Anne Morrow Lindbergh: A Gift for Life

by Dorothy Herrmann

Traces the life of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, daughter of a U.S. senator, wife of Charles Lindbergh, a pioneer aviator in her own right, and a successful author, and describes her personal triumphs and tragedies

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finished Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a Gift for Life but it will be some time before I can collect my thoughts. Having previously read Lindbergh by biographer A. Scott Berg, this was not my first introduction into the intricacies of this complicated couple that touched all of our lives in myriad ways. At the conclusion of this biography in March 1990, Anne Morrow Lindbergh met with Berg granting him unrestricted access to Lindbergh’s papers for a comprehensive profile of her husband, to be complete on May 21, 1997, the seventieth anniversary of the day Lindbergh landed in Paris. While Berg stressed that there were to be no taboos or controls on the manuscript, Anne Morrow Lindbergh thought that the book should tell the whole story and the truth. It was clear that she didn’t want a hagiography. Modern day historians have not dealt with Charles Lindbergh kindly.

Dorothy Hermann relied heavily on the writings of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, believing that the real part of a writer lies in their creative work. In that vein, Hermann tried to analyze her subject’s extraordinary life by analyzing her autobiographical writings. However, there were many aspects of Mrs. Lindbergh’s life and literary career that she chose not to explore necessitating extensive interviews of others.

On May, 25, 1985, sculptor Paul T. Granlund’s sculpture was unveiled at the Minnesota State Capitol as part of Lindberg’s Heritage Week, titled “Charles Lindbergh — The Boy and the Man.”



In the copy of my book, there is a photograph of Anne Morrow Lindbergh at that ceremony unveiling the sculpture by Minnesota sculptor Paul Granlund depicting Lindbergh as a young boy and a heroic aviator. With her head bowed, she is reaching up to hold his hand. It is a gripping photograph that sums up their journey together over forty-five years in their storybook life, both in its achievements and its tragedies.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings after reading this biography. Given that Gift from the Sea is one of my favorite books and I have enjoyed several of Anne's other books, it was disconcerting to read some of the details of her political views and the views of her husband, as well. Nazis? Isolationists? Yikes. In Anne's defense, you get the sense that she struggled to form her own views separate from her husband's. The author harps on this point quite a bit, but I do not think it's unusual for the time period--just lamentable, that's all.

The other thing the author enjoyed speculating on was the sexual relationship between Anne and Charles. I could have done without the majority of that. They were husband and wife--I think it's pretty safe to assume that they (a) had sex and (b) probably enjoyed it.

I read biographies, however, because I think people are fascinating. Anne is no exception. She seemed shy, reserved, high-strung, anxious, but also deep, gracious, and charming, with the soul of a poet and an artist. She was dominated by her larger-than-life husband, but I do think it's telling that, of the two, I know far more about Anne than I do Charles. And I think her legacy is just as unique and lasting as his.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suffer from a bit of compulsiveness. Sometimes, I enjoy immersing myself in a subject - reading several books on the same thing. Lately, I've been reading a lot about Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I thought this was a more thorough, better written book than the one by Susan Hertog.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this years ago and loved it; I've always been interested in her life story. This bio was very good.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a complex (though somewhat editorialized) perspective of Anne. It did flesh out her story, though, in addition to other books I've read about her and her husband, including one written by their daughter, Reeve. It was also written well before the allegations of Charles Lindbergh's infidelity came to light a decade later...

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't planning on rereading this book but after YouTube randomly recommended a video on the Lindbergh kidnapping I decided to revisit this book. After all I had read Susan Hertog's book which while excellent in terms of photographs of Anne's long life dwelt way too much on whether her older sister was in a same sex relationship with her close friend that she ran a school with and poor Anne was often delegated to secondary character in her own biography behind her sister, and her husband. This book was definitely more focused on Anne and much more fleshed out and nuanced all without the interviews that Hertog had with her subject. From Anne's privileged and often tense childhood, in the shadow of her well educated philanthropic somewhat distant parents, and her taller, prettier more outgoing sister she longs to be free and independent to be different and stand out from her family. When the dashing young aviator arrives her world is tipped upside down. At first it seems Charles likes Elisabeth the older sister better but he soon changes his affection to Anne. The author speculates that Charles and Elisabeth have feelings for each other even after their break up. I tend to agree with Hertog's assessment that Elisabeth saw Charles for what he was and ran a mile from him. But whatever the truth Anne married Charles and they began to travel the world. The book goes into the kidnapping and although the author tries to stay unbiased it's obvious she doesn't believe in Hauptmann's guilt. I've always had two main theories one being Charles accidentally killed him while playing a prank and the other being Hauptmann was either part of a gang that took the child or was the fall guy for the actual kidnappers, the Fisch guy that gave him the money for safe keeping. Either way it seems unlikely we'll ever know and conspiracies and theories will continue to flood the internet. I did enjoy the book's take on the war years. Charles had very questionable views on the war, and Anne just seemed to follow along. She wanted to avoid war because of the pain and suffering, death and destruction it brought. Either way those views cost them both. The book sort of rushes through the post war period just about her books, and about their surviving children and there's a short chapter after the death of Charles. While better written than the previous biography I read I wish she'd do a newer updated version now that Anne's last volume of diaries and letters has been released. Because she did have a fairly rich life even after her husband died despite no longer writing any published books (aside from the diaries and letters). Maybe one day someone will write a full length book about the life of this remarkable and complicated woman. We shall see.

[Jan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good biography. I had read a couple of her books journals/diaries when I was in college. I have picked a number of them up again at used book sales.

She was very bright and, thus, I was disappointed when she closely followed her husband's opinions. And, as we now know, he was swayed by what the Nazis showed him and he believed that fighting them would be futile. This caused a family estrangement for her.

[Beverlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have always been a little fascintated by the Lindbergh story. Glad I read the book - was a little much towards the end - too choppy and rushed the last 30 years of her life into two chapters. Not as fascinated with them anymore.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

superficial.

[Mary Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting portrait, but it suffers from not having had access to more recent information on AML's life. The last third of the book is especially thin.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Aviators Wife I wanted tk learn more about the incredible life that Anne Morrow Lindbergh led. Dorothy Herrman does an excellent job in Brining this extraordinary woman to life.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

First half very interesting, then it became very ho-hum! Had to quit and move on.

[Flora]

Boy, this author is obsessed with sex. Her projections are comical. Anne Morrow shakes Lindbergh’s hand in a reception line and she is supposedly so electrified that she wonders what it would be like to have him hold her in his arms. Really? He flies all the Morrow women and the experience for Anne is sexual etc.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting subject poorly written about.

[Lisa]

rec by sandra tholen