The Aviator's Wife: A Novel
Melanie Benjamin
Hardcover
(Delacorte Press, Jan. 15, 2013)
In the spirit of Loving Frank and The Paris Wife, acclaimed novelist Melanie Benjamin pulls back the curtain on the marriage of one of Americaâs most extraordinary couples: Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. âThe history [is] exhilarating. . . . The Aviatorâs Wife soars.ââUSA Today NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFor 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 Charlesâs assurance and fame, Anne is certain the 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 achievementsâshe becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United StatesâAnne is viewed merely as the aviatorâs 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, lifeâs infinite possibilities for change and happiness. Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth centuryâfrom the late twenties to the mid-sixtiesâand featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviatorâs Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriageârevealing 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.Praise for The Aviatorâs Wife âRemarkable . . . The Aviatorâs Wife succeeds [in] putting the reader inside Anne Lindberghâs life with her famous husband.ââThe Denver PostâAnne Morrow Lindbergh narrates the story of the Lindberghsâ troubled marriage in all its triumph and tragedy.ââUSA Today â[This novel] will fascinate history buffs and surprise those who know of her only as âthe aviatorâs wife.â ââPeople âItâs hard to quit reading this intimate historical fiction.ââThe Dallas Morning News âFictional biography at its finest.ââBooklist (starred review)âUtterly unforgettable.ââPublishers Weekly (starred review) âAn intimate examination of the life and emotional mettle of Anne Morrow.ââThe Washington PostâA story of both triumph and pain that will take your breath away.ââKate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker