Monday, May 23, 2011

Current Reading Selection

I am currently reading East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart.  Actually, Matt purchased the book to read himself, but I don't think he has every gotten around to reading it.  It has been awhile since I have read a biography, so I started reading it myself.

The book begins by covering her childhood and the years she spent in Atchinson, KS with her grandparents.  Amelia seems like she would have been a fascinating person to grow up with as she had a great imagination and people skills.  It continues through her teenage years when she moved from place to place with her parents.  Even though her parents did not get along well, the books shows Amelia as one who did not let those circumstances get her down or stop her from pursuing her dreams. 

I am currently at the point where she becomes the first female to fly across the Atlantic (at least as a passenger).  The book goes into great details showing the dangers of flying at the time.  With all the safety features on planes today, one forgets how treacherous flying once was.  Of course, the attitude of the people then differs greatly from people's attitudes today.  Back then, people knew the risk that lay before them and they willingly faced those risks without placing blame on anyone. 

I need to focus myself a little better on taking the time to read the book (as opposed to watching television or playing on the computer) so I can finish it while I still remember the beginning of the book.

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