Flight of Dreams

As Emilie Imhof greeted passengers boarding the Hindenburg on May 3rd 1937 she was quietly proud. Emilie was the first woman stewardess to work on the famous zeppelins and had been with this one since its inception. But although the ensuing three days transatlantic flight to New York would be filled with fun, delicious food and entertainment it would also hold secrets, lies and an undercurrent of evil. One person on board had revenge on his mind and was determined the Hindenburg wouldn’t make its return journey under any circumstances.

Max the navigator was in love with Emilie; she was determined to keep Max at arm’s length. Which of course wasn’t hard as no fraternising between the staff was allowed. Werner was only fourteen; a cabin boy and happy to have a job because his father was very ill. The receipt of his grandfather’s pocket watch prior to his departure made him happy and proud. Gertrud, a journalist and her husband Leonhard had had to leave their one year old son behind in the care of Gertrud’s mother – her desolation at being apart from him was often acute. And the American kept himself distant from everyone as best he could.

As the lives of everyone on board intermingled and entwined, some with a degree of friendliness, some with surliness and aggression, few were aware of the undercurrents running through the Hindenburg. And no one knew what would happen at the end of the flight; no one was aware their lives and future plans were about to change...

The disaster which befell the Hindenburg back in 1939 meant this was the last flight of Germany’s zeppelins. Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon is fiction, but from the author’s notes at the end of the book I discovered she used the names of some of the passengers on that fateful flight. Her research has been meticulous and her fictionalised account of what might have happened on board; what might have caused the explosion is filled with suspense, heartbreak and tension. It is utterly enthralling. I thoroughly enjoyed the main characters, especially Werner and Emilie and have no hesitation in highly recommending Flight of Dreams.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

"Thirty four seconds of catastrophic billowing flames, followed by total, profound destruction. In half a minute the airship went from flying luxury hotel to smoking rubble."

Say the word 'Hindenberg' and most people know of the disaster. But how much do we really know? I was therefore most intrigued to read this fictional account of the passengers who were on this ill-fated disaster. And what a ride/flight it turned out to be. Credit here must be given to Lawhon who takes a story that everyone knows and leads the reader on a journey where you will be totally committed to the very last page. Was it sabotage? Was it mechanical malfunction? Was it meteorological? Does anybody really know?

"But no one cares about the truth. They prefer theatrics and conspiracy theories."

I learned so much and went in search of more information on the Hindenburg - the craft itself, the crew, the passengers, the inevitable crash. History enthusiasts will be in heaven with this read. Lawhon has done her homework to give a face to this tragedy and the people onboard this fateful day. This fictional piece of work is based on well researched facts, where possible - Lawhon's interpretation of what might have occurred onboard based on passenger manifests - and the result is truly suspenseful. Characters based on real people with Lawhon skilfully fabricating possible stories surrounding them. (This is all explained in her 'authors note' at the conclusion of the tale). From the author's note:

"An uneventful flight. But here's the problem: I don't believe them."

"This novel is my attempt at a theory .... with that spectacular moment in history."

"Until I began researching this book, I couldn't tell you the name of a single person on board the airship ... I wanted to know who they were.'

The final chapters I found to be absolutely exhilarating in a haunting and tragic way. I had to read well into the night until I finished as I could not abandon these characters. I have nothing but admiration for the stirling execution of the meld of fact and fiction here. What Lawhon did here was pace the book to perfection. Separate stories commence on embarkation, with characters slowly crossing paths mid flight. The novel is told in multiple POVs from the main characters e.g. “The Stewardess”, “The Cabin Boy”, “The Navigator” etc, with the date and time being regularly given, inclusive of the time until the explosion. Indeed, as the explosion draws close, the pace increases and by the time of impact you are caught up in a frenetic climax. My heart was racing, I was holding my breath as I frantically consumed those final chapters.

"When I think about it logically. It doesn't seem as though such a structure has any business floating through the air."

To repeat, Lawhon takes what the world already knew to be a dramatic event and moves it to the next level. She gives life to those long forgotten names, bringing them back to life, if even for a short fictional time. Her attention to detail has given witness to a truly great historical drama of the highest calibre. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I was enthralled and captivated. Authors note:

"I claim to have no special knowledge. I simply wanted to find a good story and tell it in a way that would bring these people and their journey to life ... I am deeply aware that I have written about people who really lived. I have assumed things about them. I have put words in their mouth."

Well, I don’t think I have been so thoroughly educated by a book in a long time! I knew absolutely nothing about the Hindenburg disaster before reading this, and now I feel absolutely enlightened, and a little terrified that this could have happened.

Based on the actual events of May, 1937 – Although worked into a piece of fiction, the Hindenburg makes its final voyage from Germany to the United states. We all know the outcome, have seen the pictures of the air ship engulfed in flames, crashing to the ground. But Lawhon takes us on an enthralling mystery. Out of the colourful characters on the airship those fateful three days, who was the one to bring it down? Numerous passengers stories intertwine to create a story of intrigue, romance and revenge.

I must admit I spent a lot of time on Google and Wikipedia while reading this novel, just to get a better feel for the Hindenburg. The disaster was such a huge event at the time, which has largely been forgotten about, and it was wonderful that this little gem brought the Hindenburg briefly back to life!

I loved the research that the author did with this novel. All the characters were real people, even if their stories were fiction for the most part. She states that everyone who died on the ship, died in the novel, which she weaved well into her storyline. Even details such as the movement of the airship and the mechanics were meticulously detailed and fascinating!

The only criticisms I have is that it was slightly slow moving in places, and I felt the crash was all over the place, too much going on at once… But of course it was in real life too. It took only 30 seconds for it to hit the ground after it caught alight.

The characters were charming and it was even better knowing that they were based on real people. Both the passengers and the crew were fascinating to read about, right up to the final climactic crash and aftermath.

Would I recommend Flight of Dreams?

Absolutely! Anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, or anyone who has any interest in the Hindenburg will appreciate the information in this book, as well as the exciting storyline.

Many thanks to the author and publisher via NetGalley for a copy of Flight of Dreams to read and review