The 1937 Hindenburg
disaster at Lakehurst, N.J., has been the subject of numerous books, several feature films and countless rumors. The mystery of the horrific zeppelin fire that claimed 35 lives is resurrected in this dark and brooding story about a survivor obsessed with finding out the cause of the catastrophe. Boëtius, a popular German author, is also the son of one of the survivors of the Hindenburg
and was raised on his father's stories of the event. The powerful tale he crafts here tells of a man who rises from the Hindenburg's
ashes, equipped with a new face, a new identity and a new purpose in life. Birger Lund is a passenger on the Hindenburg's
last flight across the Atlantic in May 1937. He miraculously survives the crash and fire, assumes the identity of a dead passenger and spends 10 years doggedly searching for answers to the questions of how and why. His search ends in 1947 when he finally locates one of the surviving airship officers—Nazi enthusiast Edmund Boysen, the man at the zeppelin's controls when the crash occurred—by tracking him to a sinister, isolated island in the North Sea. Boëtius tells this story through both men, cleverly exploring the theories of what caused the disaster: natural lightning activity, crew or passenger carelessness and the more ominous one of sabotage. Anti-Nazis, the Gestapo, secret agents and some other unusual travelers on the passenger list add great drama and suspense. Boëtius has created an original plot peopled with intensely realized characters, set against a vivid backdrop of prewar politics and the romance of zeppelin flight. (Dec. 26)
Forecast:Boëtius's personal tie to the
Hindenburg debacle should spark curiosity, and the powerful, understated jacket design will help the book stand out on display tables.
