conspiracies about her tragic fate.

In Lost, former National Geographic reporter Rachel Hartigan delves into Earhart’s disappearance, introducing a host of eccentric characters who have become obsessed with finding the truth. Did the great aviator crash land near the Marshall Islands, only to be captured by Japanese soldiers? Did she manage to land on Nikumaroro Island but die of injury or starvation? Or did she run out of fuel and crash into the ocean?

Interspersed with the search for Earhart is the story of her extraordinary life: her unstable childhood, her itinerant early career, and how a PR-savvy publisher transformed her into an aviation icon and became her husband in an unconventional marriage.

In the spirit of nonfiction blockbusters like The Lost City of Z, Hartigan draws us into the world of Earhart's devotees and unspools a beguiling tale. The theories lead Hartigan from the pilot's birthplace of Atchison, Kansas to an expedition on a remote Pacific Island, where forensic dogs attempt to recover a potential sample of Earhart’s DNA.

As tantilizing new evidence mounts, Hartigan and her fellow investigators descend deeper into a world of conspiracy and obsession. Through its irresistible characters and prodigious research, Lost reveals not just why we remember Amelia Earhart as a trailblazer and adventurer, but why unsolved mysteries keep us forever searching for answers.

©2026 Rachel Hartigan (P)2025 Audible, Inc.

Excellent assessment of AE searches

Amelia has been alive for me for 70 yrs. This was a superb compilation of the theories.

The Untold Story of Amelia Earhart: the person.

I enjoyed the chapter to chapter switch from her biography to the explanations of the searches and myths. A great Audible book.

Review of Lost

This book explores the efforts to find Amelia Earhart while telling the engaging story of her inspirational life.

A Fascinating Look at Amelia Earhart’s Life and Disappearance

One of the most engaging books I’ve listened to in a long time. The narration was excellent and kept me invested from beginning to end. The narrator did a great job bringing both Amelia Earhart and the many people involved in the search efforts to life.

What I enjoyed most was the way the author moved back and forth between Amelia’s life story and the various searches, investigations, and theories surrounding her disappearance. Rather than focusing on a single explanation, the book explored multiple possibilities while also highlighting the challenges and determination of those who spent years trying to solve the mystery.

Beyond the mystery itself, the book painted a fascinating picture of Amelia as a person—her accomplishments, ambitions, and the impact she had on aviation and history. The combination of biography, detective work, and historical research made for a compelling listen.

If you’re interested in aviation history, unsolved mysteries, or Amelia Earhart, I highly recommend this audiobook. The excellent narration and well-structured storytelling made it hard to stop listening.

Half a good story

The Amelia Earhart story will never have a satisfying ending. It’s a mystery with no substantive clues. The book is an excellent biography interspersed with wild speculation. The narrator is good, but mispronounces a few place names such as Newfoundland that takes away from the verisimilitude of the text. Don’t expect answers, because they’re are none.