Catherine C. (c-squared) reviewed on 3/30/2012 + 181 more book reviews

The story of Ernest Hemingway's first marriage is sufficiently interesting to serve as the plot for a historical novel. The 1920s Parisian setting and supporting cast of "the lost generation" held my attention, but I had a hard time connecting with the narrator, Hemingway's wife Hadley. Considering that Paula McLain has been accused of clinging too tightly to her research, I'm assuming that my complaints have historical basis, but Hadley just didn't seem entirely believable to me. I understand what drew her to Hemingway, but I don't understand why he was equally obsessed with her. Maybe it was her neediness, maybe he saw in her someone who would take care of him and put his needs first. The only clue that it might have been more than that is the bullfighter who becomes enamored of Hadley and her red hair.

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