The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

The Aviator’s Wife has been on sale for about a minute in a half and it’s already in its 237^th printing. Well, officially it’s in the 6^th printing, but that’s a lot of books sold just out of the gate, man!

 

My second favorite thing about Melanie Benjamin is that she is so adept at choosing smart, strong, interesting women that we know very little about. Her two previous books, Alice I Have Been and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb are perfect examples of fascinating subjects; while you’re reading, you can’t help but make lists of friends that you want to talk about the book with, and if you’re a nice person, perhaps lend the book to your friend.

The Aviator’s Wife is my favorite of the three Benjamin novels that I have read; it’s a true page-turner. To be perfectly honest, when I learned she would be writing about Anne Lindbergh I thought, "This might be less edgy than her two previous books, and maybe just not in my wheelhouse." I sat down to dip in, and the next thing I knew, I was a couple hundred pages in and completely immersed. I actually knew next to nothing about the Lindbergh story, not to mention Anne, so page after page was a revelation. She was a bad ass. She an aviation pioneer in her own right, too (she was the first American woman to earn a glider pilot’s license). Melanie Benjamin does a fantastic job painting a portrait of the insane thirst the public had for anything and everything Lindbergh, especially after their first baby is born. The tension that leads up to the actual kidnapping of baby Charles is perfectly captured. 

Charles and Anne

I won’t comment too much on Charles and Anne’s marriage, which I presumed was a perfect All-American union, but turns out I didn’t know a single thing about their life together and don’t want to ruin it for anyone else. Not wanting to ruin something is a rare thing for me.

Cubs fan

I know you’re dying to know what my first favorite thing about Melanie Benjamin is. Her eyes, the way she dances, the way the moon bounces off her hair? No, my favorite thing about her is that she is a Cubs fan. Its also probably the saddest thing about her. I know it’s the saddest thing about me. Go Cubs….

Generally Horrible Questions: Melanie Benjamin

Melanie Benjamin

Gianna here.
 
Melanie Benjamin is able to do what very few authors are able to do (and if you are an unpublished historical fiction writer - read her books, follow  her on FB and Twitter). Melanie takes a little known piece of history and crafts a fully developed, complex, and intriguing page-turner. Most writers hit one or two off that list. Alice I Have Been is  the story of Alice Liddell who became Lewis Carrol's 'muse' as he wrote Alice in Wonderland (I was the only one on the planet that hadn't heard the rumors by the way). The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is the truly fascinating story of two-foot eight-inch tall Mercy Lavinia “Vinnie” Bump. This novel takes you on a ride of the twentieth century; anyone who was important met with Tom Thumb and  his bride. This magnificent and dignified story made my 2011 best-of list. I highly recommend both of these for your book club--so much to discuss.

Melanie has two national bestsellers under her belt, is finishing up a third novel for Random House, which sure to be another bestseller...yet things aren't so great right now for this author.  You see, baseball season is now underway and Melanie is a Chicago Cubs fan. As the summer trudges on we ask that you keep her in your thoughts and maybe every now and again if you could throw a little "Go Cubs" her way...it would be appreciated. [For the record, the Astros are ranked dead last for the second year in a row.  We don't have the Cubs fans' fortitude.  Go bourbon.  Lots and lots of sweet bourbon. Let's blay pall!]

Melanie was naive enough to agree to do our Horrible Questions. She won't make that mistake again.

Go Cubs.

1. What book are you always trying to get people to read (besides your own…that’s our job)?
Galore by Michael Crummey. It’s a tough one to categorize but it’s absolutely wonderful and magical and stays with you a long, long time. [This gem is Liz's #1 book of 2011, so obviously Melanie has excellent taste.]

2. What is the single most interesting thing you’ve learned researching your books?
That authors were concerned with sales figures even as far back as Lewis Caroll and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland! [Luckily Disney really brought this book to life.  I mean, who read if there's a Disney movie to watch instead?]

3. I’ve never read ____ and I am so ashamed!
Faulkner. [We know people in Mississippi and we're telling on you.]

4. What book (or books) changed your life?
Gone With the Wind. I was a voracious reader, always, but Gone With the Wind was the first adult book I read (even though I was probably 11 or 12 when I read it). I’d never been as transported into a different time and place, as I was with that book. I think it’s probably what led me to write historical fiction, to tell the truth. I remember reading it on a long car trip from Indiana out to Colorado; I was in the back seat of the family station wagon, and I don’t think I looked at a single bit of scenery the entire trip, I was so sucked into that book. [Imagine a long debate between Gianna and Liz about the racial and/or gender implications of acting out scenes from Gone With the Wind.  Suffice it to say that Gianna should be involved in the delivery of babies and Liz will never go hungry again.]

5. Are there movie plans in the works for either Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb or Alice I Have Been? You can tell us, no one reads this blog.
A wonderful actress named Meredith Eaton has optioned The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb. She wrote me the most beautiful letter sharing how much the book meant to her, an actress with dwarfism, and how it’s now her greatest ambition to bring the story to the screen. I hope she can! [That's pretty awesome.]

6. Best and worst book tour experiences?
Back before I was with Random House, I had two other books published to little fanfare, so I organized some tours on my own. Now I know, when it’s the author behind a tour (instead of a publisher), bookstores don’t really take you very seriously. There’s a tendency to just stick you up by the front door so you can accost everyone who comes in, begging them to buy your book. On one such occasion I was told to circulate throughout the store handselling the book. So I did; I went up to one woman with a game smile on my face but before I could even say hello, she hissed, “Go away! I will NOT buy your book!” Afterwards, I sat in my car weeping as I stuffed a huge chocolate chip cookie in my mouth, and I called my husband and wailed, “I’m never going to another bookstore as long as I live!”

Now that I’m with Random House and writing historical fiction, my experiences have been MUCH less humiliating! I think my favorite booksigning recently was at Prairie Lights in Iowa City; it was packed with students attending a journalism boot camp at the university, and their assignment was to cover my appearance. So during the talk, they were all Tweeting about it, and afterwards I was swarmed by students asking to interview me – it was all so much fun. And such a treat to read their pieces the next day, up on the seminar’s website. It was just so lovely to see students excited about their future careers; it was a privilege to be a part of that experience. [You were kind to grant them all interviews, though we think you should nurture your inner diva and hiss cruel things at them.  Like Gianna hisses at Liz.]

7. I have read _____ and I am so ashamed.
The Bridges of Madison County.  [Holy God.]

8. Liz or Gianna?
Both! [The Random House employee who "works" on this blog is now dutifully offended.  The correct answer is always Liz.  Always.]

Mrs. Tom Thumb.
The tall guy is P.T. Barnum

9. Melanie, please think long and hard before answering this question. We all know that the Cubs are awesome (in a heartbreaking sort of way). Who is the most awesome Cub ever? Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Greg Maddux, Ryne Sandberg, or Billy Williams?
Ron Santo! Unfortunately, I only moved here 16 years ago, so I didn’t grow up a Cubs fan (or a baseball fan, really; I grew up in Indianapolis, a town with no professional baseball team). But I have grown to love the game and it’s primarily because I listen to the WGN radio broadcasts, and of course, Ron Santo was the color guy until his death last year. So Ron Santo became real to me, in a way those other players have not. [Before Gianna abandoned Liz for UT Press, when we took road trips together, we brought Gianna's satellite radio along in order to listen to Ron and the Cubs broadcasts...and debate his level of intoxication.  RIP.]

10. Just a small hint of what you’re working on next…please?
It’s called The Ambassador's Daughter, and it will be out in 2013. It’s the story of the marriage between Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Charles Lindbergh, and it’s absolutely the most difficult book I’ve yet to write – and also, I think, the best. (She said, modestly.) What an epic, complex, exhilarating and heartbreaking story they shared! Anne had a strength I’m not sure is always evident in the writing she left behind; that’s the Anne I wanted to share with the world. [Hurry it up already!]

Thanks Melanie.  We hope your career isn't too damaged by associating with the likes of us. 

Best of 2011 Countdown: #27

Gianna:

The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb

Melanie Benjamin

Delacorte Press

How famous would you have to be in order for your 1863 wedding to knock the Civil War off the front pages of newspapers all over the country? Well, you would have to be 32 inch tall Lavinia Warren about to marry General Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton) in front of 2,000 guests.

 

Think Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt without the Jennifer Aniston controversy. Think Kim Kardashian, but a marriage that lasted two decades longer.  Think Lindsay Lohan and that girl DJ (but without the ankle monitors, drugs, and alcohol). Think Liz and Gianna…adorable right? [Not really.]

Anyway, Lavinia was the most photographed woman of her lifetime. Let me say that again, she was the most photographed woman of her generation. Every other famous person on the planet, including kings, queens, and Presidents, knew her. Lincoln gave a reception at the White House for the newlyweds (think Bono minus sunglasses).  But why, if Mrs. Tom Thumb was so famous, don’t we know her today? Well, take note reality TV star wannabes: maybe because she became famous because of her stature, not because of a talent or works, her legacy didn't endure. And that is the tragic part of this novel, that such a wonderful woman--a brave, strong, optimistic, smart (so smart) woman--could be lost in history. She chose the life she had, she sought out the limelight, but for her it was a way foreword; she couldn’t have known that it would lead to what had to be a good amount of loneliness (especially after the death of her younger sister). She had visitors daily, but they paid to see her.  They certainly had no personal investment in her, they didn’t care about her. It's an interesting footnote that tombstone next to General Tom Thumb merely reads “his wife.”

 

Well Lavinia has the last laugh now because she’s on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lavinia-Warren/112916715424926?sk=info

Benjamin has managed to write one of the most interesting historical novels I think I have ever read. It's an absolute page turner. At its core this book is a fascinating travelogue of America, a who’s who and lesson on every page.  If you read and enjoyed Ragtime by Doctorow, I think you will like this as well.  

Liz:  

The Gap Year

Sarah Bird

Knopf

What would a best of list be without an author from our neck of the woods?  Every Sarah Bird novel is different, but the common bonds among them are 1. her outrageous sense of humor, and 2. a Texas-sized heart.  (You'd think that some of this compassion for people would rub off on my pal Gianna, but no.  We technically don't even work together and still she tortures me with emails that say things like "Fuck the comma!" Do you know how hard I work to proofread her posts before flinging them onto the web?  You need that comma, I need that comma, but why must I suffer for her?  Why?! Moving on.)  Sarah Bird is at her absolute best when her stories draw from her own life, and such is the case with her newest book, The Gap Year.  Sarah channeled her anxieties about her child going to college into her latest novel.

Sarah Bird

The Gap Year follows a single mother and her daughter through the course of the girl's senior year in high school.  Cam, her mom, is doing the motherly thing and looking at colleges for Aubrey.  Both Cam and Aubrey are anxious about this major step looming, but for different reasons.  Cam is facing that empty nest thing, while Aubrey doesn't know what she wants to do with her life.  She does know, though, that she wants to spend as much time as possible with Tyler, the golden-boy quarterback with mysterious roots.  The Gap Year is a traditional coming of age novel, but with distinctly Sarah Bird touches.  Remember how I mentioned Sarah's sense of humor?  Cam, she's a lactation consultant, and the scenes involving Cam's profession and her lactation classes are full of humor and warmth.  As someone who's vehemently anti-baby, I was squirming a bit, but also laughing.  

Your book group should be reading The Gap Year.  Fans of The Gilmore Girls?  You'll like The Gap Year.  And when you're finished with The Gap Year, go back and read The Yokota Officers Club, another book that draws from Sarah's life.