Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life

Acclaim for
Susan Hertog
’s

 

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 

“A delight to read…. Lindbergh’s life, set against the backdrop of the early twentieth century, is an engrossing one.”

—San Antonio Express-News

“Whether soaring into the sky or deep in mourning, Anne Morrow Lindbergh comes vividly to life in this poignant, haunting and lyrical work.”

—Ron Chernow

“A charming book…. Without trying to force Lindbergh into a mold, [Hertog] portrays her as an early example of the modern feminist dilemma, a woman so completely identified as her husband’s wife, yet who fought successfully to define her own soul.”

—St. Petersburg Times

“A wonderful biography, truly worthy of its subject; Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s was one of the extraordinary lives of the century, shaped by all its forces from politics and fame, from violent crime to feminism. And she emerges in the end as a woman of great faith and conviction. Susan Hertog has captured this groundbreaking life with depth, breadth and feeling.”

—Peggy Noonan

“A full and interesting portrait of one of the twentieth century’s notable women.”

—The Indianapolis Star

“Susan Hertog’s
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
restores this important poet to her rightful place in the pantheon of twentieth century writers, one of the spirits by which this century knew itself and named itself…. It should bring Anne Morrow Lindbergh to a new generation of readers.”

—Erica Jong

“Intriguing…. Susan Hertog’s biography explores the thoughts of a woman who reflects upon the conflicts of women of her generation.”

—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Susan Hertog
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 

Susan Hertog was born in New York City, and graduated from Hunter College. After earning her M.F.A. from Columbia University, she became a freelance journalist and photographer while raising her three children. She lives in Manhattan with her family.

Acknowledgments

 

 

O
ne of the great joys of finishing a book ten years in the making is the opportunity to thank the many people who helped me along the way. Writing a book, no matter how many hours one spends alone, is a collaborative effort—from the encouragement of friends, to the skill and perseverance of archivists and librarians, to editors and copy editors and research assistants, to the scholars whose erudition has cleared the path, to smiling strangers who nod and pass. All efforts rise and converge to produce some shadow of truth, some flash of perception, that might never have been.

I am profoundly grateful to Anne Lindbergh for permitting me the privilege to share and record her thoughts and memories during our many conversations between 1985 and 1989.

So many people at so many institutions helped to facilitate my research that I could not possibly thank them all. Professionals and volunteers from small elementary schools to large universities, from private museums and libraries to city, state, and federal archives, from remote island historical societies to special collections in large urban centers went beyond necessity to make certain I could find the information and photographs I needed. Standing tall among them were Mark Falzini, archivist at the New Jersey State Police Archives, Charlene Roice and her staff at Hess-Roice Research Consultants, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ruth Brine at Time/Life. Among the Lindbergh scholars, the late Alden Whitman, journalist and gentleman, understood the Lindberghs in all their complexity and graciously shared his experience and insights with me.

I especially want to thank my research assistant, Julie Bertles Greicius, whose passion for Anne and her work matched my own. Her tireless efforts, unflagging enthusiasm, and insatiable curiosity contributed immeasurably to the substance and spirit of the book.

My gratitude, as well, to Stephen Koch, teacher and friend, whose encouragement led me to my editor, Nan Talese at Doubleday. Through these long years she taught me the difference between a good idea and a good book. She, along with my agent, Georges Borchardt, gave me an opportunity to write a biography few novice writers are privileged to have. Their patience and support through my many drafts enabled my project to come to fruition. Thank you, as well, to Alicia Brooks, assistant editor at Nan
A
. Talese/Doubleday, who spent many long hours playing midwife to its publication, easing and expediting its safe passage, and to Yuen, Publicity Director, whose abundant expertise moved my private journey into the public eye. My gratitude, as well, to my photo-editors, Alexandra Truitt and Jerry Marshall, to Midge Decter, and to the many people who read and critiqued the manuscript.

If one can thank a friend for her character and constancy, for her love of me and her love of life, Wendy Donn Podos deserves much praise. And if one can thank a mentor for her faith and courage, Lila Kalinich has earned my deepest gratitude. These ten years she has walked beside me, teaching me to trust the process and to see “the mountains in the darkest gorge.”

My children Allison, Justin, and David deserve a medal for their forbearance—finally, their mother’s obsession has come to an end. It was my love for my daughter Allison, my first child, that brought me to Anne Lindbergh and I hope my work serves her well. As a young wife and a lawyer, she strives to become the “modern woman” whom Anne imagined in
Gift from the Sea
.

But there are certain “mysteries,” as Anne would say, that no one can measure or articulate. Those I reserve for my husband, Roger, who was enough of a hero to teach me about Charles and enough of a teacher to make me feel like a hero.

S
USAN
H
ERTOG
          

S
UNDAY
, A
PRIL
4, 1999