Title:Flight of Dreams
Author:Ariel Lawhon
Narrator:John Lee
Published:February 2016, Random House Audio / Doubleday
Length:12 hours 45 minutes / 336 pages
Source:Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC E-copy via Netgalley
On the evening of May
3rd, 1937, ninety-seven people board the Hindenburg for its final,
doomed flight to Lakehurst, New Jersey. Among them are a frightened
stewardess who is not what she seems; the steadfast navigator determined
to win her heart; a naive cabin boy eager to earn a permanent spot on
the world’s largest airship; an impetuous journalist who has been
blacklisted in her native Germany; and an enigmatic American businessman
with a score to settle. Over the course of three hazy, champagne-soaked
days their lies, fears, agendas, and hopes for the future are revealed.Flight of Dreams
is a fiercely intimate portrait of the real people on board the last
flight of the Hindenburg. Behind them is the gathering storm in Europe
and before them is looming disaster. But for the moment they float over
the Atlantic, unaware of the inexorable, tragic fate that awaits them.Brilliantly exploring one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century, Flight of Dreams
is that rare novel with spellbinding plotting that keeps you guessing
till the last page and breathtaking emotional intensity that stays with
you long after.
My thoughts:This is the second book I’ve read by Ariel Lawhon and I really enjoyed it. I find that her ability to weave fact and fiction into an intelligent and engaging tale is truly remarkable.
I have to say that I didn’t really know much about the Hindenburg before picking up this book…and so I was completely enlightened by what really happened. I know that this is considered historical fiction and that Ariel has taken some liberties here and there, but I also know that she has based her story on fact. She really does her best to stay true to actual events whenever she can and the characters, from what I understand, are all actual people who were on board that fateful journey.
Knowing this, you would think that this would be a boring, straight-forward stale tale, and yet it is anything but. I found myself immersed in the tale and found that the characters, who again were all based on real life people, really came alive in this book. I found their stories to be so interesting – what their roles where and why they were on this airship.
What I love most about this type of book is that is makes me want to know more…not that this book is lacking in any way, but I want to delve deeper into the history of the Hinderburg – I want to pick up more books about it, see what else has been written about it, both fiction and nonfiction. As I mentioned, I didn’t know much about it and now I have a thirst to know more. That’s why I love reading historical fiction – I love when a topic spurs me to want to know more about a particular subject and Ariel Lawhon has done just that!
Audio thoughts:This was a great book to listen to and John Lee was the perfect narrator for it. I found his voice to be calm and steady throughout and he gave each character their own unique voice. I enjoyed listening to him and to this audio book.
I have this in print as well, and I really do want to get to it. Your review really tugs at me….I know I'll love this book, just never enough time!
I would imagine this would be really good on audio. Like you I was taken up by the read and really wanted to learn more about the Hindenburg disaster and so I did go to one website that was very informative.
Thanks for the review. Another new one for me.
This sounds really interesting. Adding it to my pile. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.