
Historical fiction book · Curated
The Paris Wife
Paula McLain · historical fiction
Hadley Richardson’s marriage to Ernest Hemingway unfolds in Jazz Age Paris among the Lost Generation.
Why read it: Readable biographical fiction of a famous literary marriage.
About this historical novel
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain is historical fiction set around 1920s in the Interwar period with key settings including Paris, France, Europe. Hadley Richardson’s marriage to Ernest Hemingway unfolds in Jazz Age Paris among the Lost Generation.
On HisFic we tag it under 4. Biographical fiction, 1. Literary historical fiction, and 2. Historical romance so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include marriage, art, jealousy, expatriates, and ambition. Readable biographical fiction of a famous literary marriage.
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Plot summary
Hadley Richardson’s marriage to Ernest Hemingway unfolds in Jazz Age Paris among the Lost Generation. Readable biographical fiction of a famous literary marriage.
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
Europe
Paris · France · Europe
Themes
- marriage
- art
- jealousy
- expatriates
- ambition
Tags
book-club · paris · biographical