A weird fact about me: I only read when I’m on planes or when I’m sitting in front of water. I have probably discussed this before in my other book reviews, but it has proven to be even more true with this book. It has taken me over a year of trying to read this book but I finally did and of course IT WAS WORTH IT! Paula McLain is my absolute favorite author and she has proven herself again with this one. I really thought I was going to make it through this book without crying but of course the water works started in the last 8 pages. Just because it took me a super long time to finish this book doesn’t mean it was good! Here’s my book review:
Love and Ruin brings to life the story of Martha Gellhorn—a fiercely independent, ambitious woman ahead of her time, who would become one of the greatest war correspondents of the twentieth century.
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.
Read more from Paula McLain’s website here!
I love historical fiction and I love reading about the bad ass women of the past who didn’t abide by societal norms and fought to be equals in a man’s world. I felt the same way when I finished “Circling the Sun” but thought this book would be a lot more like “A Paris Wife” which is the first book by Paula McLain that I read. When I read that book, I sobbed and sobbed for days. That book shook me up and made me fall in love with books about famous authors (particularly Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald). This book took place from the late 30s all the way through WWII and I honestly love reading about that time period. There were so many historical references.
I don’t want to spoil too much but I was not expecting this type of ending, even after having read a bunch of McLain’s other books. I really thought I would make it through this book without crying but there was this line in the last chapter that just got me and I couldn’t help myself. A classic McLain line that guts you and makes you look back at the entire story of the book, or rather this entire person’s life.
McLain does such a phenomenal job at making you feel like you are the character. It could be that I read this book for such a long time so I really felt connected to Marty, her decisions and her story. SHE HAD SUCH AN INCREDIBLE LIFE. Plus as someone who studied journalism in college, I will always have a passion for a hardworking journalist putting herself out there and fighting for the truth. She covered just about every major war in the 20th century and was the only woman on the beaches of D-Day. That literally blows my mind and I’m so glad I was able to indulge myself in her story.
Of course with reading fictional biographies about people’s lives, it always makes me both excited and nervous for the rest of my life and how it can turn out. I can only imagine how many times my life is going to change, take a totally left turn and break my heart and it’s when I read these books that I end up obsessing about all of the possibilities. Marty always tried to stay true to who she was and was a totally incredible person. I’m very inspired by this book and also really enjoyed diving into the world of Ernest Hemingway once again.
If you’re looking for a great summer read, I totally recommend Love and Ruin.
Thanks for reading! xx