Big Books of Spring
Flight of Dreams

Questions About Flight of Dreams

by Ariel Lawhon (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (5)

Oh, dear. Day one of the novel is May 3, 1937. Across the airfield (in Germany) we see "a military jeep speeding across the tarmac" (p. 27). But the U.S. Jeep design wasn't begun until 1940s, and the name "Jeep" for such vehicles wasn't coined until sometime after that. Design of the German equivalent, the Kubelwagen, wasn't begun until 1938. Does this sort of editing lapse bother anybody else as much as it does me?
Mary Manzanares Didn't bother me at all. I was more focused on what the real story of the book was about - the lives, emotions, secrets, and dreams of the passengers …moreDidn't bother me at all. I was more focused on what the real story of the book was about - the lives, emotions, secrets, and dreams of the passengers and crew.
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There is a dog caged in the storage cabin, left unattended without food or cleanup. What was the policy of the airship in real life regarding animals?
Ariel Great question! While animals were allowed on the airship, I found only three instances where passengers actually brought them. The first was a woman …moreGreat question! While animals were allowed on the airship, I found only three instances where passengers actually brought them. The first was a woman who traveled with a small lap dog. Because of its size it was allowed to stay in her cabin and she cared for it herself. The second instance is the one recorded in FLIGHT OF DREAMS. Two dogs were transported on the last flight of the Hindenburg but history has only recorded one of the owners: Joseph Spah. A number of documents mention that he cared for the dog himself and often went into the belly of the ship to feed and walk Ulla. The second dog, however, remains a mystery. We don't know its name or its owner. That said, a number of biographies tells us that Werner Franz, the cabin boy, cared for the dog during the duration of the trip. The fictional events in my novel were created as a result of that research. Hope that helps!(less)
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I'm listening to this book in my car...and I'm a bit confused about the American...is he the owner of the dog? And if so, he didn't remember he owned the dog? Is that odd? Thank you.
Heather
This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)
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Did the author base her characters on the real passengers?
Tracey Curtis The author explains in an afterword that most of the characters were real passengers and crew members. She cited the internet and book sources where s…moreThe author explains in an afterword that most of the characters were real passengers and crew members. She cited the internet and book sources where she learned about them.(less)
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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)
lauren lese I believe it was intentional mis-direction on the part of the author. Emilie was spoken of in a way that made it sound like she was alive, but on re-r…moreI believe it was intentional mis-direction on the part of the author. Emilie was spoken of in a way that made it sound like she was alive, but on re-reading everything said could theoretically apply to someone not alive. I'm not sure what the author was attempting to accomplish with this mis-direction.(less)
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