The Paris Wife

Feast. Historical fiction about well-known figures can run the risk of verging on the shallow insight level of People magazine or gossip tabloids. Paula McLain’s The Paris Wife never comes close to falling off that precipice. This lively account of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson, stands well on its own as literary fiction: the account of a complex relationship that provides insight into human behavior. Knowing several of the characters of the novel increases a reader’s engagement in the story. McLain enlivens the young Hemingway, his bride Hadley, and makes their life in 1920s Paris seem magical.
Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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