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Hemingway's Girl
""She remembered when Hemingway had planted a banyan tree at his house and told her its parasitic roots were like human desire. At the time she'd thought it romantic. She hadn't understood his warning.""
In Depression-era Key West, Mariella Bennet, the daughter of an American fisherman and a Cuban woman, knows hunger. Her struggle to support her family following her father's death leads her to a bar and bordello, where she bets on a risky boxing match...and attracts the interest of two world-famous writer, Ernest Hemingway, and Gavin Murray, one of the WWI veterans who are laboring to build the Overseas Highway.
When Mariella is hired as a maid by Hemingway's second wife, Pauline, she enters a rarified world of lavish, celebrity-filled dinner parties and elaborate off-island excursions. As she becomes caught up in the tensions and excesses of the Hemingway household, the attentions of the larger-than-life writer become a dangerous temptation...even as straightforward Gavin Murray draws her back to what matters most. Will she cross an invisible line with the volatile Hemingway, or find a way to claim her own dreams? As a massive hurricane bears down on Key West, Mariella faces some harsh truths...and the possibility of losing everything she loves.
In Depression-era Key West, Mariella Bennet, the daughter of an American fisherman and a Cuban woman, knows hunger. Her struggle to support her family following her father's death leads her to a bar and bordello, where she bets on a risky boxing match...and attracts the interest of two world-famous writer, Ernest Hemingway, and Gavin Murray, one of the WWI veterans who are laboring to build the Overseas Highway.
When Mariella is hired as a maid by Hemingway's second wife, Pauline, she enters a rarified world of lavish, celebrity-filled dinner parties and elaborate off-island excursions. As she becomes caught up in the tensions and excesses of the Hemingway household, the attentions of the larger-than-life writer become a dangerous temptation...even as straightforward Gavin Murray draws her back to what matters most. Will she cross an invisible line with the volatile Hemingway, or find a way to claim her own dreams? As a massive hurricane bears down on Key West, Mariella faces some harsh truths...and the possibility of losing everything she loves.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2012
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About the author
Erika Robuck
12 books1,377 followersErika Robuck is the national bestselling author of historical fiction including THE LAST TWELVE MILES and THE INVISIBLE WOMAN. In 2024 she was named a Maryland Writer’s Association Notable Writer and won the Anne Arundel County Arts Council Literary Award. A photography enthusiast, she resides in Annapolis with her husband and three sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 788 reviews
November 14, 2012
Grooooooaaaan. Chick lit dressed up as historical fiction. I think readers' enjoyment of this book is rooted more in their nostalgia for Hemingway and/or Key West than any other element of the novel. I've also come to the conclusion that my patience with a novel is inversely proportional to how many times the main characters blush, turn pale or gasp. As a person who does not blush from embarrassment or arousal, I am exhausted by writers who feel that they only way to convey a heroine's mood is to have her blush, flush, redden or turn crimson every couple of paragraphs. Authors, invest in a thesaurus please.
*For myself I would give this one star but the librarian in me knows that lovers of chick lit would adore this book, so it gets one extra star.
*For myself I would give this one star but the librarian in me knows that lovers of chick lit would adore this book, so it gets one extra star.
February 14, 2022
In 1935, Key West, Mariella Bennet, in order to support her mother and two sisters, seeks an employment as a housekeeper at Hemingway’s house. From the beginning, she is attracted to Ernest Hemingway, but soon after, she also meets previous soldier now boxer, Gavin Murray, and a love triangle begins.
The narration of the story is simple. There is really no historical background. This is a love chick-lit read. There are a lot of physical, emotional, behavioral descriptions and conversations, lacking characterization.
The narration of the story is simple. There is really no historical background. This is a love chick-lit read. There are a lot of physical, emotional, behavioral descriptions and conversations, lacking characterization.
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October 10, 2012This is just too bland to hold my interest. A novel about 1930s Key West should be full of spit and spice and scandal. This one limps along, soft and sissified. Vanilla pudding.
April 2, 2014
Re read this IN Key West, after visiting Hemingway's home twice. It made the book even richer. I tried to find Mariella's neighborhood at the end of Whitehead, and we visited Mallory Square, and went past the original site of Sloppy Joe's. I can SEE Mariella and Gavin on the Key, and I loved that.
Interesting side-line. I was checking out at the bookstore (BIG surprise,I know), and said to the young man that RObuck said there weren't any polydactyl cats on the property when Hemingway lived there...he was horrified, and had dates and voyages...evidence. Did not matter a whit to me.
Pauline's family bought the house for either $7000 or $8000...when he was off courting wife #3, Pauline put in the pool...at a price of $20,000!! 1930's $20,000. Revenge is a dish best served cold. But, Pauline, you KNEW if you could steal him from wife #1, you were vulnerable too.
It's been a long time since I rated a book a five...but wow. This was everything I hope for in a historical novel. I have always said I learn my history through fiction, and Erika Robuck taught me about Key West, about the hurricane of '35, of the building of the highway through the Keys (I once pulled off onto the shoulder while driving...I was about to drive onto a bridge, the end of which I could not see!), a monumental human endeavor. I learned about the shabby treatment of our WWI veterans during the '30s, so many of them suffering horrible Shell Shock. And I learned that Hemingway actually DID write a scathing article about the abuse of the workers during the hurricane, leaving them to fend for themselves...them and their families. I never knew any of this!
All that and Hemingway too! I spent the summer with Hemingway, but in Paris. This book ambushed me and still leaves me returning, thinking of Mariella and Gavin...of Papa and Pauline.
Mariella goes to work in the Hemingway household in Key West, and we can see immediately trouble's afoot. Pauline may have stolen Ernest away from Hadley, who's only mentioned in passing, but she knows at some level her days are numbered. She pouts and lashes out. But she can't stop his wandering eye, his wandering heart.
Robuck has done her homework...I can hear echoes of MOVEABLE FEAST, of the biographies. I can hear echoes from Hemingway's letters...she KNOWS this man and the influences on his life. His and Mariella's conversation about suicide is so sad...Robuck is writing with foreknowledge and we read with the same knowledge.
Robuck says the letters at the end almost wrote themselves. I can believe that...they feel true to Hemingway's voice. They cap the novel to perfection.
So, who is this beautiful Mariella? A servant? A friend? A lover? She collects people to her, just as she accuses Hemingway of doing. But she doesn't use them...she makes them better.Mariella's trying to hold her family together after her father's death...working for the rich author and his richer wife seems to be an answer to her prayers.
She learns about love and redemption and sacrifice...all the big themes of Hemingway's work...but somehow her struggle resonates with me more than his books.
CANNOT wait for the new book...this time about Fitzgerald and Zelda.
Interesting side-line. I was checking out at the bookstore (BIG surprise,I know), and said to the young man that RObuck said there weren't any polydactyl cats on the property when Hemingway lived there...he was horrified, and had dates and voyages...evidence. Did not matter a whit to me.
Pauline's family bought the house for either $7000 or $8000...when he was off courting wife #3, Pauline put in the pool...at a price of $20,000!! 1930's $20,000. Revenge is a dish best served cold. But, Pauline, you KNEW if you could steal him from wife #1, you were vulnerable too.
It's been a long time since I rated a book a five...but wow. This was everything I hope for in a historical novel. I have always said I learn my history through fiction, and Erika Robuck taught me about Key West, about the hurricane of '35, of the building of the highway through the Keys (I once pulled off onto the shoulder while driving...I was about to drive onto a bridge, the end of which I could not see!), a monumental human endeavor. I learned about the shabby treatment of our WWI veterans during the '30s, so many of them suffering horrible Shell Shock. And I learned that Hemingway actually DID write a scathing article about the abuse of the workers during the hurricane, leaving them to fend for themselves...them and their families. I never knew any of this!
All that and Hemingway too! I spent the summer with Hemingway, but in Paris. This book ambushed me and still leaves me returning, thinking of Mariella and Gavin...of Papa and Pauline.
Mariella goes to work in the Hemingway household in Key West, and we can see immediately trouble's afoot. Pauline may have stolen Ernest away from Hadley, who's only mentioned in passing, but she knows at some level her days are numbered. She pouts and lashes out. But she can't stop his wandering eye, his wandering heart.
Robuck has done her homework...I can hear echoes of MOVEABLE FEAST, of the biographies. I can hear echoes from Hemingway's letters...she KNOWS this man and the influences on his life. His and Mariella's conversation about suicide is so sad...Robuck is writing with foreknowledge and we read with the same knowledge.
Robuck says the letters at the end almost wrote themselves. I can believe that...they feel true to Hemingway's voice. They cap the novel to perfection.
So, who is this beautiful Mariella? A servant? A friend? A lover? She collects people to her, just as she accuses Hemingway of doing. But she doesn't use them...she makes them better.Mariella's trying to hold her family together after her father's death...working for the rich author and his richer wife seems to be an answer to her prayers.
She learns about love and redemption and sacrifice...all the big themes of Hemingway's work...but somehow her struggle resonates with me more than his books.
CANNOT wait for the new book...this time about Fitzgerald and Zelda.
January 27, 2015
I found this novel by accident and squealed in delight as I read the book which is very easy to read. Erika Robuck has done her homework on Hemingway, Key West, and the Great Hurricane of 1935 in which 1000 veterans lost their lives while building the road that ties the Keys to the Florida mainland. She even has the great author's scathing essay "Who Killed the Vets" that appeared in The New Yorker. Full disclosure here: Ernest Hemingway is without a doubt my favorite author, and I've always been half in love with him ever since I read my first book by him. I can't ever get enough of Hem.
The storyline is bracketed by the days shortly after Hemingway took his own life and the writing technique works beautifully. We readers flash back to 1935 Key West when Hemingway was at the top of his game as a writer and when he was in his prime as a man. Yes, he is a womanizer, a functional drunk, an accomplished fisherman and sailor - he can't get enough of his beloved Pilar. His marriage to Pauline is starting to crumble and he is beginning to loathe the lifestyle and affluence of the very rich. He fights and referees fights. It is here that he first sees our heroine - Mariella Bennett.
Mariella is just 19 in 1935. And she is beautiful and half Cuban half American. Her father has recently died; her mother is spirling into a deep depression of grief. She is worried for her two sisters: Estelle hasn't spoken much since Hal Bennett's death and Lulu is constantly sick with a mysterious fever. She needs money and goes to the fight that "Papa" is calling. She bets on a soldier and wins. She also finds herself attracted to both the soldier and the famous writer. She soon gets a job in the Hemingway household where she struggles with her attraction to Hemingway and by doing the right thing. And there is Gavin - the soldier that she also feels something for. Gavin and "Papa" are jealous of each other, and they both have something that Mariella needs.
The use of "Papa" Hemingway may not be accurate to 1935, but Robuck uses the moniker to advance the story. It is true that Hemingway always wanted a daughter and used the term "daughter" when addressing young women - hence the name of the novel, Hemingway's Girl. And yet Mariella may have been his girl. And Jake may be the famous writer's son. (Read the book to find out!)
The storyline is bracketed by the days shortly after Hemingway took his own life and the writing technique works beautifully. We readers flash back to 1935 Key West when Hemingway was at the top of his game as a writer and when he was in his prime as a man. Yes, he is a womanizer, a functional drunk, an accomplished fisherman and sailor - he can't get enough of his beloved Pilar. His marriage to Pauline is starting to crumble and he is beginning to loathe the lifestyle and affluence of the very rich. He fights and referees fights. It is here that he first sees our heroine - Mariella Bennett.
Mariella is just 19 in 1935. And she is beautiful and half Cuban half American. Her father has recently died; her mother is spirling into a deep depression of grief. She is worried for her two sisters: Estelle hasn't spoken much since Hal Bennett's death and Lulu is constantly sick with a mysterious fever. She needs money and goes to the fight that "Papa" is calling. She bets on a soldier and wins. She also finds herself attracted to both the soldier and the famous writer. She soon gets a job in the Hemingway household where she struggles with her attraction to Hemingway and by doing the right thing. And there is Gavin - the soldier that she also feels something for. Gavin and "Papa" are jealous of each other, and they both have something that Mariella needs.
The use of "Papa" Hemingway may not be accurate to 1935, but Robuck uses the moniker to advance the story. It is true that Hemingway always wanted a daughter and used the term "daughter" when addressing young women - hence the name of the novel, Hemingway's Girl. And yet Mariella may have been his girl. And Jake may be the famous writer's son. (Read the book to find out!)
April 30, 2016
I have to admit that I have never read an Ernest Hemingway novel. I have read about him in school, I have seen movies based on his books, but somehow I have never actually read a whole book written by him. Not that I don't want to, there are novels by him I would love to read, it just never happened. But someday perhaps...
Hemingway's Girl is a sweet story set in Key West, Mariella Bennet is a nineteen-year-old girl who recently lost her father and is struggling to take care of her two sisters and her mother who is trying to cope with her husband's death. To earn more money she starts to work for the Hemingway family and she is from the very start attracted to Ernest Hemingway who is not only older but also married. So also meets a young ex-solder named Gavin Murray. And, she is torn between the two men. Love triangles are a very common concept both in books and movies. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In this book, it works because I can understand Mariella's struggles. On one hand she has a safe man, who shares the same dreams as her on her other hand she has a boastful married writer full of vitality and energy. Personally, I found Hemingway to be a far more interesting character in this book (and in real life) than Gavin, but that just me.
If you like historical fiction about real life authors will probably enjoy this book!
Hemingway's Girl is a sweet story set in Key West, Mariella Bennet is a nineteen-year-old girl who recently lost her father and is struggling to take care of her two sisters and her mother who is trying to cope with her husband's death. To earn more money she starts to work for the Hemingway family and she is from the very start attracted to Ernest Hemingway who is not only older but also married. So also meets a young ex-solder named Gavin Murray. And, she is torn between the two men. Love triangles are a very common concept both in books and movies. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In this book, it works because I can understand Mariella's struggles. On one hand she has a safe man, who shares the same dreams as her on her other hand she has a boastful married writer full of vitality and energy. Personally, I found Hemingway to be a far more interesting character in this book (and in real life) than Gavin, but that just me.
If you like historical fiction about real life authors will probably enjoy this book!
September 19, 2012
Skip this and read The Paris Wife (if you haven't already!). For me, both the characters and the storyline were one dimensional and completely failed to captivate. Okay if you don't need a "deep" read, but so much missed opportunity, especially when you are working with historical figures like this.
August 10, 2016
Hemingway's Girl was not at all what I expected it to be--and that turned out to be a good thing. The author's portrayal of Hemingway seems to be spot on from what I've read of him.
The characters in the book are all relatable and likable--Mariella, Gavin, John, Mariella's mother and sisters all have their own compelling storylines.
I won't spoil it by giving details, but I was very pleased with this book. It is story of friendship and it is a love story--but it will surprise you.
The characters in the book are all relatable and likable--Mariella, Gavin, John, Mariella's mother and sisters all have their own compelling storylines.
I won't spoil it by giving details, but I was very pleased with this book. It is story of friendship and it is a love story--but it will surprise you.
July 25, 2015
I adored this book! Beautiful book with great characters.
October 20, 2012
First of all, I am terrified that I'm going to start smoking. Mariella is as tied to her cigarettes as she is to the sea. A living, breathing thing in this book and the only thing not smoking. The author clearly knows life near the ocean, and I'm convinced could survive with a fishing pole and some tobacco while the rest of us died in an apocalypse.
The first thing you sense about this story is that Mariella is not going to hide in the shade of Hemingway. The story is all hers, and though he is larger than life, a naughty boy with a grin to get him out of every bad thing he does. Hemingway is compelling and nuanced in a way that never pulls you away from how Mariella views the world.
Mariella's struggle between two men is a restless journey that almost every young woman has navigated. One guy who is so good, so perfect and another who only laughs at his own imperfections. The bad boy. The charismatic alpha dog. We’re drawn to them. I don’t even think we can help it. The chemistry between the three characters is riveting, human, and drags you back to your 20s. The age just before things go bad and you make mistakes you can’t take back. Mariella makes her share, but she skates away without scars.
The intensity of Robuck’s windup nearly blew me away. For the last thirty pages, you’ll need a box of tissues and a glass of wine. Loved it!
The first thing you sense about this story is that Mariella is not going to hide in the shade of Hemingway. The story is all hers, and though he is larger than life, a naughty boy with a grin to get him out of every bad thing he does. Hemingway is compelling and nuanced in a way that never pulls you away from how Mariella views the world.
Mariella's struggle between two men is a restless journey that almost every young woman has navigated. One guy who is so good, so perfect and another who only laughs at his own imperfections. The bad boy. The charismatic alpha dog. We’re drawn to them. I don’t even think we can help it. The chemistry between the three characters is riveting, human, and drags you back to your 20s. The age just before things go bad and you make mistakes you can’t take back. Mariella makes her share, but she skates away without scars.
The intensity of Robuck’s windup nearly blew me away. For the last thirty pages, you’ll need a box of tissues and a glass of wine. Loved it!
November 9, 2015
People who love romance novels will like this one. I knew what I was getting into, but I love Key West and that era and I had just finished reading some of Hemingway's work and I admit, the cover was pretty and it drew me in.
It's obvious that this author has done her research and the book is not badly written, it's just kind of lame. I would have liked this story when I was about 12 years old.
The characters are a little too virtuous for Key West and the dialogue sometimes reads like a Lifetime TV movie. However, that didn't bother me as much as how unbelievable it was that all of a sudden, not only Hemingway, but the whole household and their high society friends all sought out the opinions and friendship of a 19 year old maid!
It's obvious that this author has done her research and the book is not badly written, it's just kind of lame. I would have liked this story when I was about 12 years old.
The characters are a little too virtuous for Key West and the dialogue sometimes reads like a Lifetime TV movie. However, that didn't bother me as much as how unbelievable it was that all of a sudden, not only Hemingway, but the whole household and their high society friends all sought out the opinions and friendship of a 19 year old maid!
September 12, 2012
Hemingway's Girl is a treat to read and I highly recommend it. Rich with Florida's Key West history (much of which I was unaware), the story is one of passions, jealousy, tragedy, temptation and love. Set in the Depression-era, the juxtaposition of the indulgent extravagance of the Hemingways in contrast to the hardships of WWI veterans is as fascinating as it is heartbreaking. All the characters are well developed, and Mariella Bennet is particularly wonderful. Added bonus: Robuck's descriptions of Key West are stunning.
This novel is sure to send a stampede of readers to their bookshelves and libraries to revisit Ernest Hemingway's many works.
This novel is sure to send a stampede of readers to their bookshelves and libraries to revisit Ernest Hemingway's many works.
September 3, 2012
A beautiful debut...I was in love with Hemingway before I started this novel, and I fell in love with Mariella and Gavin as I read this. Erika draws the readers into the world of Depression Era Key West where rich and poor live side by side. A lovely exploration of this time in Hemingway's life and a beautiful coming of age story. I did not want this book to end.
September 23, 2018
I finished this novel back when the summer days were still long enough and wine flowed with dinner every evening out in Ed and Mona's California back yard. What are the impressions that remain with me even now, as the new term's commitments press and the cool rain washes away the remnants of the party we threw for Ballet Theatre of Maryland last night? The cost of literary genius is high. The life lived by, in this case, he who is cursed and blessed with it, is large and his magnetism is great enough to pull an entire Floridian fishing community into his sphere of influence. That this influence included a half-cuban, half-american young woman - not yet twenty - recently bereft of her own father and fearlessly taking care of her mother and sisters, is a known fact but the rest is Robuck's imaginative enterprise. Some consider her probes into great writers' private lives to have become formulaic but how can Hawthorne's 19th century Massachusetts circles find coincidence with those of Hemingway? Each of Robuck's novels seem to offer a refreshing and feminine insight into these male writers' lives. Each of these writers is insufferable yet enchanting and what they do have in common is the need for a place where they might withdraw from the world and from their families in order to pursue their art. Such a need requires the support of the women around them, whether this be a wife or a servant. As a woman who is a wife and mother with household responsibilities, the still, small, and utterly undeveloped literary artist in me wonders how comprehensive writing projects can be possible without a tower wherein to retreat.
Next summer, I shall read about Zelda, Fitzgerald's wife.
Next summer, I shall read about Zelda, Fitzgerald's wife.
November 7, 2012
Erika Robuck gave me a fly on the wall look not only into the great novelist Ernest Hemingway’s personal life in Key West, but the relationships he made and broke, the ruined economy of post WWI Key West and the multi-cultural residents who populated the area. With simple easy to read dialogue she painted a real picture of the area, the time and it’s people that was both informative and imaginative. Her protagonist Mariella Bennet was a fascinating specimen of fortitude, attitude and humility and she will long be remembered in this reader’s mind and along with her multitude of wonderful eclectic characters made this novel a definite keeper as she educated and entertained me. It’s a hard to put down read so make sure your chores are finished before you pick this one up. Know that this journey was more than worth it’s time and I’m anxious for the next place this incredible storyteller wants to take me.
It’s 1961 Key West Florida and after a day of deep sea fishing with her son Mariella learns of Papa Hemingway’s death. The news sends her back in time to 1930s Key West where the living was anything but easy, where left over depression still lingered in the Keys, in the shanty homes and the gaunt hopeless faces of it’s residents, to the year she met Papa, where only months before her own father had died. She was almost 20 the first time she met him, bigger than life and full of himself and he left an impression that never would or could die. She remembers that tumultuous year of her life and the role Hemingway and others played in it, she remembers falling in love, she remembers joy and sadness. She remembers the best and worst of times, she remembers just what Papa meant to her and she to him.
Be sure and click to see an exclusive Q&A w/Erika Robuck- http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t...
It’s 1961 Key West Florida and after a day of deep sea fishing with her son Mariella learns of Papa Hemingway’s death. The news sends her back in time to 1930s Key West where the living was anything but easy, where left over depression still lingered in the Keys, in the shanty homes and the gaunt hopeless faces of it’s residents, to the year she met Papa, where only months before her own father had died. She was almost 20 the first time she met him, bigger than life and full of himself and he left an impression that never would or could die. She remembers that tumultuous year of her life and the role Hemingway and others played in it, she remembers falling in love, she remembers joy and sadness. She remembers the best and worst of times, she remembers just what Papa meant to her and she to him.
Be sure and click to see an exclusive Q&A w/Erika Robuck- http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t...
September 24, 2012
Set in the mid 1930's with the Depression in full swing, HEMINGWAY'S GIRL focuses on the interactions between a young Cuban-American woman hired as the Hemingway's maid, an attractive WWI vet named Gavin who is working on the Overseas Highway which joins the various keys, and the discord between Hemingway and his wife Pauline. Adding to the drama is Mariella's self-imposed obligation to support her family, two younger sisters and a permanently depressed widowed mother.
Women, love, suffering, heroism and death permeate Hemingway's works. Most of his writing was somewhat auto-biographical, guided and formed by the incidents he witnessed during his lifetime and the actions of those around him. Author Erika Robuck's Hemingway, as seen through the eyes of Mariella the maid, is part misogynist, part father figure, part prospective lover and a user of people whose need for attention and adulation coupled with his intense aversion to relying on others reduces him to a lonely and depressed man, trapped and isolated in a world of his own making.
The household drama being played out coupled with the desolate plight of the veterans and the real raw emotions felt by the characters is a precursor to the fury and destruction of the Hurricane that devastates a section of the keys. With its tropical locales, seductive storyline, and capricious characters Erika Robuck has given her readers a more than tasty narrative feast to chew on and digest.
By the way, never having been a real Hemingway fan I am truly surprised by how much HEMINGWAY'S GIRL has motivated me to go back and give "Papa" another read. Perhaps I will find that, like mature love, his books too are better the second time around. We'll see.
Women, love, suffering, heroism and death permeate Hemingway's works. Most of his writing was somewhat auto-biographical, guided and formed by the incidents he witnessed during his lifetime and the actions of those around him. Author Erika Robuck's Hemingway, as seen through the eyes of Mariella the maid, is part misogynist, part father figure, part prospective lover and a user of people whose need for attention and adulation coupled with his intense aversion to relying on others reduces him to a lonely and depressed man, trapped and isolated in a world of his own making.
The household drama being played out coupled with the desolate plight of the veterans and the real raw emotions felt by the characters is a precursor to the fury and destruction of the Hurricane that devastates a section of the keys. With its tropical locales, seductive storyline, and capricious characters Erika Robuck has given her readers a more than tasty narrative feast to chew on and digest.
By the way, never having been a real Hemingway fan I am truly surprised by how much HEMINGWAY'S GIRL has motivated me to go back and give "Papa" another read. Perhaps I will find that, like mature love, his books too are better the second time around. We'll see.
October 6, 2012
As a Brit living in America, I know very little about Hemingway. I picked up this book with no pre-conceived expectations, and fell in love on the first page. I disagree with the reviewer who said the novel started slowly. I was sucked in from page one. Mariella is such a fabulous character, such a strong, vibrant woman. I was rooting for her from the moment we met. And Hemingway? Wow. I loved him, hated him, and was constantly drawn to him, as was Mariella. And Gavin was such a sweetheart. Yes, as you can tell, I'm all about character as a reader. But I also love setting, and I could feel the atmosphere of Key West in the thirties, especially inside the Hemingway house. Not only are the characters still with me, but now I want to research and read Hemingway--figure out what I've been missing. I recommend Hemingway's Girl to anyone who wants a good read
October 12, 2013
I thought Hemingway's Girl was just fantastic! As a lover of history and American literature, I was sucked into this book from page one. I loved the unique love stories that ran through the pages of the book, and the endearing characters, especially our protagonist Mariella, a beautiful strong-willed woman who finds herself in the midst of a love triangle in the 1930s Key West. I loved learning more about Hemingway than I had ever known, and finished the novel with a strong urge to reread A Farewell to Arms, and some of the other Hemingway classics I'm less familiar with. Whether or not you're a history fanatic like me, the love story of Hemingway's Girl is one you can't put down. A fluent read from page one, Hemingway's Girl is a winner! Looking forward to reading much more from Erika Robuck.
October 29, 2012
Hemingway’s Girl is one of the most readable books I’ve read in a long time. It’s one of those books that grabs you from page one and never lets go. The characters were vividly placed in my mind by the author. She gave them voices that were believable and connected with me. The storyline was authentic and beautiful. I’d been to visit Key West a few years ago and was able to picture every scene in my mind. However, even if I’d never visited, I’d be able to see everything through the author’s eyes. I did not want this book to end. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
February 21, 2013
In this enjoyable and evenly paced historical drama, the charismatic and mischievous Ernest Hemingway lurks around the edges of a flourishing romance between an impoverished and independent fisherman's daughter, and a scarred and selfless war veteran. Set in the lush tropics of the Florida Keys, the domestic conflicts within each family are harsh and brutally realistic. I applaud the author for skillfully weaving into her narrative the deplorable plight of the war vets and the disaster of the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. I imagine her straightforward and honest style would have greatly pleased and impressed the great Papa Hemingway.
May 9, 2013
I adored this book! Robuck transported me to the tropical haze of Depression era Key West in the first pages. Mariella and Hemingway's characters are vivid, mesmerizing, and well-drawn. I almost felt as though I knew them. The delightful mix of romance, yearning, and page-turning scenes kept me up late into the night. I can't recommend this book enough!
June 9, 2025
This book was a real bait and switch, which I would have known had I read some of the reviews before I picked it up. I was looking for historical fiction about Hemingway, and this one being set in Key West in the 30s gave it a slight edge over The Paris Wife.
Unfortunately, while Hem is a major character and Key West does figure prominently, the story quickly centers around the protagonist's melodramatic love affair with a soldier working on the Overseas Highway. I am really not a fan of lots of swooning and "no, we really shouldn't!"---both of which feature extensively in her relationship with Gavin the soldier (also his name rubbed me the wrong way for no good reason) and Hemingway her employer.
The book is well written for the most part, and there are plenty of well fleshed out side characters that kept me reading until the end. The last two chapters are something of a whirlwind---a terrible (and very graphically detailed) tragedy, followed by a genuinely touching epilogue.
And the Easter egg mention of Carl Tanzler (one of my all time favorite creepy historical figures) was almost worth the price of admission. (I listened to a free audio book, so take that how you will)
If you are someone who enjoys the complicated romance version of "chick lit," this book might rank 4+ stars. I'm not sorry I read it, but I am looking forward to The Paris Wife with even greater expectations now.
Unfortunately, while Hem is a major character and Key West does figure prominently, the story quickly centers around the protagonist's melodramatic love affair with a soldier working on the Overseas Highway. I am really not a fan of lots of swooning and "no, we really shouldn't!"---both of which feature extensively in her relationship with Gavin the soldier (also his name rubbed me the wrong way for no good reason) and Hemingway her employer.
The book is well written for the most part, and there are plenty of well fleshed out side characters that kept me reading until the end. The last two chapters are something of a whirlwind---a terrible (and very graphically detailed) tragedy, followed by a genuinely touching epilogue.
And the Easter egg mention of Carl Tanzler (one of my all time favorite creepy historical figures) was almost worth the price of admission. (I listened to a free audio book, so take that how you will)
If you are someone who enjoys the complicated romance version of "chick lit," this book might rank 4+ stars. I'm not sorry I read it, but I am looking forward to The Paris Wife with even greater expectations now.
September 21, 2012
One of my friends joked with me recently that I am officially becoming a historical fiction fan. And, based on my reaction to this novel, she just may be right!
I learned so much while reading Erika Robuck’s second novel, a tender love story and fascinating tale of loss and growth interlaced with so much history about Depression-era Key West and the personal life of Ernest Hemingway (I had no clue about the veteran camps at Matecumbe Bay or even about many of Hemingway’s personality quirks, or the Labor Day Hurricane in the ‘30s).
It’s hard to pinpoint the one thing I liked most about this book – the strength and gutsy nature of the main character, Mariella; the symbolism in the naming conventions Robuck used; the parallels between Hemingway’s and Mariella’s lives; the deep themes of human resilience, divisions between class in society, and the uncanny ability of humans to use one another for personal gain; the history lessons that didn’t feel like lessons at all; or the epistolary aspects at the end.
Robuck has stated in many interviews that her hope in writing this book was to not only highlight the important themes mentioned above, but to inspire readers to pick up Hemingway’s work and read it (or re-read it). I think maybe, in the end, I was most impressed with the way Robuck was able to humanize Hemingway, faults and all. I really felt a deep empathy for him, despite his mood swings and shortcomings.
The very last words of this novel (before the epilogue, which I also enjoyed) were so beautiful and touching. A lovely book.
I learned so much while reading Erika Robuck’s second novel, a tender love story and fascinating tale of loss and growth interlaced with so much history about Depression-era Key West and the personal life of Ernest Hemingway (I had no clue about the veteran camps at Matecumbe Bay or even about many of Hemingway’s personality quirks, or the Labor Day Hurricane in the ‘30s).
It’s hard to pinpoint the one thing I liked most about this book – the strength and gutsy nature of the main character, Mariella; the symbolism in the naming conventions Robuck used; the parallels between Hemingway’s and Mariella’s lives; the deep themes of human resilience, divisions between class in society, and the uncanny ability of humans to use one another for personal gain; the history lessons that didn’t feel like lessons at all; or the epistolary aspects at the end.
Robuck has stated in many interviews that her hope in writing this book was to not only highlight the important themes mentioned above, but to inspire readers to pick up Hemingway’s work and read it (or re-read it). I think maybe, in the end, I was most impressed with the way Robuck was able to humanize Hemingway, faults and all. I really felt a deep empathy for him, despite his mood swings and shortcomings.
The very last words of this novel (before the epilogue, which I also enjoyed) were so beautiful and touching. A lovely book.
January 25, 2016
Erika Robuck's talent is in expanding understanding of other writers' lives through historical fiction. This is my third such book (the first subject was Edna St. Vincent Millay, then Nathaniel Hawthorne). It is the 1930's in Key West, Florida. Mariella is the one reliable and strong person that her two younger sisters and her grief-stricken mother can count on as they struggle to make ends meet. As a means to earn money, Mariella becomes a maid in the Hemmingway household. From the outset, Mariella is drawn to the charisma and charm of Ernest "Papa" Hemmingway. Their connection is in no small part due to their mutual love of and respect for the sea,the power it commands, and the hold it can have upon the soul. Ernest's second wife, Pauline, is jealous and suspicious, with good reason I might add. The flirtation between Ernest and Mariella is not subtle. It begins alongside a boxing match, continues into the bars and bordellos that are the haunts of the fisherman, and into a lavish Hemmingway summer on wealthy Bimini Island. But Mariella is equally drawn to Gavin, a hard-working, loving and loyal man, a veteran and a boxing opponent of Hemmingway's. The love and devotion between Gavin and Mariella seems to be the more authentic and solid of the two conflicting relationships, yet there is always the pull of Hemmingway. A brutal hurricanes bears down upon Key West and the intersate highway where Gavin is a laborer, with tragic consequences that will impact the lives of many characters in this book.
October 22, 2012
I LOVED this story! I had read very little about Ernest Hemingway's personal life prior to reading this novel but I feel like I know him based on Erika's depiction. She didn't sugarcoat him in any way, which I appreciated as a reader.
Mariella was a very relatable character as she struggles with the choices she needed to make while dealing with the aftermath of a family tragedy. I admired her for her tenacity and hard work, regardless of her flaws. She carries the enormous weight of her family on her shoulders, and as a reader, I felt every emotion as she goes through various trials.
The story also plucked a part of history from obscurity and brought it into the light. The 1935 Labor Day hurricane is the backdrop that helps bring the story to its climax. I had never heard of the tragedy surrounding that event which I couldn't wait to read more about after I finished the story. Erika wound her characters' in and around this event so smoothly, providing her readers with some historical tidbits without dumping her research on us.
This story is a wonderful step back in time. Key West, Hemingway, the sea, the Depression; it's all in this book. You will feel like you've escaped to another place after reading this one. It is a definite must-read, especially for historical fiction or Hemingway fans.
Mariella was a very relatable character as she struggles with the choices she needed to make while dealing with the aftermath of a family tragedy. I admired her for her tenacity and hard work, regardless of her flaws. She carries the enormous weight of her family on her shoulders, and as a reader, I felt every emotion as she goes through various trials.
The story also plucked a part of history from obscurity and brought it into the light. The 1935 Labor Day hurricane is the backdrop that helps bring the story to its climax. I had never heard of the tragedy surrounding that event which I couldn't wait to read more about after I finished the story. Erika wound her characters' in and around this event so smoothly, providing her readers with some historical tidbits without dumping her research on us.
This story is a wonderful step back in time. Key West, Hemingway, the sea, the Depression; it's all in this book. You will feel like you've escaped to another place after reading this one. It is a definite must-read, especially for historical fiction or Hemingway fans.
November 11, 2012
As someone who has read several Hemingway novels and enjoyed them in one way or another, I wasn't sure how I would take this novel. Would they be casting Hemingway in a bad light? Would they be putting him on a pedestal? Either would have brought annoyance. What the author did was portray him in a very realistic light - do I know if it is truly realistic or an author's rendering? I don't. But it felt real, and that is what matters.
The story centers around Mariella, a young Cuban/American girl living in Key West. The time begins and ends in the 60's, but most of the story takes place in the 30s. I love period fiction. Mariella's story is sad, but uplifting. She is a strong young woman and I enjoyed her character. She and Hemingway form an instant relationship and understanding. She falls in love with another man and the love story is not ridiculous - my heart hammered in my chest as I read through the pages. I wanted so badly for the two to be happy. And there is the whole family angle in the book, too - the family angle is universal and Mariella's character would have fallen short without it.
There is even a small mystery that isn't quite settled until the end - and the mystery's solution is the one you are hoping for.
I read this book in one sitting. It is engaging and touching and I recommend everyone to read it.
The story centers around Mariella, a young Cuban/American girl living in Key West. The time begins and ends in the 60's, but most of the story takes place in the 30s. I love period fiction. Mariella's story is sad, but uplifting. She is a strong young woman and I enjoyed her character. She and Hemingway form an instant relationship and understanding. She falls in love with another man and the love story is not ridiculous - my heart hammered in my chest as I read through the pages. I wanted so badly for the two to be happy. And there is the whole family angle in the book, too - the family angle is universal and Mariella's character would have fallen short without it.
There is even a small mystery that isn't quite settled until the end - and the mystery's solution is the one you are hoping for.
I read this book in one sitting. It is engaging and touching and I recommend everyone to read it.
September 4, 2012
HEMINGWAY'S GIRL is a fictional look into the life of writer Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with his 2nd wife told through the eyes of Mariella, a maid in Hemingway's house. Robuck's novel shines a spotlight onto Hemingway's time in the Florida Keys similar to author Paula McLain's novel about Hemingway's marriage to Hadley in Paris, France, THE PARIS WIFE.
In HEMINGWAY'S GIRL, author Erika Robuck takes readers back to 1935 along the Florida Keys where Ernest Hemingway lived with his second wife, Pauline, and their sons. The story begins the moment Hemingway meets Robuck's fictional character Mariella at a dockside boxing match. The pull and tug of the relationships in the novel take place in the alluring Florida Keys, along the ocean and below the sway of palm trees.
HEMINGWAY'S GIRL is a moving story about 1930s life in the Florida Keys, the separations and ties between societal classes, the bravado and charm of iconic writer Ernest Hemingway, and the ways friends and friendships can either destroy us or help us to become better than we could be on our own.
I enjoyed HEMINGWAY'S GIRL, and highly recommend it to all of my reading friends. Erika Robuck is a historical fiction author to watch, and I look forward to her next novel.
In HEMINGWAY'S GIRL, author Erika Robuck takes readers back to 1935 along the Florida Keys where Ernest Hemingway lived with his second wife, Pauline, and their sons. The story begins the moment Hemingway meets Robuck's fictional character Mariella at a dockside boxing match. The pull and tug of the relationships in the novel take place in the alluring Florida Keys, along the ocean and below the sway of palm trees.
HEMINGWAY'S GIRL is a moving story about 1930s life in the Florida Keys, the separations and ties between societal classes, the bravado and charm of iconic writer Ernest Hemingway, and the ways friends and friendships can either destroy us or help us to become better than we could be on our own.
I enjoyed HEMINGWAY'S GIRL, and highly recommend it to all of my reading friends. Erika Robuck is a historical fiction author to watch, and I look forward to her next novel.
September 10, 2012
I rarely read historical fiction, but I am such a fan of Ernest Hemingway I had to read this book. And I'm so glad I did. Erika Robuck's HEMINGWAY'S GIRL takes place in the Florida Keys of the 1930s, a time completely unfamiliar to me, but one I was swept away in--just as I was in main character Mariella Bennet's life and complex relationships with Hemingway and boxer, veteran Gavin Murray.
To say HEMINGWAY'S GIRL is a glimpse into a period of Hemingway's life would do it a disservice (although Robuck brings Hemingway convincingly to life) because this book is so much more: the coming of age story of Mariella who seeks to pursue a dream, a stirring story about parental loss and family devotion, a serious look at societal class and friction in post-World War I Florida, an examination of unlikely friendships, and a compelling love story.
Whether or not you're a fan of Hemingway's, you'll love this book. I couldn't put it down.
To say HEMINGWAY'S GIRL is a glimpse into a period of Hemingway's life would do it a disservice (although Robuck brings Hemingway convincingly to life) because this book is so much more: the coming of age story of Mariella who seeks to pursue a dream, a stirring story about parental loss and family devotion, a serious look at societal class and friction in post-World War I Florida, an examination of unlikely friendships, and a compelling love story.
Whether or not you're a fan of Hemingway's, you'll love this book. I couldn't put it down.
May 29, 2017
If you follow me at all you'd see I rarely give books 4 stars and even more rare are a few that are 5's. So much has been written about this larger than life character, Ernest Hemingway. I've enjoyed his works of art in literature. I've read and seen accounts of his personal life. But this book is different. It's a more personal side of him that I've never heard before. It moved me, so there's the 5. Anyone who reads this will enjoy its richness, truth, and honesty. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed and how the characters will haunt me.
July 8, 2012
I am a huge fan of KW and most things Hemingway. So, when I saw this title, I knew it would be something I would want to read. I only hoped it would live up to my expectations. It did! Erika Robuck is a new author to watch. She has nailed the voice of Hemingway. And the research she has done is stellar. It shines throughout. The scenes she's recreated during the Labor Day hurricane of 1835 are nothing short of amazing. Cudos to you Erika.
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