Helpful Score: 12
Wow this book was great! I couldnt stop once I got started! Anita Shreve truly deserves the praise she gets. I went out and bought more of her books and cant wait to start one of those. Recommended for those who love literature fiction also has a bit of suspense too!
Helpful Score: 9
Excellent book. A real page turner. From the opening page I was hooked and could not wait to see what was going to happen. It really involves how well do we know another person?
Helpful Score: 8
Story of how the pilot's wife deals with her grief after her husband dies in a plane explosion. With each new bit of information she uncovers she wonders if she ever knew her husband at all. I enjoyed this well-written story very much and will seek out more of this author's work.
Helpful Score: 8
An amazing book! This is the first book that I have read by this author and I can't wait to read her others. The Pilot's Wife will surprise you at every new twist. This will be one of those books that you just can't put down!
Helpful Score: 7
Excellent book! This was the first I've read by this author, and I kept thinking I knew how it would turn out, but then it would twist again.
Helpful Score: 6
"The Pilot's Wife" is not what I would normally consider my kind of book. And now, thinking back over the book, I'm not sure why I enjoyed it, but I did. Anyway, I found it to be thoroughly engrossing and beautifully written. Well worth the time it took to read it
Helpful Score: 5
I thought this book was really well-written. The author definitely has the ability to draw you in and keep you there right away. The story was interesting.
I, too, felt compelled to keep reading, to find out what was going to happen next. But I also kept wishing it would be over. I guess that's a testament to the author's ability to give you that experience of "being there" and walking in the main character's shoes. My favorite part of the book was the last line.
I, too, felt compelled to keep reading, to find out what was going to happen next. But I also kept wishing it would be over. I guess that's a testament to the author's ability to give you that experience of "being there" and walking in the main character's shoes. My favorite part of the book was the last line.
Helpful Score: 5
I expected to really like this book, but in the end I found it to be just okay. The plot seemed really contrived, like the author wasn't really sure what mysterious things that Jack Lyons, the pilot whose plane goes down, was up to. "The Weight of Water" was a much, much better book.
Helpful Score: 4
Just okay. I saw the end coming a mile away. It would make a decent beach book, as it is a very easy and quick read.
Helpful Score: 4
I loved this book. It was absolutely spellbinding and I could not put it down. I literally got up in the middle of the night to find time to read this one. Good to the very end.
This was my first exposure to Anita Shreve, and I am now a devoted fan!
This was my first exposure to Anita Shreve, and I am now a devoted fan!
Helpful Score: 4
If you liked "The Bridges of Madison County," you will love The Pilot's Wife.
Helpful Score: 3
I loved this book. Read it in 2 days..only because sleep was necessary too. Carried it with me and read at every opportunity. I highy recommend it!
Helpful Score: 3
I absolutely loved this book! It's very eye-opening and will make you think about life in general.
Helpful Score: 3
A very good fast paced read but somewhat predictable.
Helpful Score: 2
I could't put this book down. Was up all night reading it just to wee what happened next.
Helpful Score: 2
This book explores the grieving of a woman who has lost her husband, a pilot, in a contraversal crash. While the world around her investigates wiether or not the crash was pilot error, mechanical, or even a suicide taking the passengers with, Kathryn (our main character) has to go through many more things than even that. Her young daughter is distraught and acting out, she is finding out about her husbands real character, and dealing with her own grief and emotions. And then, when it couldn't get any more dramatic, there is a startling twist.
Read it. It's a good one. Drama central. Crying and gasping.
Read it. It's a good one. Drama central. Crying and gasping.
Helpful Score: 2
Anita Shreve is a really unique author - I haven't quite made up my mind about her books yet. This one I enjoyed.
Helpful Score: 2
Oprah Book Club® Selection, March 1999: With five novels to her credit, including the acclaimed The Weight of Water, Anita Shreve now offers a skillfully crafted exploration of the long reach of tragedy in The Pilot's Wife. News of Jack Lyons's fatal crash sends his wife into shock and emotional numbness:
Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others ... frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious on-lookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.
The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off.
Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others ... frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious on-lookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.
The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off.
Helpful Score: 2
I could not put this book down! It was a surprise for me. Anita Shreve really caught my interest right away and I just couldn't put it down. This book is also a part of the Oprah's Book Club.
Helpful Score: 2
Loved this book, one of her best written books! A romantic book with a good mystery.
Helpful Score: 2
I couldn't put this book down! In this book of secrets the main character is developed so well, it was easy to put myself in her shoes.
Helpful Score: 2
I didn't want to put this book down. I fell in love with the characters and began to understand them as real people. Although a somewhat tragic story, it was moving and absorbing.
Helpful Score: 2
Not really worth the time when there are so many other better books out there. I thought it was going to be very deep and moving but instead I found it very contrived and predictible and in the end a little shallow like a trashy made-for-tv movie.
Helpful Score: 2
The story of a woman who finds out her husband has died, and begins to piece together a life that she was completely unaware of. On the Oprah's book club list, a very good read about love. Highly recommend!
Helpful Score: 2
A "Can't put it down" novel.
Helpful Score: 2
Powerful, emotional book with a fast paced storyline and characters you will care about and be sorry to see go.
Helpful Score: 2
I've read several of Anita Shreve's books, and this one is definitely the best of them all, in my opinion. I highly recommend it.
Helpful Score: 2
Good story about a marriage. I will read another by this author.
Helpful Score: 1
The story is interesting but the writing is a little "8th grade".
Helpful Score: 1
This book was ok...not the greatest, but quickly and easily read in a weekend. Didn't enjoy the ending. I would say it was worth reading, but not earth shattering.
Gripping, intense, page turner.
Mystery.
Kathryn's husband dies in a plane crash, after his death she discovers things she never knew about him.
Mystery.
Kathryn's husband dies in a plane crash, after his death she discovers things she never knew about him.
Helpful Score: 1
I really did not think I would like this book from reading the back cover, but I LOVED it! This was a great book that was my introduction to Anita Shreve, who is now one of my favorite authors. It was hard to put down.
Helpful Score: 1
Very intriguing and shocking, yet believable
Helpful Score: 1
This was a very good book. Very sad, though, and very true to life!
Helpful Score: 1
Just an okay book but quite predictable and silly ending that was ho-humm. I would have liked different characters developed. Easy read.
Helpful Score: 1
Amazon.com Review
Oprah Book Club® Selection, March 1999: With five novels to her credit, including the acclaimed The Weight of Water, Anita Shreve now offers a skillfully crafted exploration of the long reach of tragedy in The Pilot's Wife. News of Jack Lyons's fatal crash sends his wife into shock and emotional numbness:
Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others ... frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious on-lookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.
The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off.
Oprah Book Club® Selection, March 1999: With five novels to her credit, including the acclaimed The Weight of Water, Anita Shreve now offers a skillfully crafted exploration of the long reach of tragedy in The Pilot's Wife. News of Jack Lyons's fatal crash sends his wife into shock and emotional numbness:
Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others ... frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious on-lookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.
The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off.
Helpful Score: 1
I liked it! Worth the read. Maybe a little predictable, but still enjoyable.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this story! It is so well writed that you feel like you are there experiencing this heartbreak. It will shake you up to realize that all is not always what it seems. (and sometimes that is because we don't want to "see" what is in front of us! A good read!
Helpful Score: 1
great read altho i didnt care 4 her other novels.
Helpful Score: 1
From Amazon.com
"Oprah Book Club® Selection, March 1999: With five novels to her credit, including the acclaimed The Weight of Water, Anita Shreve now offers a skillfully crafted exploration of the long reach of tragedy in The Pilot's Wife. News of Jack Lyons's fatal crash sends his wife into shock and emotional numbness:
Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others ... frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious on-lookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.
The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off. "
"Oprah Book Club® Selection, March 1999: With five novels to her credit, including the acclaimed The Weight of Water, Anita Shreve now offers a skillfully crafted exploration of the long reach of tragedy in The Pilot's Wife. News of Jack Lyons's fatal crash sends his wife into shock and emotional numbness:
Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others ... frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious on-lookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.
The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off. "
Helpful Score: 1
This was my first Anita Shreve novel and I am hooked - no fluff or drivel, no predictability - a smart and page turning read. Great story.
Helpful Score: 1
Great book - must read!
Helpful Score: 1
This book is part "detective story" and part "interior monologue." You are drawn into a story of a tragic plane crash and the unravling of a secret life, exploring the question, how well do we really know our spouses.
Helpful Score: 1
Wonderful. Marvelous. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
A oprah's book club book.
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable-one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, How well can we ever really know another person?
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable-one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, How well can we ever really know another person?
Helpful Score: 1
A very well written novel that will keep you turning the pages very rapidly to reach the conclusion. This is the first novel I have read by Anita Shreve and it definitely will not be the last! I admire a writer who can grab your attention and keep you turning each page saying to yourself "What really happened? I have to get to the bottom of this." A wonderful book...no wonder it was a best seller and part of Oprah's Book Club.
Helpful Score: 1
A great book that I really enjoyed. I don't think it quite compared with "The Bridges of Madison County" like on reviewer said, but it was very good.
Helpful Score: 1
I guess I was expecting more excitement from this book. I thought it was kind of boring.
Helpful Score: 1
This was my 2nd time to read this book - it's that good. And I just loaned it to a friend last night. The author does a good job of character development and the story moves quickly. Although it's not a "happy" story, it is a story full of emotional depth.
Helpful Score: 1
Can't say enough good things about this book. From beginning to end it was fascinating. A wonderful, suspenseful story.
Helpful Score: 1
could not put this book down.. read it in one night cover to cover.
Helpful Score: 1
Great book to read on vacation! All my sisters really enjoyed - surprises in it!
Helpful Score: 1
A gripping story by one of my favorite authors.
Helpful Score: 1
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who has trust issues in their marriage. Past or present, this is a book that will definately amplify the fact that you never really know anyone completely
Helpful Score: 1
Easy read. Hard to put down once you start and it's easy to become emotionally connected to the main character.
Helpful Score: 1
Oprah's book club choice....very moving novel...
Helpful Score: 1
Not my usual choice of reading but I enjoyed this one, a bit of light reading, a bit sad.
Helpful Score: 1
To slow at the beginning. Had to put it down so many times. Not my favorite of this author.
Helpful Score: 1
Great book for a book club! Generated excellent discussion.
Helpful Score: 1
A real page-turner. Post 9-11, it feels a bit out-of-date, but not much.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book!
Until now, Kathryn Lyons's life has been peaceful if unextraordinary: a satisfying job teaching high school in the New England mill town of her childhood; a picture-perfect home by the ocean; a precocious, independent-minded fifteen-year-old daughter; and a happy marriage whose occasional dull passages she attributes to the unavoidable deadening of time. As a pilot's wife, Kathryn has learned to expect both intense exhilaration and long periods alone ? but nothing has prepared her for the late-night knock that lets her know her husband has died in a crash. As Kathryn struggles with her grief, she descends into a maelstrom of publicity stirred up by the modern hunger for the details of tragedy. Even before the plane is located in waters off the Irish coast, the relentless scrutiny of her husband's life begins to bring a bizarre personal mystery into focus. Could there be any truth to the increasingly disturbing rumors that he had a secret life?
Until now, Kathryn Lyons's life has been peaceful if unextraordinary: a satisfying job teaching high school in the New England mill town of her childhood; a picture-perfect home by the ocean; a precocious, independent-minded fifteen-year-old daughter; and a happy marriage whose occasional dull passages she attributes to the unavoidable deadening of time. As a pilot's wife, Kathryn has learned to expect both intense exhilaration and long periods alone ? but nothing has prepared her for the late-night knock that lets her know her husband has died in a crash. As Kathryn struggles with her grief, she descends into a maelstrom of publicity stirred up by the modern hunger for the details of tragedy. Even before the plane is located in waters off the Irish coast, the relentless scrutiny of her husband's life begins to bring a bizarre personal mystery into focus. Could there be any truth to the increasingly disturbing rumors that he had a secret life?
Helpful Score: 1
This Shreve book was easy to read and very enjoyable. Not unlike her other books, Shreve addresses some very difficult topics in this book, such as trust, infidelity, and a child who has experimented with their sexuality.
Kathryn, the heroine of the story, is catapulted into despair when she finds that her beloved pilot husband, Jack, has been killed in a plane crash. Comforted by Robert, a man from the union, who knows more than he initially reveals. Jack's death brings to light some disturbing possibilities which Kathryn must explore, and then come to grips with.
The story is wonderfully gripping. I really enjoyed this Shreve title, but like some of her others, wasn't thrilled with the ending, which was odd and I felt left unanswered questions.
Definitely worth reading though.
Kathryn, the heroine of the story, is catapulted into despair when she finds that her beloved pilot husband, Jack, has been killed in a plane crash. Comforted by Robert, a man from the union, who knows more than he initially reveals. Jack's death brings to light some disturbing possibilities which Kathryn must explore, and then come to grips with.
The story is wonderfully gripping. I really enjoyed this Shreve title, but like some of her others, wasn't thrilled with the ending, which was odd and I felt left unanswered questions.
Definitely worth reading though.
Helpful Score: 1
Here is a book that only kept my attention while in the tub. It was just alright.
Helpful Score: 1
After I got half way through I couldn't put this book down. A quick and compelling read. One of Anita Shreve's best books!
Helpful Score: 1
A pilot\'s wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable-one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, How well can you really know another person?
Helpful Score: 1
Passed around to my group of friends while on vacation in the mountains. All 4 of us read it within a weeks time. Easy read. Interesting twists to the plot that you wouldn't expect. Makes you feel all sorts of ranges on emotions. Really enjoyed.
Helpful Score: 1
I liked this book. The main characters are very appealing. The plot is mostly predictable with a bit of what I feel was a convoluted twist. But it was an interesting quick read.
Helpful Score: 1
Very well written... material that could have been written like a soap opera was, instead, written in such an engaging way, I savored this book.
Helpful Score: 1
A page-turner, as are all of Shreve's books. I've never read a bad one, or one that didn't make me wish it went longer. The perfect escape. No real redeeming value, just a great book to take you away from the trials and tribulations of life for awhile.
Helpful Score: 1
I wasn't sure what to expect but it was well written. Right from the beginning it draws you in. Not a huge reader but I finished this one in three days.
a haunting book that has stayed with me long after I closed the cover!
EXCELLENT book... I truly enjoyed it...
Very emotional and moving story. had some shocking elements in the story as well. Like the author, so picked it up. Good story about people and the way some can live life.
With five novels to her credit, including the acclaimed The Weight of Water, Anita Shreve now offers a skillfully crafted exploration of the long reach of tragedy in The Pilot's Wife. News of Jack Lyons's fatal crash sends his wife into shock and emotional numbness. The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off.
This is a great story whic keeps you guessing till the end. Even though a movie has been made nothing can capture or evoke the emotions that this novel can, Barbara Delinsky is just great!
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable---one revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever the knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it explores the question: how well can we ever really know another person?
what an amazing story..
Shreve's best book
Like this. Oprah picks good books.
Good character development, well written. Makes you think "Just how well do I REALLY know anyone?"
Interesting story, part tragedy, part dectective. Drew me in and couldn't put it down.
Oprah's book club selection. Interesting twist.
Sad but excellent read.
Not Shreve's best, but still a pageturner.
Gripping. It's bad enough when your beloved husband dies unexpectedly, but when it surfaces that he led a double life, the unreality is beyond belief.
Great story telling
Great Book.not to long,finished it real quick,but it kept you reading
Read this a second time recently and loved it still.
A widow discovers her husband had a secret life and this deals with the aftermath of a tragedy that leads her to his other family.
A widow discovers her husband had a secret life and this deals with the aftermath of a tragedy that leads her to his other family.
Good story with unexpected twists.
Very realistic and sympathetic characters. Kathryn's life is turned upside down and her emotinal journey in dealing with events is surprisingly suspensful.
Excellent story about a pilot's wife who, after her husband's plane crashes, finds herself asking how well she actually knew him.
I haven't read thisw book.
How well can we ever really know another person. Read about how one woman discovers truths about her husband after his death.
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable -- one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack let a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who oherhusband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, How well can we ever really know another person?
A great book, will keep you turning pages to find out how it ends.
Quick, engrossing read, a great first half, but I wasn't crazy about the ending, but overall it's a good book.
Good Book. An Oprah Book so you know it's decent.
This is a great book, it take a twist you will not expect.
This was a great mystery! Another great read by Anita Shreve!
A novel about the wife of a husband who goes down with his plane. Oprah's book club selection.
awesome story; rather sad, but ends on a hopeful note.
This is the story of a pilot's wife who receives word late one night that her husband's plane has exploded. That is the first step into a journey that leads her down a road of unexpected twists and turns deep into her husband's secret life. Definitely a page-turner!
Oprah's Book Club book
Oprah's Book Club book
I enjoyed reading this book. I love mysteries and this was a mystery plus with an emotional rollercoaster.
While grieving for her husband, Jack, a pilot who died in a plane crash, Kathryn Lyons discovers that he had a second life she knew nothing about. Torn between her anger and her desire to preserve Jack's memory for their young daughter, Kathryn seeks out Jack's secret: a wife and two children living in England.
Anita Shreve is always great. This book is no excption. It's an Oprah Book Club selection for a reason.
Wonderful, well written story! I couldn't put it down...
A great thriller about a plane crash, it's causes & the effects left on those still here.
Mesmerizing! Definitely recommend it.
The book was sad and depressing. Do you really know your spouse??
The character's love for her husband blinded her to the ugly truth,
that her husband lead a double life. Story line was well written, and I
could feel the wife's pain and questions that ran through her mind.
In the end the wife was betrayed by the husband and the husband was
betrayed by his lover. A friend who knew I was reading
it told me to stop, I will be disappointed in the end..and I was.
The character's love for her husband blinded her to the ugly truth,
that her husband lead a double life. Story line was well written, and I
could feel the wife's pain and questions that ran through her mind.
In the end the wife was betrayed by the husband and the husband was
betrayed by his lover. A friend who knew I was reading
it told me to stop, I will be disappointed in the end..and I was.
Very good, easy read, love story, very well written.
This book was just okay for me. Wasn't very original, and characters seemed not so smart or sympathetic. Pathetic is actually a better word to describe.
This was one that I couldn't put down. You're drawn into all the emotions of the main characters. The settings put you right there.
Husbands and their secrets will never turn out good.
This was a moving book that explores marriage, grief, and how it is so difficult to truly know someone, even if you're married. I enjoyed it every much
This was such a good read. The story was very captivating. I can't believe that the character had to endure the many discoveries she experienced after her husband passed away.
This was one of those books that was hard for me to put down. Loved it.
I was enveloped in this book from the first paragraph. Anita Shreve did an excellent job of drawing me in to the life of Kathryn Lyons, having me feel empathy for her situations. I couldn't possibly say that I can imagine what it would be like to live in the shoes of Kathryn lyons but Anita shreve had a good point in asking the question "How well can you really know another person?"
Audrey Niffenegger, who wrote The Time Traveller's Wife, could use some lessons from Anita Shreve: You can write a compelling, sympathetic, page-turner without constant profanity, vulgar depictions of sex, and shallow characters.
The Pilot's Wife is one of the better books I've read recently. It was like standing helplessly by while watching a train wreck about to happen, and unable to look away. From the very first line in the book you know that things will continue to worsen for the main character with each turn of the page, that her "perfect" world as she knows it will unravel to almost unbearable levels. Shreve knows how to expertly draw the reader into her tales, can develop her characters into people we either know or can see in ourselves. Niffenegger, with her book, could do neither. Having read both books closely together, I couldn't help but make the obvious comparisons between the two. One soared, the other sank.
I look forward to reading more of Anita Shreve.
The Pilot's Wife is one of the better books I've read recently. It was like standing helplessly by while watching a train wreck about to happen, and unable to look away. From the very first line in the book you know that things will continue to worsen for the main character with each turn of the page, that her "perfect" world as she knows it will unravel to almost unbearable levels. Shreve knows how to expertly draw the reader into her tales, can develop her characters into people we either know or can see in ourselves. Niffenegger, with her book, could do neither. Having read both books closely together, I couldn't help but make the obvious comparisons between the two. One soared, the other sank.
I look forward to reading more of Anita Shreve.
I enjoyed this book of Anita Shreve's the best. The suspense kept me going and wondering how someone lives 2 lives and makes a woman feel like they're his only world. Sad at times, but enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed this book. A very real look at the character's feelings as they are dealt potentially devastating blows and how healing can come with time and love.
As the wife of an airline pilot, Kathryn Lyons understands the importance of being prepared for every eventuality that life presents to her. That includes everything from moving fairly frequently; to long periods of separation due to her husband's flight schedule; to the inevitable late-night knock at the door that every pilot's wife dreads. Yet when Kathryn receives such a knock: carrying word that the plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded somewhere off the coast of Ireland, she must confront the unfathomable - one startling revelation at a time.
Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by the persistent rumors that Jack had led a secret double life, Kathryn sets out to discover the truth. She is determined to learn just who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost herself and her fifteen-year-old daughter. Her exhaustive search for the truth is what propels this taut and impassioned novel as it poignantly explores the question: just how well can we ever really know a person?
I must say that I absolutely loved this book. It was such an easy read for me; truly a page-turner. I've had this book on my bookshelf for quite a long time, but I can't remember if I have ever read it before. I think that I remember watching the made-for-television movie that was broadcast in 2002, starring Christine Lahti. I would definitely give this book an A+!
Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by the persistent rumors that Jack had led a secret double life, Kathryn sets out to discover the truth. She is determined to learn just who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost herself and her fifteen-year-old daughter. Her exhaustive search for the truth is what propels this taut and impassioned novel as it poignantly explores the question: just how well can we ever really know a person?
I must say that I absolutely loved this book. It was such an easy read for me; truly a page-turner. I've had this book on my bookshelf for quite a long time, but I can't remember if I have ever read it before. I think that I remember watching the made-for-television movie that was broadcast in 2002, starring Christine Lahti. I would definitely give this book an A+!
I loved this book about a duel life.Its bben years since I read this book and I still remember how the wife became unraveled when the truth she knew became a mirage.
I enjoyed this book, it reflects the dynamics of change in one womans life and how she deals with it
Just finished reading this book in two days. Very easy read though, I must admit, somewhat predictable. Enjoyable all the same.
I really enjoyed this book from the very beginning. Even though I felt the ending was a bit weak, I would still recommend reading the book.
Loved this book, could feel the characters emotions.
I read this a lot of years ago, it was my first by Shreve, and I LOVED it! I've since read and bought more just based on the talent this showed alone.
A great read! Could not put it down.
A PILOT'S WIFE IS TAUGHT TO BE PREPARED FOR THE LATE NIGHT KNOCK AT THE DOOR.BUT WHEN KATHRYN LYONS RECIEVES WORD THAT A PLANE FLOWNS BY HER HUSBAND HAS EXPLORED NEAR THE COAST OF IRELAND,SHE CONFRONTED THE UNFAITHOMABLE ONE STARTLING REVALATION AT A TIME
Loved this book and could not put it down!
touching
A must read, and make sure you have a box of tissues. This was one of the best books I have read in a long time. A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable--one startling revelation at a time
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door.When Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable-one startling revelation at a time
I couldn't put this book down once I started it!!
Even though I knew what was going to happen in this story, I couldn't put this book down.
And she didn't disappoint me there. Anita takes you on a journey through a woman's self-discovery as she struggles with her husband's death and the reality that she didn't know him like she thought she did. It is a portrayal of a strong woman who sets out to learn who her husband really was ~~ while at the same time working to protect her daughter and helping her through this trying time as well as exploring her self-realization.
It is a quick read as well as an engrossing one. Though the book doesn't stir up lots of debates like Oprah's other selections, the topic of adultery still hits too close to home. However, it is interesting to see how Kathryn deals with it during her grieving process and comes to the realization that none of us really know another person. This book may sound depressing, but it really isn't. You have to read between the lines to see that there is a gift of hope that Anita was trying to share with her readers as you grow along with Kathryn on her journey.
It is a quick read as well as an engrossing one. Though the book doesn't stir up lots of debates like Oprah's other selections, the topic of adultery still hits too close to home. However, it is interesting to see how Kathryn deals with it during her grieving process and comes to the realization that none of us really know another person. This book may sound depressing, but it really isn't. You have to read between the lines to see that there is a gift of hope that Anita was trying to share with her readers as you grow along with Kathryn on her journey.
This is a very well written and entertaining book. It is the first book I have read by Anita Shreve and I will read more.
This book was easy to read and engaging. The author gives enough of a sense that something suspicious is going on and keeps you turning pages to find out what it is.
A great story of someone who must pick up the pieces of her life after hearing her husband's plane has exploded,excellent book.
What does the wife find out after her husband's plane crashes???
I liked this book. It's a good read.
I liked this book. It's a good read.
When a pilot's wife receives word that a plane flown by her husband has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she and her daughter must confront the unfathomable - one startling revelation at a time.
A great story line told by one of the best authors ever.
I read this book last year and really enjoyed it!
Another great read by Anita Shreve!
The story makes you think about how well you can really know a person. But I was let down at Katherine's reaction to finding out some of these secrets. I would have been enraged and crushed to find out some of the things she did. But I just didn't feel that from her.
Once you start you will be drawn in. Good book. Makes you think about secrets
It makes you think twice about men!!
This book had good flashbacks and characterization, and was easy to read. It's about Kathryn, whose husband is an intercontinental pilot. He dies in an airline crash, then rumors start that it was suicide. She begins to investigate and begins to doubt how well she knew her husband.
A GREAT STORY !
gripping, compelling read. When Kathryn receives word that her husband's plane has exploded, she begins an emotional search with surprising results...
I found this book easy reading. Very compelling.
A well written book that will make wives and girlfriends everywhere wonder just a little more about what they don't know about their husband's relationships and business trips.
An intense, emotional, hard read - but very, very good! I read this one in one sitting, couldn't put it down.
Intriguing book about the secret life a wife discovers about her pilot husband...
oprah's book club. how well can we ever really know another person?
A real page turner. Although I felt like I had already read the book. I found out that it was a made-for-t.v. movie in 2002. Still it was a good read.
This was one of the best books i've read.
Wonderful story. I read it quickly as I couldn't put it down til it was finished. I'll read more by this author.
I was sorry I read this book. I know other people like it, but if you are looking for something uplifting, this is not it. If you are even mildly depressed, don't read it.
In the middle of the night, a man knocks on the pilot's wife's door. He's come to tell her that there had been an explosion on the international flight her husband was piloting and it had gone down in the sea just outside of Ireland. There were no survivors. He's from the pilots' union, and has also come to stay with her to help with the flood of press and questions that will be coming her way. But as he is handling the press, the pilot's wife is discovering other thngs that lead her to question whether or not she really knew her husband - and eventually lead her to London to seek answers.
Yes, This book gets the rare (from me anyway) five star rating. It is compulsively readiable. I simply could not stop reading as the secrets unfolded. Although I correctly guessed some of the revelations that came, that didn't ruin the story at all. That's because it wasn't simply about the unfolding mystery, it was also about the pilot's wife's reaction to everything that she learned.
I remember clearly the day several years ago that a co-worker of mine came in looking particularly haggard. I asked her if she was OK, and she said that she was fine. She had just been up most of the night reading a novel - this novel. However, this book languished on my TBR for years. That's primarily because I tried to read Fortunes' Rocks by the same author (which is loosely related to The Pilot's Wife), and I just couldn't get into that story. So I wasn't all that eager to try The Pilot's Wife. I'm sooooo glad that I finally picked it up.
Yes, This book gets the rare (from me anyway) five star rating. It is compulsively readiable. I simply could not stop reading as the secrets unfolded. Although I correctly guessed some of the revelations that came, that didn't ruin the story at all. That's because it wasn't simply about the unfolding mystery, it was also about the pilot's wife's reaction to everything that she learned.
I remember clearly the day several years ago that a co-worker of mine came in looking particularly haggard. I asked her if she was OK, and she said that she was fine. She had just been up most of the night reading a novel - this novel. However, this book languished on my TBR for years. That's primarily because I tried to read Fortunes' Rocks by the same author (which is loosely related to The Pilot's Wife), and I just couldn't get into that story. So I wasn't all that eager to try The Pilot's Wife. I'm sooooo glad that I finally picked it up.
A good examination of the nature of grief--falls apart a little at the end.
Very enjoyable, with an interesting turn of events.
I liked this book a lot. It was a book club book for me.
OPRAH BOOK CLUB
CHANGED THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD MARRIAGE AND WHAT CAN GO WRONG
CHANGED THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD MARRIAGE AND WHAT CAN GO WRONG
My first by this author and I really liked it. I found it to be a page turner as I didn't want to be interrupted while reading and would hide from my family!
You are taken in from the very first page when the wife opens the door!
You are taken in from the very first page when the wife opens the door!
Compulsively readable. An absorbing, inventive tale rendered in fine, original prose.
I couldn't put this book down!
This was a great book. I didnt want to put it down.
Page turner, great read. Forget dishes and laundry, I couldn't put it down until I was done!
Riveting story, very hard to put down. It will make you cry and be just as shocked as the character in the book. After Kathryn's husband dies in a horrific plain crash, she tries to remember if she really knew her husband as well as she thought she did. Her daughter seems to have more insight into this. In her search, she discovers love and laughter, betrayal and hurt. An Oprah's Book Club book.
This was a great book. I really enjoyed it!
A terrific page-turner. My housework was neglected until I finished this book. Awesome! A real lesson in "knowing" people.
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable--one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, How well can we ever really know another person?
Just when you think you know the loved ones in your life, your world can be flipped upside down- a real page-turner.
Fantastic. WAY better than the movie! You will be kept in suspense.
A wife is awakened by a knock at the door, telling her that her husband (who is a pilot) has died in a plane crash. She then begins to learn things about her husband that she never knew and she knows that she must learn the truth about her husband's life and death.
Great read, very touching. Underscores the idea that we never really know anyone...
Great read, very touching. Underscores the idea that we never really know anyone...
wonderful
A very quick read; I enjoyed it.
I really got into this story.
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband,Jack, explodes of the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable - one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life. Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explored the question, How well can we ever really know another person.
Engrossing book, she's very good at not overstating.
As a pilot's wife Kathryn receives word that her husbands plane has exploded over the coast of Ireland. She learns that her husband had a second life. The story continues through her search to find out who he really was. Good characters and well written
My favorite of Anita Sheve. I couldn't put it down.
It was hard to put this book down!
I love Anita Schreve's writing, one of my favorite authors, especially for stories about relationships that may be hidden. This book is no exception - a wonderfully compelling read.
When Katherine Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husban, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable, one step at a time. Soon drawn into a storm of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a double life, Katherine sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this story as it explores the question, How well can we ever really know another person?
This woman is amazing. I don't know if I could hold it together as well as she did under the same circumstanxes. Goo Book!
Great book!!!
Very interesting story that pulls you in from the beginning.
Spellbound, absolutely terrific reading!
An Oprah selection and a great read.
One of the better Oprah's book titles I have read.
I read this book awhile ago, back when it was first published, and I don't remember being very thrilled with it. It was one of those books that I felt obligated to read just because I spent $$ on it - definitely not a page turner.
Well written with lots of surprises.
I heard about this book because it was on many people's favorite book lists on a reading site. They did not steer me wrong. Beautifully written.
This was a very good book.
Hard to put this book down!
Good story about how much you can ever really know a person, even your spouse.
Not a bad read, but I had a hard time liking the characters.
gripping, you dont want to stop turning pages.
When her pilot husband is shot down and publicity rumours are of his "secret life," Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was. This novel passionately explores the question, How well can we ever really know another person?
Enjoyed this book very much; a good mystery, with a good mix of emotion. The emotional aspect of the story is especially well described. There are many surprises and it leaves you wondering "how well do I really know anybody?"
Pretty unpredictable. I was eager to get to the end and figure it all out.
very good book
From the time Kathryn learns that her husband, who is a pilot, has died when the plane he was flying exploded near the coast of Ireland, the action is non-stop. She soon learns that she really didn't know him at all. Her husband was leading two separate lives. As the story unravels, I literally could not put this book down. A must read!
The title character is drawn in to a maelstrom of publicity after a plane flown by her husband crashes, once rumors survace that the husband had lead a secret life. The wife sets out to learn about her husband's life. An Oprah selection.
Awesome story....couldn't put it down....
A complex story about a woman married to a pilot who is killed in a plane crash. She finds that her husband led a secret life and she sets out to find who her husband really was.
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock on the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable-one startling revelation at a time.
I liked it ok,but felt I wanted to finish it soon so as I could read another more interesting book,,LOL
I had seen the movie, but think the book is better.
This is one of the best novels I have read. Before you start this book, be sure you have plenty of time to finish it because it's hard to put down. Anita Shreve is able to put the reader up close and personal with her almost living, breathing characters.
Gripping... You don't want to stop turning the pages once Kathryn has opened the door.
A pilots' wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. but when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable - one startling revelations at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, how well can we really know another person?
A pilots' wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. but when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable - one startling revelations at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, how well can we really know another person?
A very engaging book. "Oprah's Book Club" selection. Strong character development with a story that reflects real life. We are exposed to the mundane and the exciting with a twist of mystery as one woman comes to term with the truth about her husband.
This book is wonderful!
A novel by the author of the national bestseller "The Weight of Water".This is an Oprah's Book Club selection. This copy is a first edition trade-size paperback (5 1/2 x 8 1/2), 1999.
Kathryn Lyons recieves word that her pilot husband's plane has exploded near the coast of Ireland. She sets out to learn who her husband really was. Her search leads her to the question: How well can we ever really know another person? A moving novel.
Kathryn Lyons recieves word that her pilot husband's plane has exploded near the coast of Ireland. She sets out to learn who her husband really was. Her search leads her to the question: How well can we ever really know another person? A moving novel.
With five novels to her credit, including the acclaimed The Weight of Water, Anita Shreve now offers a skillfully crafted exploration of the long reach of tragedy in The Pilot's Wife. News of Jack Lyons's fatal crash sends his wife into shock and emotional numbness:
Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others ... frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious on-lookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.
The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off.
Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others ... frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious on-lookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.
The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realize that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really take off.
You meet and marry. You live together for years. Then, your husband is reported missing and there are rumors of a secret life. WHAT! You have just entered the world of Kathryn Lyons. Join her as she searches for the truth.
Quick read -- very Lifetime-movie-esque.
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knowck on the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable.......
It's a mystery, one touches the reader in a personal way. It brings out the doubting inner voice that wonders, what is happening behind the normal lives around us?
This is my first book I've read by Shreve. I immediately grabbed a few more of hers after finishing. Very well written characters and plot.
Wonderful story. Emotional, mysterious, romantic, captivating. All the good stuff!
I really enjoyed this one. How well do we really know anyone? This book was a quick read, great for the beach.
A novel in which a wife unravels the details of her dead husband\'s hidden life. An easy read, and a constant page turner.
Very, very good. Read it in one day. I highly recommend this book.
Love Anita Shreve's work. This is a story that I couldn't put down till I finished it
Shreve doing what she does best. Makes you want to know these people, help them. Well-written and human.
"An absorbing, inventive tale rendered in fine, original prose." - Mike Snyder, Houston Chronicle
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable - one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her jusband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question. How well can we really know another person?
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable - one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question. How well can we ever rally know another person?
Anita Shreve's best book ever!!
Oprah's Book Club pick. Excellent novel!
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this, but actually loved it. Not at all the chick-lit I thought it would be. Compelling plot and deeply drawn characters. Very original.
Like all Shreve's book, it keeps you interested
Oprah's book club. Very suspenseful - will KEEP you guessing until the end. Very human story by Anita Shreve - always a good read.
From Oprah's book club, she's the new Anne Tyler!
A Pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the lat-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives work toat a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable - one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly eplores the question, How well can we ever really know another person?
This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read! It is about the death of a husband, and all of the secrets that the wife finds out about him. It is so wonderful! Absolutely great!!
Tragedy, intrique, romance..After her husband is killed in a fatal crash that could be blamed on him the wife digs into his private life. It is then she realizes she didn't know him at all. Good quick read.
Oprah's Book Club
I really enjoyed this book, and was quite shocked by the twist it took...didn't see it coming.
I really loved this book..keeps you guessing
This was my first Anita Shreve book and I loved it. The story took twists that I did't expect.
Tale of infidelity and survival. I read every one of Anita Shreve's books since.
Gripping book! From the back cover..."A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable-one startling revelation at a time."
Wife receives word her husbands plain has crashed. But has it or is he leading a double life?Very good book, you wont wnat to put it down until you finish it.
A wife learns her husbands plane has crashed. He is gone. She learns facts that tell her she may not have known him after all. What she learns keeps you reading.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Until now, Kathryn Lyons's life has been peaceful if unextraordinary: a satisfying job teaching high school in the New England mill town of her childhood; a picture-perfect home by the ocean; a precocious, independent-minded fifteen-year-old daughter; and a happy marriage whose occasional dull passages she attributes to the unavoidable deadening of time. As a pilot's wife, Kathryn has learned to expect both intense exhilaration and long periods alone but nothing has prepared her for the late-night knock that lets her know her husband has died in a crash. As Kathryn struggles with her grief, she descends into a maelstrom of publicity stirred up by the modern hunger for the details of tragedy. Even before the plane is located in waters off the Irish coast, the relentless scrutiny of her husband's life begins to bring a bizarre personal mystery into focus. Could there be any truth to the increasingly disturbing rumors that he had a secret life?
Until now, Kathryn Lyons's life has been peaceful if unextraordinary: a satisfying job teaching high school in the New England mill town of her childhood; a picture-perfect home by the ocean; a precocious, independent-minded fifteen-year-old daughter; and a happy marriage whose occasional dull passages she attributes to the unavoidable deadening of time. As a pilot's wife, Kathryn has learned to expect both intense exhilaration and long periods alone but nothing has prepared her for the late-night knock that lets her know her husband has died in a crash. As Kathryn struggles with her grief, she descends into a maelstrom of publicity stirred up by the modern hunger for the details of tragedy. Even before the plane is located in waters off the Irish coast, the relentless scrutiny of her husband's life begins to bring a bizarre personal mystery into focus. Could there be any truth to the increasingly disturbing rumors that he had a secret life?
Inspirational but you will cry your eyes out.
A moving book about a woman, Kathryn Lyons, whose husband Jack dies in an airplane crash. What happened and what she learned about him kept me interested throughout the book.
An excellent read. Gripping page turner. I couldn't put it down.
As always, Shreve weaves her tale among exquisitely human characters ~ a very good read, I enjoyed in immensely.
This was a bit wordly for my tastes, but I still read it fairly quickly. There was definitely an element of wanting to know how it ends.
An engrossing, emotional read.
the first Anita Shreve I read. I was hooked.
REALLY loved this book! Good narrator, excellent character development, great sense of suspense,altogether a great literary experience.
A poignant look at life from the eyes of a pilot's wife - as she find that everything around you, and people you love, are always more than they seem....
book club edition
A moving story of love, trust and a split personality that unwinds into parallels of betrayal.
An aircrash, a dead husband, and the wife discovers a painful secret! A good read!
Guys this is a book by and for women. Don't bother. The author ran out of airspeed and ideas about the sametime. The ending is lame and limps to a close.
First book I have read by Anita Shreve and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more by her!
One of my favorite books of the Oprah's Book Club! Very well written....
i rad this is one night.
Being married to a pilot means you have to be a bit of a fatalist, but nothing has prepared Kathryn Lyons for the news of her husband's fatal crash. Even before the plane is located off the Irish coast, a callous media turns her personal life inside out. As Kathryn struggles with rage and grief, a bizarre mystery swims into focus:Who was this man she loved, and what lay behind the life she took for granted. She is determined to find the truth, even though she knows it isn't going to be pretty. Anita Shreve is the author of THE WEIGHT OF WATER and other acclaimed novels. She lives in western Massachusetts.
An Oprah selection: I loved it!
Desperately in need of editing. Such an enticing premise - how well can anyone know a loved one? Such a disappointing delivery. As an Irish-American, I guessed one of her twists within the first couple pages - there was no mystery or tension for me on that storyline. I couldn't believe she took so long to state the obvious. Shreve appears to have done no research on the history of turmoil in Ireland. I found the characters to be shallow and not fully developed. I didn't particularly like or sympathize with the widow. I did read the whole book, hoping it would improve or actually surprise me, but it did not.
great book.
This is on my "A" list! What a great story! Had my attention from beginning to end. You'll love the twist at the end.
Interesting and well-written ,but kind of a downer!
A enjoyable read.
This is the first book I read by Anita Shreve. It was referred to me by a woman on the cruise I took on my honeymoon. Great book!
An excellent, well written book.
Great book, could not put it down! Very surprising twist.
Oprah's latest Book Club pick is The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreveâ"an engrossing thriller woven between the pages of a stirring meditation on love and betrayal. With one late-night knock on her door, Kathryn Lyons's worst fears as a pilot's wife come true: Her husband, Jack, has died in a mid-air explosion off the coast of Ireland. Later, a phone number found among Jack's papers leads Kathryn to London and the unfathomable truth about her husband's secret other life. A second wife and two young children are just the beginning of what Jack was hiding in England. With each staggering revelation, Kathryn must reconcile her memories of the man she loved with the disturbing portrait unfolding before her.
Oprah's Book Club book, but I really didn't like it. I ended up skimming to the end. A plane crashes and the pilots wife ends up finding out that her husband has a 2nd family in London.
Did her husband really live a secret life?
Oprah Book Club selection.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a very good mystery.
A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late night knock on the front door. When Kathryn Lyons received word that a plane flown by her husband has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a lot of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack lead a secret life, Katheryn sets out to learn the truth, no matter what the knowledge might cost. Her search explores the questions, how well can we ever really know another person?
When Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable, one startling relevation at a time. She sets out to find out who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge mignt cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, how well do we really know another person?
Good book - I can see why Oprah chose it!
This was a fun book to read. Quick. The ending was just what I wanted to happen.
Wonderful Story.
I thought it was a great book !
A very interesting read - perfect summer beach read!
Good book, really sad though.
This book has captivated me three times... that's how many times I've read it... and the story is just so well written..one of those books that keeps you held until the very end.
Good book. Sad story.
ok book, nice in between book...not too heavy.
Kathryn Lyons has a storybook life, a wonderful, loving, handsome husband who is an international-route airline pilot, a feisty fifteen year-old daughter, a beautiful home overlooking the ocean and a fulfilling job as a teacher. What more could she ask of life? It certainly is not to be awakened at 3:24 am in the morning by a knock on her door, a sound that only a pilot's wife, a soldier's wife, a cop's wife can fear. When the stranger says, "Mrs. Lyons?" she knows. Reading of the air crash that claimed her husband and 103 other people sent chills up my spine (shadows of 9-11). I immediately was drawn to the inner struggle of grief, loss and unbelief that Kathryn has to face. The story unwinds with delicate glimpses of humans at their worst and at their best: the media reporters who stalk her and her family, making their lives even more destroyed; the helpful young man from the pilot's union who seems to know the right things to say and do to comfort her; the agency officials who grill her without regard to her emotional state in their professional quest for the answers. What I found strangely lacking was no close family friends or coworkers to comfort her.
Then to add to her misery her dead husband is accused of being suicidal and deliberately causing the crash. She sifts through contents of his jeans pockets and finds fragments of papers with puzzling notations. Her curiosity draws her to a discovery that her husband of fifteen years was not what she thought he was. The story went astray after that and was never really concluded to my satisfaction.
Then to add to her misery her dead husband is accused of being suicidal and deliberately causing the crash. She sifts through contents of his jeans pockets and finds fragments of papers with puzzling notations. Her curiosity draws her to a discovery that her husband of fifteen years was not what she thought he was. The story went astray after that and was never really concluded to my satisfaction.
A pilot's wife is prepared for that late night knock on her door...but when it happens, her life will never be the same.
If you ever want to start doubting every good thing in your life, read this book.
Great book
Great book!
Once again, ended up with two copies! Loved this book!
Loved this book!
A quick read. Thought provoking.
vEry good book
Oprah's Book Club
great book
back cover: A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plane flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable -- one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question. How well can we ever really know another person?
