We are all familiar with Charles Lindbergh, famous aviator who flew “The Spirit of St. Louis.” We are familiar with Anne Morrow Lindbergh, his well-known novelist wife, and the kidnapping of their son which so hurt them and angered America. What you may not know is that their youngest daughter, Reeve, followed in her mother’s footsteps to become a famous novelist in her own right.
Reeve attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge and graduated in 1968, preparing her for a long and varied career as a novelist, historian, and children’s author. She wrote two family memoirs. The first, entitled “No More Words,” is a journal of her mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, kept during the time she cared for her ailing mother shortly before her death. It talks about Reeve’s struggles to accept a strained relationship with her famous father. While described by some readers as “emotionally draining,” it’s nonetheless a touching addition to the collection of Lindbergh novels already published.
The other memoir is called “Under a Wing,” and tells of her strict upbringing and also of the later years of her parents. Her novel “The Names of the Mountains” is autobiographical in nature, and speaks of many of the same things. “Moving to the Country” is her first fiction novel and is the story of a young woman who marries and relocates to a place unfamiliar to her, and her attempts to make it all work out for the best. She also co-wrote with her father on “The Spirit of St. Louis” and her mother on “Return to the Sea.”
But Reeve did not limit herself to books of serious matter; she possessed a charming sense of humor and wrote such children’s books as “Benjamin’s Barn,” “My Hippie Grandmother,” “There’s a Cow in the Road,” and “The Day the Goose Got Loose.”
Her subject matters are wide and varying, from farm life to a historical children’s book told in the form of poetry, “Johnny Appleseed.” Another noteworthy book to add to her collection is “Nobody Owns the Sky,” which is the story of Bessy Coleman, the first female African-American aviator.
She is the honorary chairman of the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation, appointed to that post in 2004. She has been the president of the foundation, the vice president, and a member of the board of directors as well. The foundation works toward improving the quality of life through balance of nature and technology. She also works within her own Vermont community working with the arts, children, and the handicapped.
To me, the most fascinating thing about Reeve is the innocence in her children’s books. Raised as she was in a stern household, you would think that she would have a more harsh view of childhood, but her stories reflect happiness and joy. Perhaps she found the inspiration for that in longing for what she lacked; I have no way of knowing. What I do know is that she is a remarkable woman and a fine novelist.
Information for this article was found at the Lindbergh Foundation website.
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Benjamin’s Barn and Johnny Appleseed