Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a shy twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness when she meets Ernest Hemingway and is captivated by his energy, intensity and burning ambition to write. After a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for France. But glamorous Jazz Age Paris, full of artists and writers, fuelled by alcohol and gossip, is no place for family life and fidelity. Ernest and Hadley's marriage begins to founder, and the birth of a beloved son serves only to drive them ...
Read More
Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a shy twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness when she meets Ernest Hemingway and is captivated by his energy, intensity and burning ambition to write. After a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for France. But glamorous Jazz Age Paris, full of artists and writers, fuelled by alcohol and gossip, is no place for family life and fidelity. Ernest and Hadley's marriage begins to founder, and the birth of a beloved son serves only to drive them further apart. Then, at last, Ernest's ferocious literary endeavours begin to bring him recognition - not least from a woman intent on making him her own . . .
Read Less
I really enjoyed the book, but I am not sure I believed all of it. How, for instance, were the two of them able to travel so much and drink so much and hire a caretaker for the baby without either one working?
Mary M
May 16, 2013
Hemingway fans - don't miss this!
A fictionalized account of Hemingway's first marriage and their life in Paris just before he hit it big. Fascinating! Read A Moveable Feast and compare.
Mary H N
Feb 15, 2013
Delightful!
I am only 200 pages through the book, but I am enjoying it a lot. It reminds me of the movie "Midnight in Paris".
Barbara K
Aug 23, 2012
Not a page turner
This book was a good read, but not all that well written or a page turner. I knew most of what McLain wrote already, but still some interesting facts. I would recommend it to those who have not read much about Hemingway.
J R
Jul 19, 2012
"The Paris Wife"
If you're interested in Hemingway, especially his Paris years, this is a fascinating read.
