But sometimes I ask myself just that. And then I feel the cold, ethereal strangeness of existence.
One day, years later, when they were relaxing in their hammocks on a hot afternoon, he brought up the subject of their flight around the world. It seemed a distant memory. He apologized to her for what had happened. Please don’t worry about it, she said. It was my fault too. Anyway, she smiled, I forgive you for it. Thank you, he said, and in his voice she heard something. It was the sound of the Electra. Then he said, What a day. It was hot, but she’d known worse. He said maybe later they’d go for a swim in the lagoon. Then they were silent for a long time. And then she broke down. Broke down in tears, tears of joy, mysterious tears, and said, Yes, this must be real, I believe in this life. I believe that it continues.
Acknowledgments
This story is a work of fiction. It was inspired by the life and disappearance of Amelia Earhart; however, the portraits of the characters who appear in it are fictional, as are many of the events described.
Several books were important to me during my research. Amelia Earhart: A Biography by Doris L. Rich was especially useful for factual information. Earhart’s own Last Flight provided a description of her final journey, and the lines in italics on this page are from her book. The lines in italics on this page are from Charles Lindbergh’s memoir, The Spirit of St. Louis. Richard Gillespie’s article “The Mystery of Amelia Earhart” was also useful for factual information. The lines in italics on this page are from Robert A. F. Thurman’s commentary in his translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Many friends read versions of this book in manuscript form, and I am grateful to all of them for their insights and encouragement. In particular, special thanks to James Wood, Andrew Solomon, Seth and Joanna Hendon, and Melissa Marks. For their faith in this book and their efforts on its behalf, I would like to thank Ann Close, Nelly Bly, Joy Harris, Robin Robertson, and Sonny Mehta. I’d also like to thank my family for their support, especially Evelyn Driesen and Martha Mendelsohn.
And finally, most of all, thank you to my mother and father, with gratitude and love.
I Was Amelia Earhart (Vintage Contemporaries) Page 10
