Love and Ruin

Paula McLain — 2018

In 1937, courageous and independent Martha Gellhorn travels to Madrid to report on the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War, and finds herself drawn to the stories of ordinary people caught in devastating conflict. She also finds herself unexpectedly - and uncontrollably - falling in love with Ernest Hemingway, a man already on his way to being a legend. In the shadow of the impending Second World War, and set against the tumultuous backdrops of Madrid, Finland, China, and especially Cuba, where Martha and Hemingway made their home, their relationship and professional careers ignite. But when Hemingway publishes the biggest literary success of his career, they are no longer equals, and Martha must make a choice: surrender to the suffocating demands of a domestic lifestyle, or risk losing her husband by forging her way as her own woman and writer. It is a dilemma that will force her to break his heart, and her own. Based on a true story Martha Gellhorn was one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLLS was dedicated to Martha, and inspired by the time they were together in Spain. It was Hemingway's most successful book to date, it sold half a million copies within months, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and triumphantly reestablished his literary reputation

Reviews

Isabella van der Haar@isabellavdh

Jul 7, 2022

“Later I would learn that there were a hundred thousand men on that beach and only one woman, me. I was also the first journalist, male or female, to make it there and report back.” I am completely taken by this book and Martha Gellhorn has definitely become a new hero for me, and I can’t help but want to thank McLain for writing this book and more thoroughly introducing her to me.

Jennifer Dieter@jdeets03

Dec 30, 2021

I read The Paris Wife shortly after visiting Paris and enjoyed how an historic fiction novel could transport me back to a place at a different time in history. While in Key West, I decided to pick up McLain's follow up novel at Judy Blume's (!) bookstore Books & Books. We had just visited the Hemingway House, and I remembered how McLain brought Papa to life in The Paris Wife and was eager for this follow up written from the perspective of Hemingway's third wife, Martha Gellhorn. Gellhorn meets Hemingway during a family trip to Key West. They have an instant connection, and he encourages her dream of being a writer by helping her get credentials to cover the Spanish Civil War. Gellhorn's thirst for adventure and willingness to put herself in danger to tell the stories of World War II continue throughout the couple's nine year romance. I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't as excited about the war parts (I feel like I've read too many books on World War II), but I did appreciate that Gellhorn is a real person and was certainly a hero. The relationship between Gellhorn and Hemingway was far more interesting to me, and I found myself reading those parts at a much quicker pace. McLain once again does a beautiful job of combining fact and fiction. You can tell that the book is well-researched, and she admires both Hemingway and Gellhorn. If she writes a book about another Hemingway wife, I'd probably read it.