The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

This novel is the story of Ernest Hemingway's marriage to his first wife, Hadley Richardson. I've always found reading fictionalized biographies of famous people a bit tricky. I bring along a preconceived idea of what they were like. While I'm a fan of Hemingway's writing, I've always suspected he was a overweening braggart to his friends. This book did nothing to change my mind. Written from Hadley's point of view, the novel has a melancholy tone, the final disaster hovering up ahead and coloring her memories. She appears incredibly placid and passive, with no life of her own and willing to accept anything to keep her marriage intact. I had to remind myself that she was of a generation that felt this was woman's proper role. The author does a good job of setting the place and lifestyle of the Hemingways and their friends. I enjoyed reading the book but think it would appeal mostly to fan's of Hemingway.