2011 March 09

Book Review: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Title: The Paris Wife
Author: Paula McLain
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: February 22, 2011
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-0345521309
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

My Review:

Being a fan of the works of Ernest Hemingway I could not pass up the chance to read a fictionalised account of his first wife, Hadley Richardson, and I was not disappointed. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain gives the reader a look into Hadley Richardson’s life, and while fictional, McLain relies on biographical accounts to make her story as historically accurate as possible while still maintaining her creative license to bring forth the many larger than life characters who lived in the 1920s. Told through the voice of Hadley the reader will learn about her childhood, Hemmingway’s, and how they appear on the surface to be a perfect match for each other. Hadley supported his endeavours, encouraged Hemingway and moved with him to Paris where they lived an emotionally charged life together. There is so much more I would like to share, but then what would be the point of reading the book, and it should be read. McLain brings to life the 1920s and the up and coming expatriates living in Paris, their lifestyles, and habits. At times it seems as though life is one big party, which is not really a surprise considering Fitzgerald’s work, The Great Gatsby, so much rings true for those living this life in Paris. For those unfamiliar with Hemingway’s works, I strongly encourage they be read, beginning with The Sun Also Rises, as it is one he works on while with Hadley. McLain quickly draws the reader into this story and its cast of characters and their nicknames, into a world, which would be difficult to fathom, if not for McLain’s use of vivid imagery and eloquent prose. After reading The Paris Wife, I realised this book would make for a lively discussion group choice. I found myself torn between Hemingway and Hadley, no I did not agree with his behaviour but I realised I was allowing him more freedom than I would a fictional character. Maybe I was the only Hemingway fan to feel this way, I may never know. What I do know for certain is that I would without doubt recommend The Paris Wife to all readers and book discussion groups.

About the Author:

PAULA MCLAIN was born in Fresno, CA in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of foster homes for the next 14 years. Eventually, she discovered she could — and wanted to — write. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996, and since then has been a resident at Yaddo and the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. She is the author of two collections of poetry, a much-praised memoir called Like Family (Little Brown, 2003), and one previous and well-received novel, A Ticket to Ride. Paula McLain lives in Cleveland, OH with her family.

For more information please visit Kath Russell at her website or blog.

Paula McLain’s THE PARIS WIFE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘11 officially began on March 1st and will end on March 25th. Visit here during the month of March to find out more about this great book and talented author!

I received a complimentary copy of The Paris Wife by Paula McLain from Pump Up Your Book Promotion as part of the tour. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Book Review: 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan

Title: 31 Bond Street
Author: Ellen Horan
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN: 978-0061773976
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

Who killed Dr. Harvey Burdell in his opulent Manhattan town house?

At once a gripping mystery and a richly detailed excavation of a lost age, 31 Bond Street is a spellbinding tale of murder, sex, greed, and politics in 1857 New York. Author Ellen Horan interweaves fact and fiction—reimagining the sensational nineteenth-century crime that rocked the city a few short years before the Civil War ripped through the fabric of the nation, while transporting readers back to a time that eerily echoes our own.

Though there are no clues to the brutal slaying of wealthy Dr. Burdell, suspicion quickly falls on Emma Cunningham, the refined, pale-skinned widow who managed his house and servants. An ambitious district attorney seeks a swift conviction, but defense attorney Henry Clinton is a formidable obstacle—a man firmly committed to justice and the law, and to the cause of a frightened, vulnerable woman desperately trying to save herself from the gallows.

My Review:

In 1857, Dr. Harvey Burdell of 31 Bond Street, New York, was murdered in his home and the case was never solved, becoming the basis for Ellen Horan’s historical fiction book 31 Bond Street. In Horan’s version she writes of the bumbling coroner Connelly, a fevered press leading to mobs of people out for vengeance, a slipshod investigation and Hall, the District Attorney who needs an expeditious conviction as he has higher political aspirations. The surest conviction would be to place the blame on Dr. Burdell’s driver, Samuel, yet he has vanished, most likely in fear of the Fugitive Slave Act so the powers that be turned to their next best suspect, the housemistress, Mrs. Emma Cunningham, widower and mother to two daughters. While under house detention, Emma pens a letter to Henry Clinton, a defense attorney who, against his wife’s advice, decides to take her case with the aid of young John, who worked for Dr. Burdell and can freely leave the house. John soon becomes Clinton’s eyes and ears. Horan weaves together a fascinating tale of a city growing, unrest in the country over slavery, the abuse of power, greed, indiscretion, and infidelity. 31 Bond Street is filled with actual copies of the newspaper clipping and while some of the book is historical fact other parts are pure conjecture. Horan paints a vivid, if not depressing, image of the ever growing trade town, the division of the haves and have nots, and the lengths people will go to for their own personal gain. The narrative is split primarily between Emma and Clinton. Emma takes the reader back to when she first met Dr. Burdell to present day whereas Henry Clinton speaks of the present and the investigation. While 31 Bond Street is a fictionalised historical mystery, a good portion of the book is spent in the courtroom as well as showing the reader New York society in 1857. It is interesting to see how the laws and procedures have changed over the past two centuries. While the characters are described in detail, I felt little for any save Henry, Elizabeth, and John. 31 Bond Street is an engaging mystery, with a page turning courtroom drama and some extraordinary twists and turns along the way, culminating in an explosive ending. I recommend 31 Bond Street to anyone looking for an exciting historical fiction mystery with courtroom drama.

About the Author:

A photo editor for books and magazines, Ellen Horan has worked on staff and in a freelance capacity for many publications, including Vanity Fair , Vogue , House & Garden , Forbes , and ARTnews , as well as for a number of book publishers. 31 Bond Street is her first novel.

To learn more about Ellen Horan, please visit her website and Facebook page.

For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.

I received a complimentary copy of 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.