Review of Hemingway's Daughter
Posted: 03 Jan 2022, 09:49
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hemingway's Daughter" by Christine M. Whitehead.]
Hemingway’s Daughter is a beautiful fictional biography written by Christine M. Whitehead, who skillfully brings to life the daughter whom Ernest Hemingway yearned to have but never did. Whitehead has taken some liberties in this reimagining for the sake of the story, however, the timeframe's and events involving Hemingway are all accurate. Finley Hemingway (Finn) is smart, funny, interesting, and unusually beautiful. A girl full of dreams with an intense love for horses, and the daughter of a libertine whose books were banned routinely and who was declared by some to be a communist writer of deviant themes. Her father was a maverick force who loomed large, famous for all the right and wrong reasons, all of which got reflected onto her. Sometimes, Finn would make up a fake name just to stroll through life anonymously, and sometimes she enjoyed being on the periphery of his fame.
Growing up, Finn desperately wanted to be a part of her father’s life, she wanted to know what he was doing before the world knew, and always felt as if she needed to know how much she mattered compared to his work. Finn’s father broke hearts, the hearts of everyone dear to her, her mother, her brothers, and her three stepmothers. Even without the fame, her father had the magnetism, plus the looks and charm, that made women swoon. Sometimes, it was hard being Hemingway’s daughter, but it was harder to be Hemingway’s wife. From her father, Finn learned the lesson that love can turn on you, and that lasting love was only a mirage. Finn carries the scars of her early childhood observations about love, believing that love always ends, and usually badly and that the Hemingway jinx was her destiny.
I absolutely loved everything about this book. Whitehead superbly conveys what it was like to be Hemingway, offering an intimate look at his life through the eyes of his imaginary daughter from his first wife. The relationship between Hemingway and his daughter is at times turbulent but mostly gentle and tender. This is a story of love and loss, heartache, and happiness. Reading this book made me want to believe in hope, and in surviving, and in love lasting forever. The pacing of the story was without fault, and I loved the quotes from various Hemingway books at the beginning of each chapter. My favorite quote that sums up the story nicely was in Chapter 31 “For what are we born if not to aid one another?”. From reading this book I was reminded that one should never say never, life and people change and with enough determination, hard work, and persistence one’s dreams may very well materialize.
I did not find anything negative about this book. It is a captivating piece of historical fiction that is beautifully written, and you will not want to put this book down once you start reading. A bittersweet love story of epic proportions. I only found two grammatical errors throughout the book, and therefore I feel the book was professionally edited. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this heartwarming read for anyone that has an interest in Hemingway and those who enjoy coming-of-age stories filled with romance, dreams of the future, and the hard realities of life. Although this book is a work of fiction, it reads like a memoir. Maybe, just maybe, love doesn't end badly for all Hemingway's after all.
******
Hemingway's Daughter
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Hemingway’s Daughter is a beautiful fictional biography written by Christine M. Whitehead, who skillfully brings to life the daughter whom Ernest Hemingway yearned to have but never did. Whitehead has taken some liberties in this reimagining for the sake of the story, however, the timeframe's and events involving Hemingway are all accurate. Finley Hemingway (Finn) is smart, funny, interesting, and unusually beautiful. A girl full of dreams with an intense love for horses, and the daughter of a libertine whose books were banned routinely and who was declared by some to be a communist writer of deviant themes. Her father was a maverick force who loomed large, famous for all the right and wrong reasons, all of which got reflected onto her. Sometimes, Finn would make up a fake name just to stroll through life anonymously, and sometimes she enjoyed being on the periphery of his fame.
Growing up, Finn desperately wanted to be a part of her father’s life, she wanted to know what he was doing before the world knew, and always felt as if she needed to know how much she mattered compared to his work. Finn’s father broke hearts, the hearts of everyone dear to her, her mother, her brothers, and her three stepmothers. Even without the fame, her father had the magnetism, plus the looks and charm, that made women swoon. Sometimes, it was hard being Hemingway’s daughter, but it was harder to be Hemingway’s wife. From her father, Finn learned the lesson that love can turn on you, and that lasting love was only a mirage. Finn carries the scars of her early childhood observations about love, believing that love always ends, and usually badly and that the Hemingway jinx was her destiny.
I absolutely loved everything about this book. Whitehead superbly conveys what it was like to be Hemingway, offering an intimate look at his life through the eyes of his imaginary daughter from his first wife. The relationship between Hemingway and his daughter is at times turbulent but mostly gentle and tender. This is a story of love and loss, heartache, and happiness. Reading this book made me want to believe in hope, and in surviving, and in love lasting forever. The pacing of the story was without fault, and I loved the quotes from various Hemingway books at the beginning of each chapter. My favorite quote that sums up the story nicely was in Chapter 31 “For what are we born if not to aid one another?”. From reading this book I was reminded that one should never say never, life and people change and with enough determination, hard work, and persistence one’s dreams may very well materialize.
I did not find anything negative about this book. It is a captivating piece of historical fiction that is beautifully written, and you will not want to put this book down once you start reading. A bittersweet love story of epic proportions. I only found two grammatical errors throughout the book, and therefore I feel the book was professionally edited. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this heartwarming read for anyone that has an interest in Hemingway and those who enjoy coming-of-age stories filled with romance, dreams of the future, and the hard realities of life. Although this book is a work of fiction, it reads like a memoir. Maybe, just maybe, love doesn't end badly for all Hemingway's after all.
******
Hemingway's Daughter
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon