NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A powerful novel of the stormy marriage between Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn, a fiercely independent woman who became one of the greatest war correspondents of the twentieth century—from the author of The Paris Wife and the new novel When the Stars Go Dark, available now! “Romance, infidelity, war—Paula McLain’s powerhouse novel has it all.”—Glamour NAMED ONE … powerhouse novel has it all.”—Glamour
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • New York Public Library • Bloomberg • Real Simple
In 1937, twenty-eight-year-old Martha Gellhorn travels alone to Madrid to report on the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War and becomes drawn to the stories of ordinary people caught in the devastating conflict. It’s her chance to prove herself a worthy journalist in a field dominated by men. There she also finds herself unexpectedly—and unwillingly—falling in love with Ernest Hemingway, a man on his way to becoming a legend.
On the eve of World War II, and set against the turbulent backdrops of Madrid and Cuba, Martha and Ernest’s relationship and careers ignite. But when Ernest publishes the biggest literary success of his career, For Whom the Bell Tolls, they are no longer equals, and Martha must forge a path as her own woman and writer.
Heralded by Ann Patchett as “the new star of historical fiction,” Paula McLain brings Gellhorn’s story richly to life and captures her as a heroine for the ages: a woman who will risk absolutely everything to find her own voice.
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Love and Ruin by author Paula McLain is written about Martha Gellhorn a writer and later a war correspondent for Collier’s. Love and Ruin is a beautifully written historical fiction. Some may think her prestige in life was as the third wife of Ernest Hemmingway, but I applaud her ability to separate herself from Hemminway and pursue her own ambitions. I can only imagine the courageous spirit she exhibited as she accepted criticism of her first book, and as she would leave everything she loved to be in the middle of war zones, hold the hands of the dying, and then bring those stories to life.
In Love and Ruin, the reader will experience much of the idyllic and the tumultuous events of Martha’s life with the often difficult Hemmingway. Their lives in the Cuban farm home Martha tried to restore and she loved was mostly peaceful and loving. As Martha refused to take a backseat and be the compliant wife, Hemmingway was resentful and tried to make her feel less successful. As I read the book there are scenes where I could almost feel her exuberance for living in the moment, even if it meant being on the edge of danger!
Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
WOW! I had to sit on this one a few days before I could review it. Very powerful, very good book! The time frame in the story is during the Spanish Civil War, ( which I had not heard of so had to look up! Love it when I learn something new! ) and WWII. Paula McLain has such a special way with writing that it’s so powerful and interesting and and lyrical. Her words, at times, took away my breath! She grabs you and immerses you into the story…. and you are lost! The amount of research she had to do into Hemingway and Gellhorn had to be extensive and I appreciate her work. The characters in the book were written full of life and so interesting. If I could give this book more than a 5 star rating, I would, but for now, a very strong 5.
This is the second Paul McClain novel I’ve read, and I’ve decided she’s the spokesperson for the cautionary tale. Both novels have been so vivid that I ache for the characters: women who can’t help but leave collateral damage as they pursue their true selves. This story tells the complicated tale of Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway–and in the process I learned so much more about the small details in a very big war. I stayed up late and read while eating lunch, it’s that good.
Martha Gellhorn was a woman ahead of her time – independent, adventurous, career-driven, well-traveled, unwilling to dilute her life ambitions – and when she met Ernest Hemingway, her life both improved and was comprised. Paula McLain tells a beautiful story of how these two souls connected through shared passions that also brought a deep discomfort. How does one maintain her own self-identity without being superseded by a giant star in her orbit? McLain is one of my favorite authors, and her latest release is beautifully written. She brings Spain, Cuba, Finland, China, and more countries to life during the tumultuous 1930s as the second World War is forming, and then unfolding around the globe. War-torn countries provide the ongoing settings for Martha’s love of a lifetime. Many layers of experience can be unearthed in this book. What a gift that we can travel back to significant periods in history and find people who are timeless, real, and flawed in wonderful ways. Another worthwhile contribution to the complexities of love, career, personal identity, and the female experience.
Popular historical fiction novelist, Paul McLain, who previously wrote about Ernest Hemingway and his first wife in The Paris Wife, tells the story of Hemingway’s third wife, Martha “Marty” Gellhorn. This book, however, isn’t just a love story. It is also a war story because we follow Marty who, after writing an unsuccessfully-reviewed novel, finds her niche as a war correspondent covering the news for Colliers with her famous husband as her rival.
Marty is courageous, driven, and determined to document the atrocities of the several wars she’s lived through including World War II. While devoted to Ernest, she needs to make her own name among journalists.
I found this novel a riveting, fast-paced, and interesting look at the horrors of war and the personal glimpses into the life of one of America’s most famous novelist. As a writer myself, I related to Marty’s struggle making a name for herself in a competitive field that, at that time, was predominated by male authors. I highly recommend this read to those interested in history, biographies, and realistic fiction.
After reading and loving both THE PARIS WIFE and CIRCLING THE SUN, I wasn’t sure whether or not Paula McClain could pull off yet another wonderful piece of historical fiction. My hesitancy about this book also came from having read the excellent BEAUTIFUL EXILES by Meg Waite Clayton, a novel that also tackles the marriage of Martha Gelhorn and Ernest Hemingway.
I finally picked up the book and started reading, then couldn’t stop. In additional to this being a compelling and bittersweet story, I admired so many other things as well, beginning with the way McClain characterizes Martha.
In our heroine are all the traits I believe we’d all like to have. Martha is smart, brave, ahead of her time in terms of woman’s rights, and she’s not afraid to put her heart on the line. Perhaps the most intriguing part of this portrayal is Martha’s vulnerability, because she shouldn’t have fallen for Ernest Hemingway, and yet she did. Wonderfully complex and having traits ranging between inspirational strength and unexpected fragility, Martha is a woman I wish I’d known.
McClain also has a rare insight into complex relationships. Both Hemingway and Gelhorn are presented as flawed characters (perhaps fatally so, especially in the case of Hemingway), who had the ability to care for each other and nearly destroy each other, too. Martha was a brilliant journalist and author, and yet she had to live in Hemingway’s huge shadow. That balancing act and the way Martha tried to live with it make this a love story you are unlikely to forget.
Add this all to vivid settings, the backdrop of war, and strong writing, and you have all the necessary ingredients of a book to savor. My favorite Hemingway/Gelhorn book is still BEAUTIFUL EXILES, and my favorite McClain book is still THE PARIS WIFE, but if you love strong historical fiction, don’t miss this one.
I’ve really enjoyed the author Paula McLain’s other novels based on the lives of real people, and LOVE AND RUIN lived up to her earlier works, including THE PARIS WIFE. In fact, LOVE AND RUIN was an action-packed account of Hemingway’s adventures as a foreign correspondent during the Spanish Civil War, along with the amazing accomplishments of reporter/writer Martha Gellhorn, the woman he fell in love with as bombs fell and they nearly lost their lives. A good, absorbing read on a rainy weekend…
Since I’m a rabid Hemingway fan, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Love and Ruin, the tragic tale of Marty Gelhorn, an accomplished female war correspondent, and third wife of Ernest. He was a blustering, drunken cad–of that we have heard–and this book does not trim much from that profile of the great writer. But McClain is a poet, and her choice of words and creation of the world in which the two star-crossed lovers lived is a wonderful trip, from Cuba to Spain and back again to Europe during World War II. McClain gives Gelhorn some warts, which is good. She seems to be driven, and selfish, and it is a wonder how she could leave her husband for five months yet declare such steadfast love for him. Oh, well. Difficult times bring out the difficulty in all. I loved this book, and love McClain’s writing. Can’t wait for the next ….wife?.
This wonderful novel opened with the realistic depiction of the passionate attraction between Hemingway and Gelhorn. I thought McClain did a brilliant job of developing Hemingway’s magnetism as well his willingness to mentor and encourage Gelhorn as a writer, his recognition of her talent, and then his emerging difficulty with her need for the space and time to do her work. It all worked so well as long as he was the center star. His infidelity and his alcoholism seemed almost expressions of his need for constant attention and affirmation; he also swung between manic acting out and severe bouts of depression as his drinking progressed. I’m not sure if the suggestion was that this was caused by his alcoholism or his drinking was in addition to, for example, bipolar disorder. The distinction may not be as important as the behavior and Gelhorn’s genuine love for Hemingway as it was at war with her need to survive as a gifted artist in her own right. I recommend this book enthusiastically for readers of literary fiction–the prose is beautiful–but I also think that women writers will especially love it.
He was the most famous novelist in the world. He was older—and married. She was younger and on her way to becoming a celebrated war correspondent. Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway met during the Spanish Civil war and fell in love. Passion followed, so did marriage. And from there? Consider the title.
If you loved Paula McLain’s THE PARIS WIFE (I did), you will also love her LOVE AND RUIN.
Great historical fiction by Paula McClain. She is an amazing wordsmith and storyteller. I had enjoyed her earlier work, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin does not disappoint.
What a wonderful look into the life of one of Hemingway’s wives, Martha Gellhorn. I loved traveling with them and meeting other notable people of times. As a writer, there was wise advice about our work, acknowledging (or ignoring reviews), and how to wrangle a story. McLain also showcases, through both Hemingway and Gellhorn, the feelings and frustrations, the very hard work, of writing.
Several observations struck me that are relevant to today as it was in Gelhorn’s time:
” ‘But it’s hard to die for ideas, isn’t it?’ ‘It’s hard to die any way. … At least our ideas are the right ones.’ ”
This comment gets to the very core of our political divide and contentious issues today, in my opinion. Holding fast to one’s own ideas as the ONLY way, the only right way, is closed-minded and detrimental to our ability to discuss, collaborate, compromise, and come to the best possible solutions together.
Another quote I appreciated:
” ‘That’s the main thing they say about journalism, you know, … don’t trust reportage. Don’t let other people tell you what happened, not if you can help it. You have to take it all in with your own senses. To write what you see, and what you feel.’ … That stood me still for a moment. ‘What about being objective?’ ‘Don’t try. There’s no such thing.’ ”
Everything we hear, read, watch, is through a filter, whether someone else’s or our own. Everything in the media, on YouTube, TV, the radio, in every news outlet, etc. is presented through another’s eyes and life experiences and political, religious, life views. Nothing is objective. We would be wise to be mindful of that in all the “news” and information we take in every day. Paula McLain, and her subject, Martha Gellhorn, implore us to think critically.
LOVE AND RUIN is a well-written, compelling, historical novel. Fascinating in looking back and in its relevance to today.
Moral of the tale: It takes a strong woman to love a giant of a man.
Love and Ruin tells the story of the writer and war reporter, Martha Gellhorn, and her love relationship with Ernest Hemingway. From the scenes of the Spanish Civil War to Martha’s and Ernest’s time writing and making a life together in Cuba, I learned a great deal about these two writers. Hemingway, I knew, was a difficult and complex man, but this book helped me develop more compassion for him, as well as great admiration and respect for Martha, about whom–until reading the book–I knew very little. A fine book which I recommend highly.
Paula McLain is one of my most favourite authors ever- i adored what she did with The Paris Wife- bringing Hadley (Ernest Hemmingway’s first wife) – and that era, 1920s Paris- vividly to life.
Circling the Sun, a fictionalised account of Beryl Markham is a masterpiece too- and Paula McLain brought that world, horse-riding, aviation, Africa, to me too. I don’t know how she does it – I suspect dark arts and magic – but whatever her book, I feel like me and the main characters are close friends, like I was there, hanging out with Karen Blixen or Scott Fitzgerald.
This book ‘Love and Ruin’ came out a while ago – I didn’t read it straight away (busy/lockdown/toomuchTV etc), but left it like a favourite outfit in the wardrobe- i wanted the perfect occasion to put it on, to luxuriate in it…A Paula McLain book deserves attention, – this snow-week was perfect…
I loved it, well of course. How could you not? It’s the story of Martha Gelhorn – brilliant war correspondent, and her relationship with Hemmingway and its beautifully evocative, its political, its historical and poetic(al) and once again, Paula McLain has made me feel as though Martha Gelhorn and I would have been great friends, more like sisters really :
This book hit all my sweet spots. First and foremost, the writing is amazing. I’d find myself pausing sometimes just to let a phrase linger. Then there’s the voice; it’s so rich and insightful and vulnerable, a voice I’d follow anywhere. That’s the voice of the main character, Martha Gellhorn, a war correspondent who traveled all over the world, a rarity for a woman of her time. Her insights into what war is really about were so powerful. I came to “Love and Ruin” after having read “The Paris Wife,” McLains’s wonderful novel about Ernest Hemingway’s first wife. Gellhorn was Hemingway’s third wife–but she is far from a footnote in a famous man’s life. In this novel, the way they fell in love, and the reasons the marriage fell apart, are so well rendered that I was emotionally involved the whole way through.
While reading this book about Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway, I was totally engrossed in their lives. It was easy to forget that this book was fiction, as it seemed so real and authentic. It was obvious that the author had done a lot of research about them both. I had read The Paris Wife several years ago and loved that book, so I had great expectations about this book and was not disappointed. Martha was so well drawn that I felt like I was reading about a friend and the trials that she was going through. She was a great war correspondent, and although she was afraid, knew that this work was important. Her life with Ernest was at times charmed and felt like paradise for her, but other times was like a war where she had to choose her battles. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I enjoy Paula McClain’s writing. I have read all of her books. She makes these historical people seem real and interesting. Two of her books have been about Hemingway’s wives rather than him. Very different viewpoint. This book was not a happy story, I found it absorbing.
Not her best book.
Paula McLain is the current darling of those who adore historical fiction. Do I adore historical fiction? I’m not sure. There are two parts here – history and fiction. So, what happens when the history just isn’t terribly interesting?
I’ve actually felt that way about some of Ms. McLain’s books. The Paris Wife was a novelty and, in that, wonderful. But Circling the Sun didn’t do as much for me; I simply wasn’t as interested in its subject, Beryl Markham, who was the first woman to fly east to west across the Atlantic Ocean.
Now we have Love and Ruin, in which Ms. McLain returns to the tried and true realm of Ernest Hemingway and his wives. This one, Martha Gellhorn, is a fascinating character in her own right. A war correspondent, she did what she could on Hemingway’s coattails, married and divorced him, and only then finally found her name.
I found Love and Ruin to be a book about love and loss, about the plight of a woman before her time, about ambition.
If you like reading about Hemingway, about war, about women who grapple with their own needs versus those of a domineering husband, you may like this book better than I did. I was frustrated by what Ms. McLain chose to present about Martha. She was a strong and talented woman. If I’d heard more about that, I might have been more interested in the book.