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

~ Chandra Prasad (Author)

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)

Customer Reviews

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

By	J. Solomon - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's like flying..., October 25, 2009

By	Quyen T. Truong (RI, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bittersweet tale of a hero, September 13, 2009

By	Theresa Viele - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.