Reviews for Under a wing

The average rating for Under a wing based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-02-05 00:00:00 Michelle Disrud I loved this book! It is rich in anecdotes and reflections, as Reeve Lindbergh, the youngest child of Anne and Charles, shares memories of family life with her famous parents. I reveled in the fond descriptions of various cornerstones in her growing up years – the sprawling homestead in Darien, Connecticut, the summer retreat on an island in Maine, and Sunday dinners at their grandmother Morrow’s. Reeve’s bonds within her immediate family are poignantly described, as are the household rhythms and routines, often humorous and sometimes very touching. Despite the disparity in our families’ social status, common threads were to be found from a personal perspective. As I, too, was one of five children with an eccentric, strong minded, though often absent father and an introspective, intellectual mother, there was much to savor. Reeve sheds a great deal of light on her famous father. With regard to the family dynamic, Reeve quotes Charles, ’This is not a democracy. This is a nonbenevolent dictatorship’. She also explains that he was the more affectionate parent. ‘There were back-rubs and bear hugs, long rides on his shoulders during the daytime and bedtime games.’ Of her mother the author writes, ‘Our mother’s love for her children was no less deep, but her expressions of love were gentle, often verbal, and just as often unspoken, and yet completely understood by every one of her children.’ And later, ‘But she has an innate, immediately perceivable bodily reserve. One kisses her lightly, hugs her softly, with the understanding that it is imperative to leave the intimacy of her physical space, and her body, inviolate.’ The contrasts and the subtleties are so skillfully set forth. I found this to be a fascinating follow-up to the recent novel The Aviator’s Wife, which was based on the Lindbergh family.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-01-30 00:00:00 Kim Kinkel It took me quite some time to read this book. I originally picked it up as research material to learn more about Anne Morrow Lindbergh and share that knowledge with the library book club meeting I agreed to host on the book Gift From The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Having already hosted the meeting, I still hadn't finished reading it. This week I decided to pick it up and finish it off as my book of the week. It was well worth the wait. The emotional vulnerability Reeve was able to share really touched me in many ways. She writes about her parents in a very honest way, not leaving out the black marks on their records so to speak. Her insight into family life provoked joy, grief, and a sense of longing in me for the tight knit bond she shared with her whole family, immediate and extended. More than once she touches on the impact of loss and coping with grief in a way that I connected with on a deep personal level. Despite the trials and hardships of personal loss in addition to being in the media spotlight, this family found a way to endure it all and sustain a strong bond of loyalty.