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In this heart-tugging follow-up [to The Paris Wife], we meet Martha Gellhorn, a correspondent during the Spanish Civil War, who was the third—and perhaps most intriguing—of [Hemingway's] wives. The title says it all.
— People
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Propulsive . . . highly engaging . . . McLain does an excellent job portraying a woman with dreams who isn’t afraid to make them real, showing [Gellhorn’s] bravery in what was very much a man’s world. Her work around the world . . . is presented in meticulous, hair-raising passages. . . . The book is fueled by her questing spirit, which asks, Why must a woman decide between being a war correspondent and a wife in her husband’s bed?
— The New York Times Book Review
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[The] scenes of professional rivalry and seesawing imbalance are some of McLain’s best. . . . McLain’s legions of fans will relish the inspiration of a gutsy woman who discovers she doesn’t need a man at her side, after all.
— The Boston Globe
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McLain successfully turns Martha’s story into a romantic quest and Martha into a romantic heroine—though not a traditional one.
— The Washington Post
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Romance, infidelity, war—Paula McLain’s powerhouse novel has it all.
— Glamour
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If you loved McLain’s 2011 blockbuster The Paris Wife, you’re sure to adore her new novel, which is just as good, if not better.
— AARP
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McLain’s strengths as a novelist are formidable, especially her ability to evoke a strong sense of time and place. . . . This novel is important not only as historical fiction but also as a reminder of the challenges that faced career-minded women such as Gellhorn in the mid-twentieth century. . . . McLain is also a master at ending chapters that make you want to turn the page and see what happens next.
— Houston Chronicle
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If love and war are two of the greatest themes in literature, they’re both here. . . . McLain’s dialogue, is, as Hem might say, good and true. She captures the passion Gellhorn and Hemingway feel for each other, and the slow erosion of trust on both sides.
— USA Today
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McLain takes another successful trip into historical fiction. . . . Readers will have to remind themselves that this is fiction as McLain draws a finely detailed portrait of the chaos and destruction spreading across Spain.
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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Engrossing . . . [Love and Ruin] spotlights a woman ahead of her time—a fearless reporter who covered the major conflicts of the twentieth century.
— Real Simple
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McLain’s ability to base a work of fiction on real people is nothing short of superb.
— BookPage
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Wonderfully evocative . . . This is historical fiction at its best, and today’s female readers will be encouraged by Martha, who refuses to be silenced or limited in a time that was harshly repressive for women.
— Library Journal (starred review)
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“McLain brings forth the deepest, most ringing elements of both ‘love and ruin,’ the two poles of Marty and Ernest’s tempestuous relationship, a ferocious contest between two brilliant, willful, and intrepid writers. McLain’s fast-moving, richly insightful, heart-wrenching, and sumptuously written tale pays exhilarating homage to its truly exceptional and significant inspiration.”
— Booklist (starred review)
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“Gellhorn emerges as a fierce trailblazer every bit Hemingway’s equal in this thrilling book.”
— Publishers Weekly
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“McLain crafts a wonderful portrait of her characters and the settings. Some may find the prose beautifully written and Gellhorn captivating—her spirit remains strong despite Hemmingway’s overbearing personality. As she has done before, McLain delivers a novel centering on a strong, courageous and unconventional woman.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)