The Paris Wife

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Paula McLain gives voice to Hadley, a woman often relegated to the footnotes of Ernest Hemingway’s life. Did you find her first-person narration to be a compelling and believable way to tell this story?

2. Does reading Hadley’s perspective change how you view the myth of Hemingway as an artist and a man? What do these stories reveal about the sacrifices often made by the partners of famous artists? How does Hadley’s story compare to what you might know of Hemingway’s other wives, particularly his third wife, Martha Gellhorn, as chronicled in McLain’s novel Love and Ruin?

3. Did you find The Paris Wife to be primarily a tragic love story, or did you see it as an empowering story of a woman’s survival and self-discovery?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Ernest’s all-consuming artistic ambition is a central force in the novel, often creating a rift in his marriage. Have you ever felt a pull between your personal ambitions and your responsibilities in a relationship, and how do you navigate that balance?

2. Pauline first enters the Hemingways’ life as Hadley’s trusted friend. How did you react to the slow development of her betrayal of Hadley, which began under the guise of friendship? Does this portrayal change your thinking on the boundaries within friendships?

3. Where in your own life have you felt your identity was closely tied to a particular role, such as being a partner, parent, or professional? How do you navigate times when this role is challenged by other needs in your life?

4. The novel explores the idea that even deep love and support can lose their appeal when faced with the allure of novelty. How does the book explore the pressure for relationships to remain “new” and exciting, and did this aspect of Hadley and Ernest’s story resonate with you?

5. Hadley and Ernest build their relationship through intense, deeply personal letters before they marry. Do you think a connection formed through writing creates a different kind of intimacy than one formed in person? Have you ever had a relationship that developed mainly through long-distance communication?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel draws a sharp contrast between Hadley, who sees herself as a “Victorian holdout,” and the “New Woman” of the 1920s, embodied by figures like Pauline Pfeiffer. What does this tension reveal about the diverse and often conflicting pressures facing women during this era of great social change? How do these issues remain relevant today?

2. Discuss the novel’s depiction of the glamour and the self-destructive tendencies of the “Lost Generation” expatriates in Paris. Do you see any parallels in contemporary society? How do their motivations and behaviors reflect similar movements or groups now?

3. Biographical historical fiction that centers on the stories of women, refocusing patriarchal history, has become a very popular genre. Why do you think modern readers are drawn to these reclaimed histories, and what does this trend say about whose stories we value today?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What was the effect of the narrative occasionally shifting from Hadley’s intimate first-person narration to a more distant, third-person perspective on Ernest? How did these brief glimpses into his mind develop his character and add to the novel’s thematic development?

2. The loss of Ernest’s manuscripts in a stolen valise is a pivotal disaster in their marriage. How does this event represent the clash between Hadley’s loving support and the sacred, solitary nature of Ernest’s artistic ambition?

3. Consider the novel’s treatment of Pauline Pfeiffer. Does she come across as a straightforward villain, or did you find her character to be more complex than the simple trope of “the other woman”?

4. How do the different settings in the novel reflect the emotional state of the characters and the health of their marriage at various points in the story? Consider their time in Paris, Toronto, Pamplona, and Schruns.

5. What is the significance of the epilogue, which jumps forward decades to Hadley’s reflections and her final phone call with Ernest? He contacts her while writing A Moveable Feast, the very memoir that inspired this novel. How does this final chapter frame the entire story you’ve just read?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you were asked to design a museum exhibit titled “The Paris Wife: A Portrait of the Lost Generation.” What specific objects, sounds, or images from the novel would you choose to include to best capture the atmosphere of Hadley and Ernest’s life in 1920s Paris?

2. The novel ends with Hadley receiving the royalties from The Sun Also Rises, giving her financial independence. Imagine she uses this money to pursue a personal passion. What path do you think she would choose for herself and Bumby, and how would it help her build a new life?