Flight of Dreams - Ariel Lawhon

Review by Coll
5 Stars

Publication date: February 23, 2016

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I grew up in New Jersey and I remember visiting the Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, NJ, where the Hindenburg met its devastating end. I was always amazed by the footage and it was something that seemed so unreal to me. When I saw this book I knew I had to read it. A historical fiction account of the flight and demise of the Hindenburg was so intriguing and let me tell you, this book was amazing. Hell I came about two seconds from missing my subway stop on the way to work one morning because I was so consumed by this book! That right there, when you completely forget reality, is a sign that you are reading something pretty damn good.

Flight of Dreams follows the Hindenburg, from the time it takes off from Frankfurt, Germany, through its flight, and to the disaster in Lakehurst, NJ. The cause of the fire aboard the airship was never fully determined and Lawhon used research, detective work, and creative imagination to construct a suspenseful, exciting, and plausible story about what could have happened that fateful day in May 1937. The story is told through the eyes of five people who were aboard the airship: the stewardess, journalist, navigator, American, and cabin boy. There are many other characters we meet throughout the book but the story is told by that main cast of five, each chapter being from a different point of view. The story is full of mystery and you find yourself constantly trying to figure out what will happen and who will play what roll in the end.

Each character is described so well and given their own unique personality, making it seem like we know them personally. You get attached to each one and cannot help but wonder throughout the book what will become of them. What I found absolutely brilliant, and commendable, is that Lawhon used the real people that she came across in her research of the Hindenburg disaster, giving each historical figure a fictional story and bringing them back to life for the reader. She weaved facts about each person into the story, in a way paying tribute to these people with details from their lives. I have read quite a lot of historical fiction and when you read something and learn that all the people in the book really existed, it gives the story a whole new meaning. Yes it is still fiction, but it is fiction with a tremendous amount of truth and history put into it and it makes the story more believable. 

It was also obvious to me that Lawhon did some investigation into airships and the Hindenburg, and this type of detailed analysis is something I highly appreciate in books; it lends an authenticity to the story. Everything about the Hindenburg, from the exterior to the interior, was described quite vividly and I found it easy to picture everything in my head, as if I were on the ill-fated airship.

Flight of Dreams was very well written. Not only are the characters strongly developed, but the story-telling is also incredibly strong. There is no dull point, and from the beginning the reader is pulled into the mystery and it is intriguing to try and figure out who is hiding what. Each person seems to have their own secret that may or may not play into the outcome of the Hindenburg, and the book quite often has you on the edge of your seat. As I was reading and the point finally arrived where everything began to unfold, the realization of what was about to happen came to me. I thought to myself “This! This right here is it!” and from that point on it was impossible to put the book down (remember what I said earlier about almost missing my subway stop?). The plot was developed so perfectly, full of conflict and emotion, and I enjoyed every second of Flight of Dreams.

Overall I really recommend this book. Whether or not you have interest in the Hindenburg, this book has a little of everything that would keep most any reader engaged. In Flight of Dreams you find mystery, suspense, history, romance, tragedy, and happiness, sometimes all at the same time. I also recommend that you read the Author’s Note at the end of the book because it gives a lot of insight into the process of writing the book and there are many interesting things that Lawhon has to say. Sometimes tragedy can be written about beautifully, and that is something that was accomplished with Flight of Dreams. It is a book that you cannot help but fall in love with. 

Flight of Dreams will be released on Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Interested in this book? Check it out on Goodreads.