Love and Ruin

by Paula McLain

This book is by the author of The Paris Wife (which I think I liked) and Circling the Sun (which I hated).

It is the story of the life of Martha Gellhorn, an American woman who became a celebrated war correspodent and author.  It takes place over the years that Gellhorn met Ernest Hemmingway, travelled in Spain with him during the Civil War, became his mistress and eventually his wife for five years.

It was a beautifully written, powerful story.  She did a great job of depicting Gellhorn's experiences in wartime, how Hemmingway woed her, their few years of happiness together, before his ego and neediness seemed to doom the marriage.

It very skillfully portrayed the good times and the bad times, and did a superb job of showing how Hemmingway admired and then resented her independence.  He liked here when she was succeeding but needed to be the centre of attention and the centre of her world.  She also demonstrated the struggle Gellhorn had trying to live under the shadow of Hemmingway as an author.  Hemmingway did help her and support her at times but he also seemed to drain her of her strength to write.  The author does a wonderful job of portraying the wonderful life they built for themselves in Cuba and the affection Gellhorn felt for Hemmingway's sons.

The book portrays Hemmingway as very controlling, vindictive and moody.

I enjoyed this book very much and was sorry when it came to an end.