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Love and Ruin
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
115 posts | 76 read | 1 reading | 80 to read
The bestselling author of The Paris Wife returns to the subject of Ernest Hemingway in a novel about his passionate, stormy marriage to Martha Gellhorna fiercely independent, ambitious young woman who would become one of the greatest war correspondents of the twentieth century In 1937, twenty-eight-year-old Martha travels alone to Madrid to report on the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War and becomes drawn to the stories of ordinary people caught in devastating conflict. She also finds herself unexpectedlyand uncontrollablyfalling in love with Hemingway, a man already on his way to becoming a legend. In the shadow of the impending Second World War, and set against the tumultuous backdrops of Madrid, Finland, China, Key West, and especially Cuba, where Martha and Ernest make their home, their relationship and professional careers ignite. But when Ernest publishes the biggest literary success of his career, For Whom the Bell Tolls, they are no longer equals, and Martha must make a choice: surrender to the confining demands of being a famous man's wife or risk losing Ernest by forging a path as her own woman and writer. It is a dilemma that will force her to break his heart, and her own.
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Michellesibs
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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The Paris Wife is one of my favorite books. I'm not a fan of Hemmingways books, I'm obsessed with the women in his life.

Love & Ruin focuses on wife number 3. Martha Gellhorn, a woman considered one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century.

McLain creates a vibe that absorbs me fully. Smoked filled rooms, whiskey on the rocks, artistic types with deep feelings, daydreamers immersed in reality. Typewriters, affairs and hangovers.

mcctrish I loved the Paris Wife too 2mo
Michellesibs @mcctrish Honeatly I could reread it and I never do that, such a good book. 2mo
54 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Firestarter994
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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So two of these are repeats because I didn‘t finish them and my book order got switched around by add-ons…oops!! # 60- Love and Ruin, # 76- All the King‘s Men, and # 83- Memoirs of a Geisha!!

PuddleJumper 💜 💜 1y
3 likes1 comment
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AlizaApp
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

Historical fiction about Hemingway and his third wife Martha Gellhorn, a famous war correspondent and writer in her own right. My favorite of his wives, actually, and delighted to have her story presented here on its own terms.

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mirnas
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Paula McLain, the author of The Parisian wife, has written Martha Gellhorn's fictional biography. Gellhorn was Hemingway's third wife and, before all, one of the first female war correspondants. A fascinating life story, a bit less fascinating storytelling🙂

SamAnne I‘ve read Gellhorn‘s biography and she is a hero of mine. 3y
20 likes1 comment
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ontheBL
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Mehso-so

The title is terrible. It implies that Gellhorn's life was ruined after her love affair and marriage with Hemingway; yet she had 54 more incredible, productive, and successful years ahead of her. She was one of the greatest war correspondents, but McLain doesn't honor her entire memory. https://onthebl.org/2020/10/06/ignore-the-title-paula-mclains-love-and-ruin-isnt...

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eeclayton
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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#3books #thatIvegiftedtoothers
(1) Love and Ruin, for my mom
(2) The Golden Compass, for my sister
(3) Nagy szamárfül (Big Dog-ear), for my dad, which is one of the best gifts my sis and I have ever given him for Fathers' day. He's not much of a reader but he was so happy with this collection of poetry by his favourite poet that he carried it everywhere for a while ☺️
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚🎁 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🎁📚❤️ 4y
19 likes2 comments
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JillR
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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I started out disliking this, ended up loving it. A fictional retelling of the early writing career of author and war journalist Martha Gellhorn, Ernest Hemingway‘s third wife. A woman who ultimately had to choose whether to be true to herself and her identity or to allow herself to be subsumed by her powerful and demanding husband. The author‘s note at the end chronicling Marty‘s full career left me even more intrigued and impressed by her.

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Jas16
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

My entire day disappeared into this book. I picked it up this morning even though I am in the middle of two other books and that was it. While I cannot understand the appeal of Hemingway, I was drawn into the story of Gellhorn and her work as a war correspondent and her desire for her own success.

TheBookHippie I love Hemingway ...sigh. Hmm I may need to read this. 5y
Biblionut Hemingway is one of those people, ugh I can‘t stand him yet I can‘t stop reading about him?!? 🤔 5y
kspenmoll Maybe I need to bump this up my TBR- I keep saying that lately! #blameitonlitsy ! 5y
66 likes3 comments
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NitaSweeney
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
Pickpick

Well written and heart-shattering. Based on Hemingway and Martha Gelhorn. Couldn't stop reading. Beautiful.

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Verity
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this. Two strong personalities fall in love and fight. I really liked this version of Martha Gellhorn and I was rooting for her in a way that I didn‘t expect. Enjoyable - even if you‘re not a Hemingway fan.

19 likes1 stack add
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Verity
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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I‘ve got a mega yearning for novels about real people, so I started this tonight. But what on earth is this genre called? Fictionalised biography? Biographic novels? Help me!!

23 likes1 stack add
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EmMcKee
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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"It seemed unlikely that I would ever see him or any of the others from the ship again. Something had happened to us all, something that might never be fully comprehensible to anyone who had not gone through it. That was the thing about experience. It took distant strangers and made them family. A family of one moment. There was no other way to see it, even as we scattered to the wind."

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EmMcKee
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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"Not that I didn't have ambition. Sometimes I thought I was entirely made of it. As I'd said to Kyle, I meant to show him and everyone else that I could be a proper journalist, a writer others admired and respected and remembered. I wanted my name to count but for the moment was still an apprentice, and particularly in this crowd, where heroes were milling about, ready to be clung to. It would take time for me to earn my way. To prove myself..."

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Nitpickyabouttrains
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

Martha travels to report on war in Spain in the 1930s. From there she keeps being drawn to battle zones and also Ernest Hemingway?

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Ncostell
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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While I enjoyed The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun, I‘d have to say that this book has been my favorite of Paula McClain‘s works. I previously knew nothing about Martha Gellhorn, one of the most well respected war correspondents of the 20th century who also happened to be Ernest Hemingway‘s third wife. She was a fascinating woman who led a very unconventional life for her time and I‘d love to seek out some of her works now too.

marleed Oh I‘ll have to read. I‘m becoming more and more intrigued by EH. It‘s incredible how many books that I read namedrop EH in the most random of ways. Honestly I wish I had a tally sheet for how often it happens! 5y
Ncostell @marleed Yes, he does pop up quite often! The Paris Wife is also about Hemingway but focuses on his relationship with his first wife. 5y
marleed @Ncostell I read and audio‘d that one last fall while attending a wedding in Galveston. Now every time my eyes fall on it, I think of my long Sunday walk on that sea wall! 5y
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Ncostell @marleed It‘s always nice when you have fond memories associated with books read on vacation! 5y
kspenmoll Nice review! In my stack so moving it up! 5y
Ncostell @kspenmoll Thanks! Martha Gellhorn‘s story was so interesting. I then fell down a rabbit hole googling more about her afterwards. 5y
69 likes6 comments
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Purplerosiepage
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

Although I knew the story of Hemingway and Gellhorn, this was hard to put down. Consumed mostly on audio.

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Schlinkles
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Day two of back to back events with my lovely friend, Patti Callahan Henry. This time we got to learn how to make pie with the amazing Beth Howard. Along for the pie making was the beautiful and talented Paula McLain. My job is freakin‘ awesome some days (most days).

AmyG Wow. 6y
38 likes1 comment
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tammysue
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

This is told in Hemingway‘s 3rd wife Martha Gellhorn‘s POV who‘s a war correspondent (+ very independent—Hemingway did not take it well!) The couple met in a Key West bar while Hemingway was still married. After a lengthy affair they married in 1940 proving to be a tempestuous one. This chronicles their relationship + demise. Is an engaging fictional story told in researched historical detail. The more I learn about Hemingway the less I like him.

70 likes1 stack add
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tammysue
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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#weekendreads

1- The Minimalist Way, The Hollow Bones and finishing up Love and Ruin—am enjoying way more than The Paris Wife 👍🏻

2- The Help

3- Goodreads

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Eggs
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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She's the kind of girl you dream of
Dream of keeping hold of
You'd better forget it
You'll never get it
She will play around and leave you
Leave you and deceive you
Better forget it
Oh you'll regret it

#easylover #anglophileapril @Cinfhen @Mdargusch @Reviewsbylola @emilyhaldi

Cinfhen I liked this book, but it dragged a bit for me...love the above image 6y
Eggs Thanks @Cinfhen I always wondered about Paula McLain books 6y
Cinfhen I haven‘t read but I heard this one is better 6y
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Eggs @Cinfhen I think it‘s about the pilot Beryl Markham 6y
Reviewsbylola Such a great song! And I love McLain. 6y
Reviewsbylola I haven‘t read the tagged book but The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun are both fantastic! 6y
gradcat Such a pretty post...I love this picture ❤️ 6y
Mdargusch So pretty! 6y
emilyhaldi Had this song stuck in my head all day!! 6y
71 likes11 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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‘The affair begun and ended, the damage done and the repairs under way, my battered heart on the mend. Because he would break my heart. I already knew that if nothing else.‘

Hemingway probably was not an #easylover to Martha Gellhorn. 🤷‍♀️

#anglophileapril

Cinfhen This was a good read, your statement is correct 😜 6y
Reviewsbylola I love McLain and I‘ve been meaning to read this. Hemingway was definitely not an easy lover to anyone, the scoundrel! (edited) 6y
gradcat Great quote! 👍 6y
Mdargusch I tend to agree. He was too arrogant to be an #easylover. 6y
emilyhaldi Oohhh I gotta read this!!! #stacked 6y
78 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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ElectricKatyLand
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
Pickpick

Fictionalized retelling of Martha Gellhorn‘s life and relationship with Hemingway.

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Joy4Lit
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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This book 💙 Wonderful historical fiction about Ernest Hemingway and future wife. 1/3 way through and loving every bit of it. #hemingway

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Rachbb3
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

Ernest Hemingway met his match in Martha Gellhorn. She was independent, driven, and her own person. I don't think he handled it all that well. Lol. I thought this was a great portrait of Martha and it makes me want to read her novels.

#LitsyAtoZ

amiekreger I just picked this up today. 6y
Rachbb3 @amiekreger It's a great book. 😊 6y
Rachbb3 @Nebklvr Thank you! 6y
90 likes4 comments
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BitchinBooks
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

Beautiful written. Ten times better than The Paris Wife. I just prefer a faster moving book 🤷🏻‍♀️

TiredLibrarian Your pup 🐶❤😊 6y
4 likes1 comment
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Expandingbookshelf
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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302 books. 99,361 pages. Thanks for the journey, 2018 💙📖

(also, bring it on 2019 💪🏻)

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Conleyheather
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Trying to read one more before 2019

5 likes1 stack add
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MMFinck
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

While slow at points in the first half, I give this a solid 👍. The author‘s note at the end resounded w me. I relate so much to Marty‘s struggle between home life/personal relationships and her passions/drive/action. She could not be her without the latter. Even tho I despise the Hemingway and do *not* understand her draw to him, I dk many marriages that could sustain repeated several-months long absences of the wife and mother. Unfair & true.

MMFinck I would like to add: outside of families and marriages that are joined in a common goal like the military. God bless them! 6y
6 likes1 comment
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KarenUK
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

I never tire of reading about the brilliant but egotistical Hem, and the women in his orbit who seemed so brave, warm-hearted and strong.
This book about the love affair and marriage of Ernest and writer Martha Gellhorn has a beautiful sense of place, full of gorgeous descriptions. And it captures the charisma that drew people to Hem, along with the complexities of a relationship full of petty professional jealousies and a passion for each other.

61 likes1 stack add
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KarenUK
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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#nextup
Just starting this one for #pop18 #anovelbasedonarealperson
I love this cover 😍 And so far I‘m loving the fictional Martha‘s voice.... High hopes here🤞

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Jerdencon
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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So far a quick read - hoping to finish this weekend!

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Dolly
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Mehso-so

I was disappointed in this book. I liked McLain‘s others. Aren‘t there numerous books about Ernest? Maybe I‘m Hemingway-ed out.🤷🏼‍♀️

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TheSpineView
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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@LibrarianRyan

L - Love and Ruin
I - Illuminae
S - Seveneves
A - A Gentleman in Moscow

I have read all but the 1st one.

LibrarianRyan 😁🤓👍🏻 6y
LazyDays Hi, can you email me your address please. It isn't on the form for the poetry swap☺ LazyDayslitsy gmail thank you 6y
49 likes2 comments
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Amymeyerson
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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My book haul from Barnes & Noble‘s Book Haul!

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TheHeartlandBookFairy
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

The Paris wife has been on my TBR list for a while and I haven't gotten to it yet 🙁. so, when this copy of love and Rune, by the same author came my way, I knew I had to read it 😊. Fascinating and slightly disturbing book about Marty (Martha) Gellhorn (Ernest Hemingway's 3rd wife) and Ernest Hemingway. Marty strikes me as being fearless and Hemingway brilliant & a bit of an a$$ 🤔. Wonderfully written, great historical fiction! #13Books13Weeks

Quirkybookworm Hemingway is an ass! But a great writer! 6y
26 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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AvidReader25
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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A novelized version of Hemingway‘s relationship with his third wife Martha Gellhorn. She was a war correspondent who met Hemingway in Key west. As two writers they struggled with professionalu jealous. I wasn‘t a fan of the few bits that were from his POV, but loved learning more about her work and life.

“The interesting thing about chaos is that it provides perfect privacy.”

“I don‘t know if I believe in war, it just makes ghosts.”

25 likes1 stack add
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Vansa
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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SO beautiful.

2 likes1 stack add
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Suetara
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Great price for this one. #kindledeal

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introvertedbooks
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Might as well enjoy a great book while waiting for an oil change! #summerreads #ernesthemingway #summerdays

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youneverarrived
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Mehso-so

I was hoping to love this as it‘s got my name written all over it but it wasn‘t as good as I thought it would be. The dialogue didn‘t feel real and it never really drew me in, I think maybe because it‘s very descriptive but lacks real emotion, for me. I do love the people she writes about though and there are some good sentences. A decent read but nothing to write home about unfortunately.

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callielafleur
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

This tells the story of Martha Gellhorn, an amazing war correspondent and fiction writer who was in a relationship with, and later married to, Ernest Hemingway. This book does so many things well, and I couldn't put it down once I had started. I will be looking into Gellhorn's works, because she sounds absolutely fascinating. I can't wait to read whatever Paula McLain does next!

#24in48 @24in48

77 likes1 stack add
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callielafleur
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Reading on the porch this morning, and I'm just about to pull some croissants out of the oven. It's drizzly and rainy out, which is perfect readathon weather! I'm loving this book, which is nothing new for me with Paula McLain. I'm absolutely flying through. #24in48 @24in48

Booksnchill I read this ARC and loved it as well! 6y
86 likes1 comment
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callielafleur
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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"It was all so shocking and so absolutely wrong. And yet you could almost pretend it wasn't happening by going on with your life and thinking it had nothing to do with you."

True in the years leading up to WW2, and just as true today.

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youneverarrived
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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I signed up for #24in48 forgetting that I‘m visiting family all weekend so won‘t have much time to read but I look forward to seeing all your posts ❤️

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youneverarrived
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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I love a good epigraph 👌

debthmpsn ❤️❤️❤️❤️ 6y
Reviewsbylola Same!! 6y
Hollie Me too! 6y
Eelijah I echo that! 6y
70 likes4 comments
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Cinfhen
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Pickpick

Thanks to a rainy morning, I was able to complete my #BackpackEurope read. A reimagining of Martha Gellhorn‘s romance with the dashing, complicated and very married Ernest Hemingway. Eventually becoming wife #3, Martha was a successful, independent war correspondent and trailblazer beginning in the 1930‘s. This book was revealing but I felt like the author really stretched the story ~ much more descriptive than informative #BorrowNotBuy #Madrid

Cathythoughts I loved The Paris Wife. Must stack this one 👍🏻💫 6y
Cathythoughts Also great pic 💫 6y
See All 9 Comments
Jennifer3 I want to read this one for sure!!!! 6y
Reviewsbylola I need to reserve this one from the library. McLain is a favorite of mine! 6y
SledgeReader Can‘t wait to get my hands on this one!! 6y
GlassAsDiamonds Continue Hemingway kick or exercise *some* self control and read monumental pile of currently owned books...?!? 😂 6y
Cinfhen #AttackYourStack @GlassAsDiamonds 😘😘 this book can wait 6y
GlassAsDiamonds Attack your stack .... 😂😂😂😂 LOVE it! 😊 6y
145 likes1 stack add9 comments
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Cinfhen
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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The VERY first line of my new read #BookKarma #Lucky13 #FridayThe13

dariazeoli I love when that happens! 6y
Wife Cool!🌹 6y
Kalalalatja I love bookish coincidences 👌 6y
See All 11 Comments
LeahBergen Cool! 6y
TrishB Cool 👍🏻 6y
TNbookworm 👍 6y
eanderson I feel like this must be good luck!!🍀 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 👍🏻☺️📚 6y
Dragon July 13 👍 6y
GlassAsDiamonds Oohh... this would fit very nicely into my current Hemingway kick 😊😊😊😊 (But I‘m four books into breaking my post Sydney book buying ban until I read down some of my TBR...🤦🏻‍♀️😂🤦🏻‍♀️) 6y
Reviewsbylola Love when that happens! 6y
163 likes2 stack adds11 comments
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Cinfhen
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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#BackPackEurope @JenP so I left Ireland and I‘ve made my way into Spain 🇪🇸

123 likes1 stack add
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introvertedbooks
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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I am so bad at remembering I have ebooks on hold. Started this one and really need to start reading before bed again. Love me some books about Hemingway and his wives. #summerreads #papahemingway #historicalfiction

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tammysue
Love and Ruin: A Novel | Paula McLain
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Oh lordy look what I just found inside Love and Ruin. It‘s a signed copy! Thank you again @Morr_Books ❤️

Kaye Wow ! 6y
tammysue I know, I still can‘t believe it! 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome 💗💗💗 6y
rather_be_reading awesome! 6y
90 likes4 comments