by Paula McLain
First published 2018
Martha Gellhorn arrives in Madrid in 1937 as a twenty-eight-year-old journalist determined to document the Spanish Civil War's impact on civilians. She seeks out the human stories behind the conflict's devastation. In the chaos of wartime reporting, she meets Ernest Hemingway and finds herself drawn into an intense romance with the already famous writer. Their relationship unfolds across multiple countries as World War II approaches. They establish their home in Cuba while both pursue demanding careers as war correspondents. When Hemingway achieves massive success with For Whom the Bell Tolls, the balance between them shifts dramatically. Martha faces an impossible decision between supporting Ernest's career as his wife or maintaining her independence as a journalist and writer. The choice will determine whether she can forge her own path in a world that expects her to remain in his shadow, even if it means destroying their love.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Cuba, Madrid, Spain
Period: 1937, World War II
389 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: war