Susan Butler

Susan Butler was a journalist who wanted to write a book about an American woman who had achieved fame and fortune by virtue of her own natural talents. She settled on Earhart, knowing about her because her own mother had been a pilot in the 1930s, when people were still wary of getting into an airplane, much less fly one. Butler wanted to showcase Earhart's contributions to society, which had not at that time been recognized. East to the Dawn was an alternate Book of the Month Club choice, and was the basis for the movie Amelia, starring Hilary Swank.