It took me a long time to get into this book and it really wasn't until the 2nd half that I was hooked...or at least understood what a really amazing job the author did in this fictionalized "memoir" of Hemingway's first wife's years with him.

I did find a couple of things to be lacking. First, in the book, Hadley Richardson seems to take their lifestyle for granted. While they live in near poverty, they are able to afford a great deal of travel throughout Europe, employing domestic help, and often maintaining a residence (albeit a modest one) in Paris while staying in hotels and inns elsewhere. It is difficult for the modern reader to reconcile how that lifestyle was possible and not at least a bit surprising to Hadley, who though she grew up comfortably, first got her passport to go to Paris with Hemingway.

Second, while Hadley is a textured and interesting character, she isn't overly introspective. This wouldn't be a bad trait and she does experience some self-reflection, but it is difficult to appreciate her and Hem's attraction to her without some 3rd person account. Perhaps the most interesting bit about her in the book was the young bull fighter who Hem said was in love with her. His reaction made me believe that there might be something more beautiful, more interesting, or more charismatic than the fictional Hadley had described.