Circling the Sun by Paula McClain

Title: Circling the Sun

Author: Paula McClain

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2015

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 366

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Women Authors; 52 Books - W39

Brought to Kenya from England as a child and then abandoned by her mother, Beryl is raised by both her father and the native Kipsigis tribe who share his estate. Her unconventional upbringing transforms Beryl into a bold young woman with a fierce love of all things wild and an inherent understanding of nature’s delicate balance. But even the wild child must grow up, and when everything Beryl knows and trusts dissolves, she is catapulted into a string of disastrous relationships.

Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set, a decadent, bohemian community of European expats who also live and love by their own set of rules. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart. The intensity of their love reveals Beryl’s truest self and her fate: to fly.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. A found another historical figure that I did not know of before. I loved the overall storyline and characters. I enjoyed learning more about Kenya and the general atmosphere of Africa during the early 20th century. I could really feel Kenya in the book. Unfortunately, the book lost a star due to the writing and chapter transitions. I just wasn't a super fan of how the jumps in time were handled.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Title:  The Paris Wife

Author: Paula McLain

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2011

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:T4MC -- NYT Bestseller List;  Genre- Historical; Women Authors; 52 Books - W28

How I Got It: Library loan

Chicago, 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. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, fast-living, and free-loving life of Jazz Age Paris. As Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history and pours himself into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises, Hadley strives to hold on to her sense of self as her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Eventually they find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

This review is hard for me to write.  In some ways, I loved this book and in many other ways, I was very upset by the end.  Let's start with a confession: I hate Hemingway's writing.  I've never been able to appreciate any of his work.  In the end, this fact may have played into my thoughts on this book.  Also, I knew the ending of this book before I even started it.  Hemingway's life is well documented.  I knew it wasn't going to be a happy ending, but I read it for our book club selection anyway.  I was drawn into the story by Hadley.  I loved her character.  I loved her voice.  I really connected with her in many ways.  I saw how much she truly loved Ernest.  But then there's a huge part of me that cringed every time Hadley conceded to his whims or allowed his bad behavior.  I just couldn't imagine living like that and part of me wanted to give up on the book.  I stayed with it, waiting to see where the doomed romance would lead.  I loved the inclusion of the other real characters especially Gertrude Stein and the Fitzgeralds.  Very interesting characters. But ultimately, I couldn't understand Hadley's attitude toward Ernest after the affair.  I couldn't get behind her acceptance of his blamelessness.  It was a bit too much for me.  Ultimately I came away with a bad taste in my mouth.  The book devastated me, and not in any good way.  It's just not something I would recommend.