Customer Reviews

Whistled Like a Bird: The Untold Story of Dorothy Putnam, George Putnam, and Amelia Earhart

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I've read many books about the great aviatrix, Amelia Earhart. This one tells of Amelia's role in an already failed marriage, much like our country has given us the personal failures of our own President. Although the connection to Amelia is the lure of the book, the story is based more on the author's free-will interpretations of her grandmother's diaries -- what she must have thought, reacted, felt. The entries, in Dorothy's voice, seem distorted with many episodes, imagined. Should everyone's diary be at the mercy of their relative's own interpretations after their death? If the grandmother had written from memory, exactly how it was, would the story change? Dorothy's diary held the details of a troubled life (for a woman of privilege), still (without her input) and the author's self-promoting connection as a the distant "step-great-granddaughter" is hardly the stuff of interesting literature. I would recommend readers acquire actual biographical books to satisfy real curiosity about the lives of deceased heroes.

This book begins with a touched-up photo on the cover, meant to superimpose the characters upon each other. How much of the assumptions about how Dorothy Putnam felt or how she really reacted in her status as a publisher's wife can a reader believe? Surely, there is a story in Amelia Earhart's life for all time, but this book seems to be a sort of self-promotion for the author's distant family connections -- the (yet-unborn) great granddaughter of the (already deceased) Amelia Earhart. If the book were written based on Dorothy Putnam's own version of the story or Amelia's version, it might be more believable. Still, it is always interesting material to delve into anyone's personal diary -- famous or not....

The time and research it must have taken to write this book is commendable. We have a read so much about Amelia but to hear about Dorothy and the incredible life that she lead was truley facinating. I would highly reccomend reading this book.

I just finished reading Mrs. Chapman's book and I truly loved it. At times I felt sorry for Dorothy Putnam, but then the next thing I knew I was commending her for her bravado. Both Dorothy Putnam and Amelia Earhart seemed to be women ahead of thier time, although Dorothy's acheivements seemed to be overshadowed by Amelia Earharts. Even though the Binney's and Putnam's came from privileged backgrounds the author still shows us some of the struggles they faced in their everyday lives.

I grew up in the town of Ft. Pierce where Dorothy had a homestead called Immokolee, and enjoyed reading about the earlier days of Ft. Pierce and some of the people who called it home.

"Whistled Like a Bird: The Untold Story of Dorothy Putnam, George Putnam, and Amelia Earhart", by Sally Putnam Chapman, Warner Books, NY 1997. ISBN: 0-446-52055-1, 266 pgs., HC plus 60 B/W photographs, 9 1/4" x 6 1/4".

The author, Sally Putnam Chapman, step Granddaughter of Amelia Earhart, writes a passionate story of her Grandmother, Dorothy Binney Putnam (DBP), 1st wife of her Grandfather George Palmer Putnam (GP). Much of the authoress's material was obtained from 10 diaries entrusted to her by Grandmother Dorothy.

The '20s and '30s were momentous times, periods of profound societal unrest of all sorts, including the Great Depression, witnessing development of aviation as an industry, world travel, industrialization, feminist and/or equalist movements, and strivings to become included or a part of those wealthy social family circles & networks that in turn both craved and provided acclaim and opportunity to adventurers, explorers, writers and the like - most importantly to the likes of aviatrix Amelia Earhart (AE) and publicist/writer George Putnam (GP).

In this book we learn Dorothy had unfulfilled sensual cravings in her marriage to GP, even prior to AE entering the picture, and we learn of her despondency, depression and passions which consumed her: -- we discover she is unappeasable as a mere observer, housewife and unwilling to simply grow old(er) without establishing her own mark in the world - we are led to believe this was in part due to her own Mother's unkind remarks that she was not pretty and so should depend on acquiring conspicious skills to compensate and compete as an adult, -- something she did do extraordinarily well, even admirably so, in so many tasks that included outings, party-gatherings, flying, club organizations, athletics, writings, agriculture, & many social graces including piano.

The book runs amok what with the multiple marriages, flings & affairs, & divorces, etc. of both GP and DBP. It is an excellent read and subject to personal interpretation of the psychological ruminations and troubles of many, where envy, competitiveness and even ghosts seem to play a part. AE emerges unscathed and in the end, a forgiveness by DBP and DP prevails -- to each his own and in their own times -- a comely philosophy permits yet another generation to register their paths.

Sally Putnam Chapman does a fine job of depicting her grandmother's, Dorothy Binney Putnam, diaries. A story about a remarkable woman before her time. Mrs. Chapman describes her grandmother well enough for us all to have felt we knew her personnally. Dorothy shares her fruitful but troublesome life as the wife of the prosperous publisher, George P.Putnam. As she battles with the freedoms she feels she needs, she is caught up in a world of keeping up appearances and not able to express herself as she wishes. Enter Amelia Earhardt who eventually gives her the chance she's been waiting for. The two women remain friends despite the anamosity between Dorothy and George. When she is finally free she finds that the grass is not always greener and procedes to have another 2 loveless marriages. She does marry a fourth time and is blissfully happy when the twisted finger of fate takes his life too soon. Dorothy remains a strong figure in her family and never looses her charm or sense of adventure. A wonderful story about triumph despite the hand she is dealt

This is the story of the Putnam family and Amelia Earhart. George Putnam eventually married Amelia, but prior to that was her publicity director and writer of her adventures. Also interesting to learn is the Putnam family was huge in the publishing industry back then but also have a part in the invention of Crayola crayons. Much of the book is Dorothy's diary, which makes it kindof a slow read.