The Paris Wife (2011) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Hadley Richardson Hemingway: The novel's protagonist, a woman who has not yet found happiness until she meets Hemingway and becomes his first wife. Their marriage survives less than five years at the beginning of his career when she supports, encourages and ultimately sets him free. She was a spinster taking care of her parents with few prospects when she met Hemingway, who was 21 to her 28 years.
• Ernest Hemingway: Writer, principle character of the novel. Brilliant, starving artist, very self-confident at times, very arrogant at times, but also full of self doubt at others. Lived the life of the Paris intellectual, down to the cafes he visited, the clothes he wore and the food he ate.
• Pauline Pfeiffer: Friend in Paris, privately wealthy fashion editor, became Hadley's best friend.
• Kate Smith: Childhood friend of Earnest, now with both in Paris, who later marries John Dos Passos.
• Lady Duff Twysden: Hemingway's flirty and iconoclastic muse for Lady Brett Ashley in The Sun Also Rises. First involved with Pat Guthrie, she later leaves him for Harold Loeb.
• Zelda Fitzgerald: F. Scott Fitzgerald's egocentric and alcoholic wife. Very much of a negative influence on Fitzgerald and his ability to write.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald: Writer and Zelda's devoted husband. Published The Great Gatsby during those years and was highly admired by Hemingway.
• Gertrude Stein: Writer; lesbian; partner of Alice B. Toklas and a supporter and early mentor of Hemingway. Bumby's godmother.
• Harold Loeb: Comedian; friend of Hem's before their falling out.
• Dorothy Shakespear: Hadley's friend while in Paris, wife of Ezra Pound.
• Sara Murphy: Married to Gerald Murphy, rich couple who influenced Antibes and the French Riviera to become a popular resort destination.
• Sherwood Anderson: Author of Winesburg, Ohio; early mentor to Hemingway.
• Don Stewart: Hadley's friend in Paris.
• Marie Cocotte: Initially, she was hired by the Hemingways to cook their meals; later, she was the nanny to John "Bumby" Hemingway. Became almost like one of the family.
• Fonnie: Hadley's unhappily married older sister.
• Lewis Galantiere: The Hemingways' first friend in Paris and fellow writer. He would later stop speaking to Ernest.
• Dorothea: Hadley's older sister who died following a tragic fire.
• Ruth Bradfield: Hadley's roommate and friend in St. Louis.
• Mike Strater: Friend of the Hemingways in Paris.
• Kitty Cannell: Hadley's divorcee friend in Paris, originally involved with Harold Loeb.
• Alice B. Toklas: Gertrude's partner
• John Hadley Nicanor Hemingway ("Bumby"): Hadley and Ernest's son
• Ezra Pound: Writer and early mentor to Ernest; friends with the Hemingways in Paris. Married to Dorothy Shakespear
• Roland: Hadley's brother-in-law...Fonnie's husband.
• Bob: Bob McAlmon - very wealthy and runs Contact Editions. Married to Annie but prefers men. Does not get along with Ernest yet publishes his work.
• Hadley: First wife of Ernest Hemmingway. Very patient, and tries to accept his eccentricities.
• Nora Bayes: Singer
• Kenley: Kate's brother whose Chicago apartment is where Hadley meets Ernest, who is a roommate.
• Chink Dorman-Smith: Earnest's old war (WWI) friend.
• Edward O'Brien: Writer and editor and friends of the Hemingways and Pounds.
• Ford Madox Ford: English poet and editor of the Transatlantic Review. Ezra Pound arranged for Earnest to be hired as deputy editor upon the Hemingways return to Paris from Toronto.

Quotes edit see section history

• “But not everyone out in a storm wants to be saved.”

  Hadley as narrator

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Chicago: Hadley and Ernest meet in Chicago where Ernest was working as a copywriter for Firestone with aspirations of becoming a famous writer.
• Fifth Arrondissement, Paris: Old Paris populated by working-class Parisians. When Hadley and Earnest first moved to Paris, this is the only area in which they could afford to rent.
• Montreaux, Switzerland: The Hemingways vacation here after Earnest was paid for a journalism job by the Toronto Star.
• Great St. Bernard Pass: The 3rd highest road pass in Switzerland which ends in Italy. Earnest and Hadley hike the pass as a part of a trip to show Hadley areas of Italy that he served in during WWI.
• Milan, Italy: During a Hemingway vacation, he interviews Benito Mussolini, Italy's new fascist leader.This was also where the wounded Hemingway was hospitalized during WWI.
• Fossalta, Italy: Where Hemingway was wounded during WWI and visited during the Hemingways vacation in Northern Italy.
• Auteuil: One of the richest areas of Paris where Hadley and Earnest visit the horse races.
• Cologne, Germany: Earnest taught Hadley how to trout fish on their first anniversary on a camping trip near Cologne.
• Pamplona, Spain: Earnest and Hadley went to Pamplona to see the bulls run and bullfights.
• Toronto: Earnest took a newspaper job in Toronto so that a pregnant Hadley could have capable and trained professionals to oversee her maternal care and delivery.

Organizations edit see section history

• The Lost Generation: A group of writers, mainly American ex-pats, who talked writing and frequented cafes and bars in the 1920's.

First Sentence edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Marriage: Inside look at a deeply flawed, one sided marriage. Yet one obviously built on love.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Paula McLain (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PS3563.C383495 P37
• Dewey: 813

Notes for Parents edit see section history

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Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Historical

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• Reading Group Guide

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