Melanie Benjamin - The Aviator's Wife

The basic timeline for the rest of the book is, again, historically accurate. The historical figures we meet are people Anne and Charles did know; major events that occur, such as the rally in Madison Square Garden, Charles’s record during the war, the visitation with the Apollo astronauts, actually happened.

Some may wonder why I didn’t mention every book Anne wrote, or every flight they took, or every move they made. Each life is made up of a thousand stories; it’s the novelist’s job to pick and choose which ones will make a compelling novel. This means that some stories will inevitably be left out or not as explored as thoroughly as some might wish.

And finally, I leave you with this: As a historical novelist, the most gratifying thing I hear is that the reader was inspired, after reading my work of fiction, to research these remarkable people’s lives further. That is what historical fiction does best, I think; it leaves the reader with a desire to know more. I hope my novel accomplishes this, and I highly recommend the following books that I found very useful: Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Charles Lindbergh’s collected published diaries and books, including Gift from the Sea and The Spirit of St. Louis; A. Scott Berg’s monumental biography, Lindbergh; Susan Hertog’s biography, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Her Life; and Reeve Lindbergh’s memoir, Under a Wing .

CHARLES HAD ANNE FOR HIS CREW; I have many wonderful people who support and navigate me through my journey, as well. First and always I must thank my wonderful editor, Kate Miciak, who pushes me to do my best with every book. And I have nothing but gratitude and friendship for my literary agent, Laura Langlie.

To the smart and hardworking professionals at Random House, I say, once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart: Libby McGuire, Jane von Mehren, Susan Corcoran, Kim Hovey, Gina Wachtel, Robbin Schiff, Sharon Propson, Kristin Fassler, Leigh Marchant, Benjamin Dreyer, Loren Noveck, Randall Klein, and Loyale Coles. Thanks also to Bill Contardi for all his work on my behalf.

There are so many other book-loving people who never fail to surprise me with their support and friendship, among them Bridget Piekarz, Nicole Hayes, Margie White, Sue Kowalski and Jane Stroh from The Bookstore in Glen Ellyn, and Becky Anderson from Anderson’s Book Shop. Thank you all.

And what kind of modern author would I be if I failed to give a shout-out to all my new friends on Twitter and Facebook? Thank you all for making life interesting!

Finally to my family, especially Dennis, Alec, and Ben: thank you, as always, for putting up with me.

ALICE I HAVE BEEN

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MRS. TOM THUMB

THE AVIATOR’S WIFE

1. The epigraph for this novel is from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry who, like Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was both a celebrated author and noted aviator. Do you agree with his statement that “One must look with the heart?” What do you think that means? And do you think it means something different to an artist (author) as opposed to a scientist (aviator)?

2. One of the recurring themes is how Anne will choose to remember Charles. How do you think she concludes to remember him by the end? How does it change?

3. Anne’s father says, “And there’s Anne. Reliable Anne. You never change, my daughter.” (this page). How does Anne change over the course of this novel? Or does she?

4. Compare the celebrity of the Lindbergh’s to the celebrity couples of today. What current celebrities do Charles and Anne remind you of most?

5. How does Anne’s nomadic lifestyle as the daughter of an ambassador later influence her concept of “home” with Charles? What do you think defines home?

6. Anne seems to think of herself as an outsider—someone too shy and insular to make a big impression on someone else. Do you think Charles saw through that? Or, do you think that was something about Anne that appealed to him? Is Charles an insular character himself, whether by personality or forced into a “celebrity bubble?” Or, do you think Anne simply misevaluates herself?

7. Have you ever met someone famous? Did they live up to your impression of them?

8. “Had there ever been a hero like him, in all of history?” (this page) Anne starts her description of Charles with hero worship, comparing him to Columbus and Marco Polo. How does her opinion evolve as she comes to know him better? How did your opinion of Charles Lindbergh evolve through Anne’s story?

9. The title of this book is, of course, The Aviator’s Wife . Do you think that’s how Anne views herself upon marrying Charles? Do you think she sees that as a role she’s playing, or as a defining characteristic of who she is? Does it change over the course of the book?

10. Have you ever been up in a biplane? Do you think you would ever go, even with an expert aviator at the controls?

11. Compare the relationships Anne has to the men in her life: her brother, Dwight, her father, and Charles.

12. What rights to privacy do you think a public figure should have? Does it go against being a public figure to get to decide what parts of his or her life stay private?

13. Do you think Charles and Anne were in love? Why or why not? Did that change over time?

14. Do you think you could keep the secrets that Anne keeps from her children? Why or why not?

15. What do you think flying represents to Anne? How does it compare to her with writing? Which do you think is more important to Anne?

16. Do you think Charles Lindbergh was a good husband in any ways? What do you think makes for a good partner?

17. Is Anne a hero? Why or why not?

18. If you could ask Anne a question, what would it be?

19. How does Anne’s relationship with her family change after she marries Charles?

20. How would you react to the scrutiny by the press that Anne and Charles endured? Would you want to be famous if it meant being constantly under the microscope? Would you answer differently if there weren’t social media outlets but the same type of newspapers and newsreels from Anne and Charles’s lifetime?

MELANIE BENJAMIN is a pseudonym for Melanie Hauser, who has written two contemporary novels. As Melanie Benjamin, she has written Alice I Have Been and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb . She lives with her husband in Chicago, where she is always searching for an interesting story to tell.

The Aviator’s Wife is a work of historical fiction. Apart from the well-known actual people, events, and locales that figure in the narrative, all names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to current events or locales, or to living persons, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Melanie Benjamin

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Delacorte Press, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

DELACORTE PRESS is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Benjamin, Melanie.

The aviator’s wife: a novel / Melanie Benjamin. 1st ed.

p. cm.

eISBN: 978-0-345-53469-9

1. Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1902–1974—Fiction. 2. Lindbergh, Anne Morrow, 1906–2001—Fiction. 3. Air pilots—Fiction. I. Title.