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 twentieth century. On the evening of May 3, 1937, Emilie Imhof boards the Hindenburg. As the only female crewmember, 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 thirteen-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 page. 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.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The first thing that came to mind upon starting Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon was the 1997 film Titanic. Both are media based on an iconic means of travel that ended in disaster and chronicle the last days of the passenger's lives.
Fortunately, Flight of Dreams delivers an amazing look at the occupants onboard without showing Kate Winslet's breasts. Ariel Lawhon turned the flight into a telanovela with each of the selected character's stories being unique, at times unbelievable and marvelously all intertwined.
My two favorites were of Werner and Emile. Werner reminded me of a puppy in the way that he was eager to please with a sweet demeanor. However, he was by no means a pushover and had the determination to get ahead. Emile had grit. Like Werner her dream was to get ahead in life at a time it was difficult for her gender. She was forced into an either or position and was sadden by her lack of independence and equality.
As for the explosion itself, the true cause has never been known although sabotage has been suggested which I feel is the route the author headed towards. The act of revenge through an American and crewman was well executed and the lead up to the fateful hour created an unnerving suspense that grabs ahold of the reader. Ariel Lawhon describes the explosion so effortlessly that I felt as if my own hair was scorched and vividly envisioned the Hindenburg combust into flames.
What I most liked about Flight of Dreams was that Ariel Lawhon did not change the names or fates of the Hindenburg's boarders. While it might be historical fiction I appreciated that the author gave a voice to the voyagers who were outshined by the glow of destruction and holds one awestruck until the last ember died.
This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews
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