Book Review and Giveaway: The Paris Wife

Title: The Paris Wife
Author: Paula McLain
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published Date: February 22, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-345-52130-9
Pages: 318

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

Synopsis:
In Chicago in 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 finds herself captivated by his good looks, intensity, and passionate desire to write. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group of expatriates that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
But the hard-drinking and fast-living cafe life does not celebrate traditional notions of family and monogamy. As Hadley struggles with jealousy and self-doubt and Ernest wrestles with his burgeoning writing career, they must confront a deception that could prove the undoing of one of the great romances in literary history.


About the Author:
Paula McLain received an MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan and has been a resident of Yaddo and the MacDowell Colony. She 9is the author of two collections of poetry, as well as a memoir, Like Family, and a first novel, A Ticket to Ride. She lives in Cleveland with her family.


My review:
I could not wait to get a copy of this book to read. I am a fan of Hemingway and I love reading about the lives of actual people. The book takes you back to a time period that was rich with literary figures and their involvement with each other. McLain's writing pulls you into the story to where you felt like you were Hadley's best friend. As a woman reading the book, I could relate to her and the insecurities that she felt. Yet, it was very much a love story that urged you to want to fight for their relationship and make sure they made it. Although the book is a novel and mixes some fact with fiction, as I read, I wanted all of it to be true so that I could feel that I really did share part of the lives of the Hemingway's.
McLain's writing is fantastic and I couldn't pull myself away from the pages until I had read every one of them. I was immersed into a world I couldn't get enough of, in fact, I finished this book in a mere few hours. I urge everyone to get a copy of this book. For myself, I now have the urge to read all I can find about the Hemingway's and their life together.
Be sure to check out the site HERE on the book for more information.

Giveaway:
I have 5 copies of this book to giveaway, thanks to the generosity of the publisher. Leave a comment below and tell me about your favorite love story couple-whether real or fictional. Don't forget to leave an email so I can contact you. Winners will be chosen on March 10.