Breathe the Sky and over 390,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
17 used & new from $6.68

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Breathe the Sky: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Amelia Earhart
 
 
Start reading Breathe the Sky on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Breathe the Sky: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Amelia Earhart (Paperback)

~ Chandra Prasad (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

List Price: $14.99
Price: $10.19 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $4.80 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

14 new from $8.78 3 used from $6.68

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, November 1, 2009 $7.99 -- --
  Paperback, September 30, 2009 $10.19 $8.78 $6.68

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Lacuna: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

Breathe the Sky: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Amelia Earhart + The Lacuna: A Novel
  • This item: Breathe the Sky: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Amelia Earhart by Chandra Prasad

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Lacuna: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart

The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart

by Mary S. Lovell
4.8 out of 5 stars (6)  $12.23
On Borrowed Wings: A Novel

On Borrowed Wings: A Novel

by Chandra Prasad
5.0 out of 5 stars (16)  $13.30
Amelia Earhart: The Thrill of It

Amelia Earhart: The Thrill of It

by Susan Wels
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  $23.10
The Lacuna: A Novel

The Lacuna: A Novel

by Barbara Kingsolver
4.0 out of 5 stars (81)  $13.00
Wolf Hall: A Novel

Wolf Hall: A Novel

by Hilary Mantel
3.8 out of 5 stars (99)  $11.00
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review

"You're living life like it's going out of style," navigator Fred Noonan tells Amelia Earhart in Prasad's keen retelling of the aviatrix's adult life. Indeed, Amelia's overwhelming passion for flying is at the heart of the novel, with all the freedom it grants her as well as the obligations it carries. One of the first pioneering female pilots, Amelia becomes a celebrity, her calendar bursting with speaking engagements and endorsements. She finds love with publishing scion and PR man G. P. Putnam, who chooses her to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic--though to her consternation, she is the passenger rather than the pilot. Amelia's ambitions grow, and she sets her sights on becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the world--a mission that will be her last. The draw here is the way Prasad gets inside Amelia Earhart's psyche to give life to the woman behind the myth. Add this insightful novel to the list of new nonfiction Earhart books (The Sound of Wings and Amelia Earhart: The Thrill of It) coinciding with a new movie. -- Kristine Huntley --Booklist, October 1, 2009


Product Description

Amelia Earhart disappeared from the world's radar in the 1930s, but she has not been forgotten. Breathe the Sky is a fresh and provocative portrait of the legendary pilot whose courage and charisma have dazzled millions. It is also the first novel to reveal the dark side of Earhart's fame-and the dangerous, madcap course of her final voyage. Venturing where history and biography have not, Breathe the Sky takes the reader on Earhart's last expedition along the equatorial line, through wild storms, across endless desert and jungle, and over shark-infested waters. With stark, nimble prose, Prasad brings Earhart to life once more, securing her place in the pantheon of great explorers, while inspiring risk and adventure in readers.

EARLY REVIEWS

"BREATHE THE SKY brings us into Amelia Earhart's cockpit and her psyche. ... From lift-off to landing, [this] is a novel that soars." --Wally Lamb, author of The Hour I First Believed

"BREATHE THE SKY vividly reimagines the private life of Amelia Earhart. ... Chandra Prasad replaces the romance of the legend with this litany of all-too-human mistakes." --Stewart O'Nan, author of Songs for the Missing

"A powerful, tragic, compelling story, an absolute page-turner by a skilled writer in full command of her characters, her tale, and a fascinating period of history." --Stephen L. Carter, author of Palace Council

"Prasad has built a first-rate time-machine that effortlessly transports us back to the early twentieth-century to view the world through Amelia Earhart's eyes." --Debby Applegate, Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and Autobiography

AUTHOR BIO

Chandra Prasad is the author of the Connecticut Book Award finalist ON BORROWED WINGS, a Simon & Schuster novel. ON BORROWED WINGS follows a quarryman's daughter as she attends Depression-era Yale University. Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants, says, "Prasad has created an inspired and timeless heroine whose intelligence, imagination, and determination have you rooting for her from the very first page." Prasad is also the editor of, and a contributor to, MIXED: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial Experience, which was released to international acclaim by W.W. Norton. Her other works include prize-winning short stories and the historical adventure DEATH OF A CIRCUS, which Booklist calls a "richly textured" book "packed with glamour and grit."


Product Details

  • Paperback: 206 pages
  • Publisher: Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing (October 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1932279393
  • ISBN-13: 978-1932279399
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #101,946 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Breathe the Sky: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Amelia Earhart
79% buy the item featured on this page:
Breathe the Sky: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Amelia Earhart 4.6 out of 5 stars (24)
$10.19
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart
10% buy
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart 4.8 out of 5 stars (6)
$12.23
East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart
5% buy
East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart 4.1 out of 5 stars (19)
$6.38
Finding Amelia: The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance
3% buy
Finding Amelia: The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance 4.3 out of 5 stars (24)
$12.89

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
5 star:
 (17)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, historical fiction, October 25, 2009
As other reviewers keenly noted, Breathe the Sky mixes historical accuracy with beautiful imagery. Prasad brings Amelia Earhart to life through detailed accounts of A.E.'s ambition and intimate relationships. Though A.E. is surrounded by people who admire and love her, she is always very much her own entity. She takes care of her mother and sister financially and emotionally, as A.E. believes is her duty. Her husband, G.P., is also her publicist; he wants her to be both successful and settled down. She declined his proposals for years, before finally agreeing to be married. In the first half, Prasad follows A.E. through her career and sets the stage for A.E.'s famous flight. Then the latter half allows the reader to experience the flight around the world as it might have unfolded. The narrator delves more closely into A.E.'s thoughts and fancies. In the final hours of the flight, time seems to suspend, and showcases some of the strongest writing in the novel. An enjoyable read!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars It's like flying..., October 25, 2009
I would describe reading this book as a flawless flight. The first two chapters set the tone and take care of the requisite safety checks, but from there this novel quickly ascends into adventure. While catching fleeting glimpses of the world below, we are offered an in-depth conversation with our pilot, Amelia Earhart.

I must admit, I was especially impressed by the ending of this novel. The historical conclusion of Earhart's life may be inconclusive and fraught with debate, yet Prasad's ending still felt fresh and convincing--a smooth landing after a perfect ride.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Bittersweet tale of a hero, September 13, 2009
As a child, I read every book I could find about famous women and heroes. Amelia Earhart was one of those women, and though the books years ago were fairly dry biographies, she was then such an inspiration. What a delight it was to read about her fleshed out into a real woman and still a hero. Without getting too much into the story, it is a book that gives one just enough insight into her young years and influenced her actions as an adult. Her life, while filled with adulation and fame, was not easy or pretty in some ways, and it is this attention to personal detail that sets Prasad's book apart from others. She manages to bring Earhart to life, and draws you in as close as one can to a bigger than life figure. As a reader, it seemed as if I was as close to Earhart as many in her life. This is a story without unnecessary words and gestures that would only get in the way of its telling, much like extra baggage would get in the way of a historic flight. I get the feeling that Earhart would smile and nod in agreement that Prasad has pulled back the cockpit curtain just enough to give us the the very essence of Amelia.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you
Breathe the Sky turns one of America's greatest heroines into a person I can embrace. Written in her trademark poetic prose, Prasad transported Amelia from the 1930s to my home,... Read more
Published 26 days ago by EG

4.0 out of 5 stars It took me to the sky
I have long been a fan of Amelia Earhart and her achievements, and how she made a space for women where there really hadn't been one before; so when I got a chance to read this... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Susan Clark-cook

4.0 out of 5 stars Breathe the Sky
Breathe the Sky is a novel based on the life of a woman who refused to quit anything she started. But her great qualities didn't help Amelia Earhart reach the final goal of... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Achamma Chandersekaran

4.0 out of 5 stars Gives us a real woman, not just a legend
I was already a fan of Chandra Prasad's when I began Breathe the Sky. Her first novel, On Borrowed Wings, is one of my favorite novels to teach. Read more
Published 1 month ago by J. Ludlow

4.0 out of 5 stars flying high
"Flying is her only love. Everything else is infatuation." Chandra Prasad offers us this line towards the end of her book, but its focus and energy inspire all of the narrative... Read more
Published 1 month ago by anne-marie mallon

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant Portrait of Pioneering Feminist Pilot
Amelia Earhart wrote the following declaration in a note to be delivered to her husband, George Putnam, in case she did not return from one of her flights, "Please know I am quite... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mary Antoinette Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewing Breathe the Sky
Once I started reading this novel, I found it difficult to put down, thirsty for the details of Amelia's life that Prasad vividly describes. Read more
Published 1 month ago by psych girl

3.0 out of 5 stars Bumpy Journey over Amelia Earhart's Life
As with Mira Nair's recent biopic, "Amelia," Breathe the Sky is an uneven flight over the life of Amelia Earhart. Read more
Published 1 month ago by John E. Clifford

5.0 out of 5 stars Richly imagined
As in her other works, Chandra Prasad masterfully evokes the early 20th century in this reimagination of the career of Amelia Earhart. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Suzanne Kamata

5.0 out of 5 stars The woman behind the legend
Since her disappearance in 1937, Amelia Earhart's name has acquired the patina of a legend. Any list of the top ten most influential women of the 20th century-- much like the list... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Trina Beck

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...

Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.