Jen's Journal

In her novel Love and Ruin, Paula McLain brings readers into the life of Martha Gellhorn. This fiercely independent American novelist was also Hemmingway’s third wife, and the only one to ever leave him.

I had to force myself to take this book in bits and pieces because I wanted to be in Gellhorn’s head for as long as I could. She started as a mistress of Hemmingway and their connection was so intense that they felt it was only right to give it a real chance.

What Gellhorn soon discovered was how difficult it is to be married to such a big personality as Hemmingway. She was still an ambitious woman and found herself struggling to fight for her career. In the end, she left him to be a war correspondent in WWII and Hemmingway never forgave her for it.

Is this a spoiler if it’s a historical fiction novel?

Her story fascinates me because she was a feminist in a time when women had to choose between a family or a career. The best way to describe her is as a “heroine for the ages,” as they called her.

This novel has me on a feminist reading binge, so if there are any recommendations, I would love to hear them!