I’m afraid I didn’t feel any love for this. It dragged to begin with and virtually nothing happened for the first hundred pages. That wouldn’t have bothered me had the writing been inspired or the characters compelling. Unfortunately, for me, neither was the case. Katheryn, the wife who’s told her husband, the pilot, has died in an air crash, didn’t provide any of those exciting identification moments when you see something of yourself or a good friend eloquently arrested and made lucid. The story does eventually become more engaging but it’s always slow with lots of off-the-point dialogue and description, and I felt the author missed lots of opportunities to delve more deeply and more interestingly into the theme of how well do we know the person we are married to. Katheryn always seemed more of a device than a living character. I didn’t get any exciting insights into married life or grief. For me it was neither literary nor commercial fiction but struggled half way between the two. I’m a bit mystified why this novel is so popular.

The author artfully painted in words love, grief and relationships between couples and parents and children. There are some wonderful gems in this book.

An engrossing and well-written story about a woman's struggles with tragedy and grief, and the questions she asks herself following the death of her husband. The novel does a good job of exploring the question of how well do we really know any one else? Though some elements of the plot were not unexpected, there were twists and turns that surprised me. Some of the more poignant moments will stay with me for a while.

My heart really ached for Kathryn. Learning about her husband’s betrayal after his death, Bearing the weight of it all alone to protect her daughter and even after all of these mishaps happening with her, still worrying about Murie’s kids.
Jack the Jackass! How could he!? He and Murie got what they deserved!

Enjoyed the book. Fast read about a pilot with two lives who dies in an explosion on his plane and the surprising details of his involvement.

Gotta love the books that hit home on some levels. Loved the ending!

Not my favorite Anita Shreve book but I enjoyed it as a light read. It is very slow until about the halfway point. If you're in a I hate men mode, this will confirm what you're feeling. I always like the main character in her stories.

Dear Elise,
You asked your goodreads friends to be less lazy. Be warned this book review will contain no less than three (Quite possibly more!) grammatical errors,scoldin', unbridled opinionatin' and spoilers. This is a very bad book, (Bad BOOK! BAD,BAD BOOK!) with a fairly intriguing premise. It is about a pilot's wife. I know, Elise, you are shocked! His plane crashes and it is about the unraveling of how and why his plane crashed. It is not at all a thriller which makes the introduction of a pedestrian double life and the Irish Troubles especially egregious. It purports to ask the question "how well can we really know someone we love?" and then cops out on the answer. In addition, WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY TOOOOOOOOOOO Early in the grieving process the author introduces a romantic interest and an awkward and not terribly believable mother/daughter talk. No one learns anything of value. The book ends. Thankfully! The television movie at least has Campbell Scott in it. Watch that. He voice-overs commercial very competently. It is important to note that I bought the book used and only paid 50 cents for it, so my review is not motivated by financial bitterness. I do not know what Oprah was thinking.
Yours ever, Linda

Amazing book, there are many twists and turns that keep you interested and on your toes. I love the author's writing style. Again, this I read in two evenings; so you know it was good!

My favorite of her books.

Reading for my library book club. I didn't think I would care for this and resented paying $9.99 for the e-book, but it's very good and I don't regret buying it at all now.
* * * * *
This is a fantastic book. As mentioned earlier, I didn't expect to be interested in the story of a widow whose husband died in a plane crash, but there is so much more to the tale. It becomes a mystery to be revealed in small increments as the widow becomes aware that she didn't really know her beloved husband as well as she thought. Well written, very intriguing, makes me want to read more of Anita Shreve's writing.

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. 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