What Is the Most Mind Altering Book Youve Ever Read?

What is the most mind-altering book you've ever read?

NIGHT OVER WATER - KEN FOLLET If you enjoy reading history in a fiction novel format, this is a story you will not want to put down
. ”Flight Over Water” is Ken Follett’s romantic tale of a Pam Am Yankee Clipper flight from England to North America in 1939. The Clipper was the largest aircraft of its time and only 12 of Boeing’s famous Flying Boats were built. The airfields available to land large capacity airplanes were few and far between; the ability to take off and land on water was the solution. However, by the end of WWII, longer runways were being built and the Flying Clipper was headed for extinction. But, it’s place in history will never be forgotten
 romance never dies. Our story takes place in the thirties leading up to WWII
 a period rich with intrigue, duplicity, and devious politics (check my essay about the movie “The King’s Speech” for more political details). A major character in our plot is Lord Oxenford, a racist and enthusiastic supporter of the right wing extremists known as The British Union of Fascists. Follett, in his usual fashion, has thoroughly researched the Boeing B314. Our story takes place in the various compartments and passageways throughout this aircraft. This tale is also about the rise of women’s rights as t become more self-aware and begin the long struggle to achieve equality with men. We are at the tail end of the Victorian era, a period of women’s enslavement and repression. Based upon the current political scene, some will argue that we still have a long way to go. Follet has given us a complex plot interwoven with multiple personal stories which carry our tale forward at a fast clip. We have. a gangster accompanied by a US marshal; a German, Jewish nuclear scientist who is escaping to the US; an English aristocrat who is a Nazi sympathizer; a petty thief who is just a step ahead of British authorities; a confused woman who is escaping her husband with her lover; a confused husband pursuing his fleeing wife; a coming-of-age woman exploring her newly-found sexual freedom; an aging movie star who is on the downside of her career; a rebellious teenage boy who proceeds to explore the intricate passageways throughout the plane
 and who knows how to shoot. If that isn’t enough
 we have a storm in the middle of the Atlantic and
 we’re rapidly running out of fuel. Oh, and before I forget, there’s a German submarine and a Coast Guard sub-chaser. Believe me
 there’s a surprise at every turn of the page. Prop your feet up, let the weather go to hell outside, and enjoy yourself. Charles O. Slavens