Review of Hemingway's Daughter
-
Williams Udoh
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 28 Nov 2021, 10:31
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 10
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-williams-udoh.html
- Latest Review: The Maestro Monologue by Rob White
Review of Hemingway's Daughter
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hemingway's Daughter" by Christine M. Whitehead.]
Finley Hemingway is a girl on a mission. She dreams of becoming a trial lawyer at a time when women were not supposed to want such things, and men who barely made it out of law school were given precedence over her, who graduated at the top of her class. She also dreams of becoming as necessary to her father as he was to her, and the only way to achieve that was to be a part of his writing. And lastly, she dreams of being the exception to the Hemingway curse that dictates love for a Hemingway always ends badly. This fictitious daughter of Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Bradley Richardson sets out to achieve these dreams even when the odds are clearly not in her favor, and this is her story.
Hemingway's Daughter by Christine Whitehead is a well-written and exceptionally edited coming-of-age novel. The author uses a first-person narrative that gives her readers an in-depth view into the mind and life of Finn Hemingway. The story builds up as it goes and is most definitely not a quick read. I absolutely loved the fact that each chapter began with a Hemingway quote, introducing it as a sort of preview of what to expect from it. The chapter transitions are smooth, and you never get lost or confused while reading the story. This book could as well be a Hemingway memoir, through the eyes of his fictitious daughter, because he was in every moment of her life from start to finish.
To be honest, the realism of this book almost made me forget that it was fictional. Finley is a character so intricately crafted that if you didn't know anything about Ernest Hemingway, you would wholeheartedly believe she was his daughter. The father-daughter relationship between Finley and her papa was filled with ups and downs like every other parent, but his influence in her life was very evident even from miles away. He was her rock and support, just as she was his. Despite her doubts about her place in his life, he loved her, and she loved him despite his self-centeredness and tunnel-vision focus on his writings.
The entire book is a gem, but Finley's love story is my favorite part of the book: the budding feelings, intimate experiences, heartbreaks, struggles, and the decisions she makes. I loved being part of the process. Furthermore, I also loved the inclusion of various famous people into the book, like Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, and I was ecstatic to see them included in it. The author did a fantastic job of making sure the life events of Hemingway were so elegantly interwoven with the fictional life of Finley. Also, the Spanish-English interplay between Finley and her papa was a really nice touch.
I so easily rate this book 4 out of 4 stars and would eagerly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Do you like Hemingway? Are you a romantic? Do you like novels that are realistic yet fictional? This book is for us. It is all positive from me, and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book. It is that good. Not only that, but it will pull different emotions from you as you read. You'll be sad, angry, happy, and even surprised. I know this because I felt all those things. I couldn't put the book down, and I'm sure you'll have a good time reading it like I did.
******
Hemingway's Daughter
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Finley Hemingway is a girl on a mission. She dreams of becoming a trial lawyer at a time when women were not supposed to want such things, and men who barely made it out of law school were given precedence over her, who graduated at the top of her class. She also dreams of becoming as necessary to her father as he was to her, and the only way to achieve that was to be a part of his writing. And lastly, she dreams of being the exception to the Hemingway curse that dictates love for a Hemingway always ends badly. This fictitious daughter of Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Bradley Richardson sets out to achieve these dreams even when the odds are clearly not in her favor, and this is her story.
Hemingway's Daughter by Christine Whitehead is a well-written and exceptionally edited coming-of-age novel. The author uses a first-person narrative that gives her readers an in-depth view into the mind and life of Finn Hemingway. The story builds up as it goes and is most definitely not a quick read. I absolutely loved the fact that each chapter began with a Hemingway quote, introducing it as a sort of preview of what to expect from it. The chapter transitions are smooth, and you never get lost or confused while reading the story. This book could as well be a Hemingway memoir, through the eyes of his fictitious daughter, because he was in every moment of her life from start to finish.
To be honest, the realism of this book almost made me forget that it was fictional. Finley is a character so intricately crafted that if you didn't know anything about Ernest Hemingway, you would wholeheartedly believe she was his daughter. The father-daughter relationship between Finley and her papa was filled with ups and downs like every other parent, but his influence in her life was very evident even from miles away. He was her rock and support, just as she was his. Despite her doubts about her place in his life, he loved her, and she loved him despite his self-centeredness and tunnel-vision focus on his writings.
The entire book is a gem, but Finley's love story is my favorite part of the book: the budding feelings, intimate experiences, heartbreaks, struggles, and the decisions she makes. I loved being part of the process. Furthermore, I also loved the inclusion of various famous people into the book, like Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, and I was ecstatic to see them included in it. The author did a fantastic job of making sure the life events of Hemingway were so elegantly interwoven with the fictional life of Finley. Also, the Spanish-English interplay between Finley and her papa was a really nice touch.
I so easily rate this book 4 out of 4 stars and would eagerly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Do you like Hemingway? Are you a romantic? Do you like novels that are realistic yet fictional? This book is for us. It is all positive from me, and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book. It is that good. Not only that, but it will pull different emotions from you as you read. You'll be sad, angry, happy, and even surprised. I know this because I felt all those things. I couldn't put the book down, and I'm sure you'll have a good time reading it like I did.
******
Hemingway's Daughter
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Maestro Monologue by Rob White
