This week I finished "The Pilot's Wife," by Anita Shreve. It's an exceptional book, not the kind I usually choose to read, but a very absorbing story. Normally, I pick up a book and try to read it from cover to cover in one sitting, or perhaps two. With this book, I read a chapter, or sometimes a paragraph or page at a time. I needed the time to think about the unfolding story, and chose not to push the reading.
Kathryn, the pilot's wife, learns that her husband has died when his plane explodes over Malin's Head in Ireland. The story is told from her perspective in real time, and in flashbacks. It turns out the husband she thought she knew led a secret life.
The subject of how well you know someone you love resonates through out the book. Kathyrn discovers secrets her husband has kept, and finds how distant her daughter has become. Do we need secrets to keep our personal identity, or is it possible to meld two entities into one?
Sometimes we fall into the trap of taking a person for granted when we love them. The constancy of our lives lulls us to assume that things are fine when they are slowly corroding.
Perhaps we ignore signs as a means of self-preservation. But there are times we see signs and wait to hear that our relationship is over, only to find that we have read the signs wrong. Kathryn was sure she loved Jack, and that he loved her. But he was capable of incredible deceit. When you've discovered you've lived a lie, is it possible to trust or love again?
This book is beautifully written. Shreve releases details a bit at a time, as Kathryn looks back over her life. She finds hints in her husband's papers that lead her on a search for the truth. I had that sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop as I read, waiting to see what twists and turns Shreve would use to shape the plot.
I marveled at Shreve's ability to describe the angst a woman would experience as she faces her loss, and I wondered what personal experience might have prepared her to write this story. I'd read a paragraph and have to set the book down to absorb it all.
I recommend "The Pilot's Wife" to you. It's absorbing and thought provoking, and will give you cause to asses your life.
Comments (4)
I read that book awhile back and really enjoyed it also -
Posted by Jamie | October 20, 2003 3:15 PM
Posted on October 20, 2003 15:15
Damn. As I read this post I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. I've got to get this book just to find out what happened. Thanks.
Posted by Sgt Hook | October 20, 2003 6:37 PM
Posted on October 20, 2003 18:37
Had I divulged any more, it would have spoiled the story for you. It's necessary that you uncover the story bit by bit, to get the most out of the book. Now, YOU can tease someone into reading the book, Sarge! Just don't leave it lying around the house without any explanation. *G*
Posted by Buffy | October 20, 2003 10:08 PM
Posted on October 20, 2003 22:08
Sgt. Hook you will not be disappointed in the book at all - Buffy set it up wonderfully - personally I think she should become a critic of some sort - Lord knows she keeps me in line as best she can *big grin*
Posted by Jamie | October 21, 2003 1:54 AM
Posted on October 21, 2003 01:54