The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

The Paris Wife is a work of historical fiction – it’s fiction, but based on true people, places, and events. Right off the bat that caught my attention as a reason I wanted to read this. Also, I don’t really know much about the 1920s or Ernest Hemmingway, but it's something that interests me.

The Paris Wife is written from the perspective of Hemmingway’s first wife, Hadley. The story chronicles their history together, from the first time they met until the end of their marriage. Hadley is along for the journey, always in the shadow of her husband’s spotlight. He is the artist, while she is the wife. The book constantly gives us Hadley’s thoughts and struggles. I'm guessing most people know how the book will end, but it left me surprised, speechless, and somewhat sad.

While a lot does happen in the book, there are times when it seems nothing is happening. You can read for pages without anything of relevance occurring. There’s more about Hadley’s day-to-day life than I care to read. Another thing I struggle with is the historical fiction. It’s really cool, but given I don’t know hardly anything about Hemmingway, I wonder how much is true and how much is not. A work like this can leave you with a good (or bad) impression. I will have to wikipedia Hemmingway to get his full story.

The writing is very eloquent. The style and vocabulary capture the time period perfectly. I really do like it. Truthfully, that may be my favorite part of the book. I’m not usually one to be overly impressed by the style of writing, but this may be the lone exception. I found myself wanting to read more because the writing was enjoyable.

My rating for The Paris Wife: 3 stars out of 5. Get it here!