The Paris Wife is a delicious story … one that transports you to a moment in time when the stars collided, at least for a precious few. From the inside jacket cover… “In 1920 Chicago, Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight year old who has all but given up on love and happiness until she meets the youthful returning war hero Ernest Hemmingway and is captivated by his good looks, intensity, and passionate desire to write. After a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair decamp to Paris. Soon they are the golden couple at the heart of a lively and volatile group of expats that include Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Sara and Gerald Murphy. We are drawn into their life – their intimate moments and the social whirlwind post World War 1 when everyone wanted to live each day as if it were the last. But hard drinking, fast-living Jazz-age Paris is at odds with the traditional notions of family and monogamy. As Ernest galvanizes his creative ambition, Hadley who can’t help but feel something of an outsider, struggles with jealousy and self doubt. Eventually the pair confront a deception that could prove the undoing of one of the great romances in literary history. A heart wrenching tale of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant for knowing that, at the end of his life, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.” This novelized biography will captivate you and make you want to reach out all over again for the closest copies of The Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms or A Moveable Feast. Find a quiet corner and enjoy every page!

This book was recommended to me and I'm not sure what I expected, but I was "waiting for something" of significance to happen for a while. While I'm happy I could delve into the life of someone so revered and those around him, it fell short for me.

Hadley first met Ernest Hemingway at a friend’s party when he was just a young budding writer. A whirlwind courtship began and they soon found themselves living the life in Paris, surrounded by fellow writers and mentors. As Ernest works hard to make a name for himself, he stops at nothing to gain that success – regardless of the bridges he burns and the people he hurts. Whether you know much about the man himself, Ernest Hemingway is a household name. However, fewer people know about Hadley Richardson, and McLain does a great job of shedding light to this woman who was not only a wife but a muse to the famous writer. Admittedly, I didn’t know much about either of these characters, so The Paris Wife allowed me to get to know both of them. With no preconceived notions of what Hemingway was like, I found this factual/fictional account to be quite eye-opening. As the saying goes, there’s always two sides to every story. My lack of prior knowledge of Hemingway may have hindered some aspects of the story, where I might not have grasped the significance of the people or the moment in the scene, but I merely looked at it as part of the overall picture. McLain’s writing is eloquent and beautiful, a fitting narrative for the time period and setting for this novel. She tells a strong tale of young unrequited love developing into the later bickering married life. Even though I gathered what the end result of the story would be, the journey that lead to that point is all together satisfying. You feel, as the reader, that you’re growing with this young woman as she comes into her own and seeing the world through her eyes. You experience her joys and anguishes, her trials and tribulations; seemingly all from the vantage point of her memoir. This, and other reviews can be found on my blog JustALilLost.com

Though I knew how it would end,as it is based on true facts, I was still finding myself emotionally involved. I'm not one to read historical books but enjoyed the scenery, the characters and of course their love. I often think back on this story.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what I expected out of this book, but I did end up really liking it! It was a book that made you say "are you kidding me? how could you put up with that?" but the more you read it, the more you can understand Hadley's decisions... and the fact that this book can do that is what makes it a great read.

An enjoyable read from beginning to end. Don't usually read "love" stories but so glad I pick this one up.

I found this book a difficult read. I had trouble finishing it. I picked up the book based on the premise (a book written from the point of view of Hemmingways wife). I found the characters frustrating and difficult to follow and didn't identify with anything in the book.

The Paris Wife is a well researched fiction of Ernest Hemingway's early years told by his first wife Hadley Richardson.From the start of their relationship there was unbalance,he was in love with himself and his career. Hardley was there to listen and love him. It was the roaring 20s...allot of drinking,unsual lifestyle,open love affairs, joy and sadness. Hemingway wrote at the end of his life that he would have rather die than fall in love with anyone but his first wife Hadley Richardson. It's a story of love and torn loyalty.

This novel/biography is from the point of view of Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife. It depicts the time line of meeting in Chicago, travelling to Paris, having a child in Toronto and back to Paris. The author has managed to capture the characters and the ambiance of the 1920s. Nowadays we have our 'bad' celebs like Paris Hilton. This story takes the reader on a journey of how two people in love degrade into these 'bad' people along with the others of the time like Gertrude Stein and Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. The reader does not know whether to feel sorry for Hadley and her love and support of the larger than life Hemingway or wring her neck over her seeming 'wimpiness'. McLain brought the characters to life and made me first google about Hemingway's life and second want to read some of his novels a second time.

Before there were the Paris Hilton's and Kim Kardasian's of the world, there was Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein and many others. Decadence of the rich and famous and those seeking notoriety is not new, but this story beautifully showed the descent into hell that occurs when you give up your integrity when chasing that life. This part of the writing I loved. It was rich and soulful and carrried the story to the end. However, I wasn't sure throughout the story whether we should feel sorry for Hadley or admire her for the way she handled the life she chose with Hemingway, and the cost she paid for that life. You can decide for yourself, but I never really got invested in her while reading the story. His demons on the other hand were very compelling. I think that may be part of the brilliance of the book.

I found this book to be a good love story and an easy read. The writing some simple and straight forward, with a poetic edge. I have never thought of Ernest Hemingway this way so it was definatley interesting. You follow the love story from beginning to end. Definately a summer read!