The Pilot's Wife

The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve is a 1999 Bay Back Books publication.

I read this book a long time ago, before I become a member of Goodreads and well before I started writing book reviews.
But, when I heard of Anita Shreve’s passing, this book came back to the forefront of my mind, as I recalled bits and pieces of it quite vividly.
Although I have so many books to review, with deadlines, no less, I couldn’t resist giving this book a second look.
This novel, when it was first released, benefited greatly from the press that resulted from Oprah Winfrey’s having selected it for her book club. However, initially, I wasn’t sure if it was my kind of book and didn’t immediately rush out and buy a copy at the peak of its popularity. show more But, eventually, my curiosity got the best of me. I never could have imagined the impact this book would have on me, or the way it would guide my reading habits from that time forward.

Briefly, for those who may not have read the book or just a quick refresher for those who have- Kathryn’s husband, Jack, is a pilot, and together they have a teenage daughter. Life is pretty good, and Kathryn has learned to accept the ebbs and flows within her marriage. But, when she gets the news a plane Jack was piloting exploded in midair, everything she thought she knew about her daughter, her husband and even herself is thrown into question. Was it a mechanical malfunction, or pilot error- or something far more sinister?

Jack’s occupation explains his absences from home, but it is an adjustment his family has had to learn to live with. His job also comes in handy when it comes to sustaining secrets and hiding things from his wife and daughter. Many may question how naïve Kathryn was, but I didn’t feel as though she buried her head in the sand. Of course, as the story unfolds, episodes from the past all click into place and Kathryn realizes she was naïve, perhaps complacent, was too trusting, too confident in her life, but didn’t she have the right to be? Or should she have remained in a state of hyper awareness at all times? Is is wrong to enjoy contentment?

Even now, with the passage of time, the emotions the book stirred in me the first time around, resurfaced once again, as strong as before, maybe even more so, even knowing everything that was going to happen in advance. The story still held my rapt attention and sucked me into Kathryn’s mind -numbing vortex as she stumbles across one shocking betrayal after another.
The suspense is still nearly unbearable at times, the characterizations firm, if not always likeable, and the tantalizing and teasing pacing, is genius.

The story does seem dated a little, at this point, and as a more jaded reader, I may have figured things out a lot quicker if I’d been reading it for the first time, but it is still a powerful heart wrenching novel of suspense and riveting family drama. I have read several other books written by Shreve over the years, but so far, although very well written, they didn’t quite manage to have the same effect on me as this one did.

4.5 stars rounded up show less

For some reason I absolutely loathed this book. I did finish it which I often can't do if I really hate something. It was well written but I found the main character to be so passive in the face of such betrayal I found myself wanting to kick her. I also found the husband to be a completely loathesome and despicable character...and a bit of a pedophile with his penchant for much younger women.

Although the first third of THE PILOT'S WIFE is depressing, it is so well written you won't want to give up on the book. Then it becomes unputdownable.

Kathryn's husband, a commercial airline pilot, is killed when his jet explodes over Ireland. So most of the beginning involves her dealings with the airline union and newspaper and TV reporters. She almost comes to depend on one union representative, Robert, in particular.

When Kathryn finds small clues that something suspicious may have been going on with her husband in England, THE PILOT'S WIFE becomes so suspenseful you may not want to eat or sleep until you finish reading it.

Anita Shreve is known for her portrayals of strong women. And Kathryn sure is that. She lives through a show more nightmare that keeps getting worse.

This was written pre-9/11. I wonder if the story would have been different 10 years later. show less

I didn’t want to like "The Pilot’s Wife." The plot reads like the synopsis of a Lifetime Original Movie ("On today’s program, a widow struggles with grief and suspicion after her husband dies in a plane accident. Starring [insert has-been TV actress name here]")

But I couldn’t help myself. I kept turning the pages at a steady clip. Author Anita Shreve has a way of pulling the reader inside her characters. After a while, I too started to feel grief and suspicion.

The novel opens with an attention-grabber. Kathryn Lyons opens the door in the middle of the night. On her doorstep stands a representative from the airline. He’s got bad news about her husband. Jack, the pilot of a 104-passenger plane, is presumed dead after the jet show more exploded in mid-air over the coast of Ireland. Kathryn is socked in the gut and so is the reader.

From there, the story spools out in standard Lifetime Movie fashion. We see Kathryn deal bravely with the loss of her husband, trying to make sense of a senseless accident. We agonize as she tries to bridge the communication gap with her rebellious teenager daughter. We gasp as we learn that Jack the pilot may not have been the model husband he was cracked up to be. We sigh as Kathryn’s breast heaves with the first stirrings of attraction for Robert Hart, the airline spokesman who delivered the bad news in the middle of the night and who later becomes her confidant. Shreve handles this last bit with amateur kid gloves—even the guy’s last name telegraphs his purpose, for goodness’ sake!

But it’s in the details where Shreve flies high:

"The images assaulted her. The feeling of Jack’s breath at the top of her spine, as though he were whispering to her bones. The sliding sensation against her mouth when he gave her a quick kiss as he went off to work."

"Carefully—monitoring herself for seismic shifts—she reached down and pulled the top sheet over her. She imagined she could smell Jack in the flannel."

"There were spaces between her thoughts now—dead air, cotton fluff."

Shreve hits every note just right and Kathryn’s voice becomes as poignant and trustworthy as anything you’re likely to read in this genre. For those who like what Shreve’s accomplished here, check out her earlier novel "The Weight of Water," which has a much more original story and an even more compelling set of characters. show less

The Pilot's Wife in a nutshell: Jack Lyons, a commercial pilot, is flying a plane when it explodes. The book follows the grieving process of his widow, as she tries to figure out what happened in that plane. The overriding question in the book is "How well can we ever really know someone else?"

There wasn't anything really wrong with the book, it was just overly gray for my taste. I don't think the sun shines in the entire book. It was solidly written though, and it did keep me turning pages. I did have a vague idea where the whole thing was going from about a third of the way through. I wasn't exactly right, but I was close.

This really was not my kind of book. I have a feeling it would appeal to fans of Nicholas Sparks. In fact, my mom show more is a huge fan of his and I sent her this book to read today. show less

There are some nice passages and Shreve is good at describing scenes. You can visualize them. But I think what's missing is Jack's perspective. You don't know why he had an affair and even started a family with Muire. You don't know why he didn't tell Kathryn the truth about his mother. You don't know why as an American, he supported the IRA cause. But that might be the whole point - you can be very close to someone and yet don't know a lot of things about him/ her, and never would.

Read: February 2016
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this story and looking through the top reviews I’m surprised to see so many one and two star ratings. The story focuses on Kathryn; a teacher in her mid-thirties with a teenage daughter and a much older, charismatic husband named Jack. At the start of the book Kathryn receives the news that the airplane Jack was piloting crashed just off the coast of Ireland, and from there the plot centres on how Kathryn struggles to grieve and come to terms with the fact that towards the end of her husband’s life she didn’t really know him at all. I found the story very compelling and it was very easy to empathise with Kathryn and her circumstances.

I agree with some of the other reviewers show more that the romance she starts with Robert was unnecessary and a bit forced but also under the circumstances bearing in mind what Kathryn had just discovered about Jack in London I could understand why it would happen.

I liked The Pilot’s Wife more than The Weight of Water which I read a few years ago, and based on this book I would definitely read more by Shreve in the future. show less