byashleylamar's review against another edition
4.0
If you missed out on reading The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon a few years ago you need to grab it up right now. I've followed Ariel Lawhon closely on Twitter (@ArielLawhon) watching for the updates on her follow-up novel, Flight of Dreams. As soon as I realized the digital ARC was available on Edelweiss I grabbed it up and got to reading. It definitely didn't disappoint!
Flight of Dreams is Lawhon's take on the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. There are so many theories about what happened in the final minutes of that flight that caused the airship to go up in flames, killing 35 people. In this historical fiction novel, Lawhon presents her theory on what could have happened and tells it by incorporating the people that history confirms were actually on board the airship. Those who died in real life, die in the novel. Those who survived in real life, survived in the novel. Admittedly, I did a quick Google search before I started reading the novel to find out who was going to live and die but knowing this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel.
While the source of the explosion is pretty clear from early in the novel (if you pay attention) I still loved this book. Lawhon is just a great writer and it's tough not to love everything she releases. Flight of Dreams is a book you're going to hear a lot about; I recommend picking it up asap.
Flight of Dreams is Lawhon's take on the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. There are so many theories about what happened in the final minutes of that flight that caused the airship to go up in flames, killing 35 people. In this historical fiction novel, Lawhon presents her theory on what could have happened and tells it by incorporating the people that history confirms were actually on board the airship. Those who died in real life, die in the novel. Those who survived in real life, survived in the novel. Admittedly, I did a quick Google search before I started reading the novel to find out who was going to live and die but knowing this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel.
While the source of the explosion is pretty clear from early in the novel (if you pay attention) I still loved this book. Lawhon is just a great writer and it's tough not to love everything she releases. Flight of Dreams is a book you're going to hear a lot about; I recommend picking it up asap.
mimima's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
Many years ago, we went to a Titanic exhibit which gave you a card as you entered with the name of a passenger and as you exited, you were tasked with checking to see if that passenger survived the disaster. Lawhon uses the historical record in deciding the fate of her characters and it was well done. While some of the parts of the voyage itself dragged, the ending, as well as the lingering thoughts about being German in 1937 and the usage of blimps in their army was fascinating. For the strength of these items, I rounded up to 3.5.
pnelson384's review
4.0
I truly enjoyed this book! The author did so much research and used real world events and people in a way that brought them to life, sprinkled with ideas about what might have happened aboard the final voyage of the Hindenburg. I didn't know really anything about the Hindenburg before reading this book, and I didn't need to. At it's heart, this is a story about three days in the lives of a set of people, including love, intrigue, mystery, kindness, work troubles, politics, and more, all woven together with wonderful writing. The book reads as a story where you want to turn the page to find out what happens next. It is told through many viewpoints, but done in such a skilled way that it feels natural, like a shift in perspective and voice in a movie. There is much to discuss about the book, from theories over what really happened on board and how the Hindenburg blew up (which is officially unknown), the world in 1937, the role of women at that time, even the animals that were on board.
feliciar33ds's review against another edition
5.0
Best book I read in 2022. Each chapters peels away another layer of a character. Fascinating historical fiction.
2022 Popsugar Reading Challenge #31 & #42
2022 Popsugar Reading Challenge #31 & #42
shellbell102186's review
4.0
[4.5 stars!] I read and loved Ariel Lawhon's earlier work [b:Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress|20536685|Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress|Ariel Lawhon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410149999s/20536685.jpg|24582993] so I couldn't wait to get my hands on Flight of Dreams. Luckily it didn't disappoint! This author has now secured a position on my auto-read list for future releases.
Flight of Dreams tells a fictionalized account of the days leading up to the Hindenburg Disaster through multiple POVs including both crew members and guests. I came into this story only knowing that the Hindenburg was a blimp that exploded and am ashamed to say I had no idea that it was essentially a cruise ship in the sky. Lawhon is brilliant at revealing pieces of the story a little at a time and through different voices leaving you questioning the motives of everyone involved right up to the last page. I found myself consistently routing for spunky cabin boy Werner, while I'm sure other readers were drawn to different characters. This book has a little bit of everything including a crew member romance and a scheming journalist to keep the drama alive.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction or is interested in one author's take on what could have caused this tragedy.
Flight of Dreams tells a fictionalized account of the days leading up to the Hindenburg Disaster through multiple POVs including both crew members and guests. I came into this story only knowing that the Hindenburg was a blimp that exploded and am ashamed to say I had no idea that it was essentially a cruise ship in the sky. Lawhon is brilliant at revealing pieces of the story a little at a time and through different voices leaving you questioning the motives of everyone involved right up to the last page. I found myself consistently routing for spunky cabin boy Werner, while I'm sure other readers were drawn to different characters. This book has a little bit of everything including a crew member romance and a scheming journalist to keep the drama alive.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction or is interested in one author's take on what could have caused this tragedy.
missamandamae's review against another edition
4.0
I've developed an affinity for disaster stories (picked up from a friend of mine), and this one was pretty good. It follows real people (or at least characterizations of real people) who were on the Hindenburg's last flight. The author develops a theory as to why the zeppelin burned, but I was still left with some questions by the end. I really enjoyed each chapter as it switched between different characters, but I was just left with some loose ends by the conclusion. Still, very well written and heart-pounding in places. And great if you have an interest in Nazi Germany or 1930s culture.
mjsteimle's review
4.0
I REALLY enjoyed reading this book. It's a fictionalized account of the last flight of the Hindenburg - what was happening between crew and passengers in the three days the zeppelin was flying from Germany to the US. There's mystery and romantic tension, likable and unlikable characters - it's a really entertaining, engaging story.
prncss1204's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melancauley's review
5.0
About 6 months ago I was in the midst of a manic episode when I decided I needed to know EVERYTHING about airships. I bought all the books, watched all the documentaries and did a serious deep dive into the Hindenburg disaster. Soon, I realized I wanted to write a historical novel about airships but I didn’t know what *exactly* I wanted to focus on, sooooo I bought even more books to get inspiration.
HOWEVER… I now believe that i will never be able to write a novel about this topic that surpasses this.
In the beginning, I was thrown off by the truth to it. The real people who took this voyage were the characters in this book. I’ve done so much research on the Hindenburg disaster that I didn’t need to use my imagination at all. It’s like I was reading another biography about it. After I finished the final chapter, I read the authors note. PLEASE read the authors note. I didn’t know I had more tears left.
Beautifully written, historically accurate, truly outstanding ❤️
HOWEVER… I now believe that i will never be able to write a novel about this topic that surpasses this.
In the beginning, I was thrown off by the truth to it. The real people who took this voyage were the characters in this book. I’ve done so much research on the Hindenburg disaster that I didn’t need to use my imagination at all. It’s like I was reading another biography about it. After I finished the final chapter, I read the authors note. PLEASE read the authors note. I didn’t know I had more tears left.
Beautifully written, historically accurate, truly outstanding ❤️