It is truly fascinating to me how many women fell for a man who was so crude and self-centered. Of the books I've read describing this vile, yet talented man, it seems that he only kept women at his side to inflate his own ego. Meg White Clayton writes from the point of view of Martha Gellhorn, a fiercely talented writer in her own right, who ends up falling for Hemingway while he is married to his second wife, mother of two of his children, and ultimately ends up as Hemingway’s third wife. The novel depicts Hemingway as a drunk (as do most novels about him), and sadly Gellhorn follows suit, as their love affair seems to center around alcohol and misery. The historical aspect of the novel is intriguing, as I knew very little about the path Martha Gellhorn forged for women as war correspondent and author, and for that, I commend the author.
This novel is written as several superfluous journal entries, and could have used a bit more editing. The details were monotonous, and I certainly didn’t need to hear anymore about Gellhorn’s long legs and blond hair. In addition, the inordinate number of nicknames used by both Gellhorn & Hemingway became quite irritating as the novel progressed.
Overall, however, it was an interesting read, but one that didn’t really maintain my full attention throughout.
Many thanks to Goodreads and Lake Union Publishing for gifting me with this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Read 9/21/18
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