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BUSTING STONES: The Trials and Treasures of Martha Gellhorn
BUSTING STONES by Jim DeFilippi
Martha Gellhorn was the greatest war correspondent in American history, but she was/is unknown, unappreciated, undervalued because of her sex.
BUSTING STONES tracks her life against the backdrop of the 20th Century Women’s Movement. The book breaks the ten decades of her life (1908-1998) into ten chapters, each chapter containing a short segment
The mood of the country during that time;The progress or the stagnancy of the decade’s Women’s Movement;An enemy of the country or of women (anyone from Adolph Hitler to Hugh Hefner);Gellhorn’s life;Her progress as a writer;Her tragedy.An added section (The 2000’s) highlights how her fire and spirit are still alive in today’s American women.
Some key
In the 1940’s, her future husband, Ernest Hemingway, usurped her Collier Magazine correspondent’s credentials because he wanted to cover the Normandy Invasion. He wound up getting into a drunken car accident and spent the invasion in a London hospital bed.
Meanwhile Gellhorn, without any credentialing, snuck aboard a Navy hospital ship and became the only woman among the 195,000 men to land at Normandy.
Decades later, the horrors of Vietnam and her own rape destroyed her will and her strength, leading to her suicide.
I am primarily a crime novelist. The voice of this book is not Doris Kearns Goodwin historian. It is more street-corner thug. A fake-tough man writing about a real-tough woman. This lends a quirky irony to the text and to the subject matter.
Martha Gellhorn was the greatest war correspondent in American history, but she was/is unknown, unappreciated, undervalued because of her sex.
BUSTING STONES tracks her life against the backdrop of the 20th Century Women’s Movement. The book breaks the ten decades of her life (1908-1998) into ten chapters, each chapter containing a short segment
The mood of the country during that time;The progress or the stagnancy of the decade’s Women’s Movement;An enemy of the country or of women (anyone from Adolph Hitler to Hugh Hefner);Gellhorn’s life;Her progress as a writer;Her tragedy.An added section (The 2000’s) highlights how her fire and spirit are still alive in today’s American women.
Some key
In the 1940’s, her future husband, Ernest Hemingway, usurped her Collier Magazine correspondent’s credentials because he wanted to cover the Normandy Invasion. He wound up getting into a drunken car accident and spent the invasion in a London hospital bed.
Meanwhile Gellhorn, without any credentialing, snuck aboard a Navy hospital ship and became the only woman among the 195,000 men to land at Normandy.
Decades later, the horrors of Vietnam and her own rape destroyed her will and her strength, leading to her suicide.
I am primarily a crime novelist. The voice of this book is not Doris Kearns Goodwin historian. It is more street-corner thug. A fake-tough man writing about a real-tough woman. This lends a quirky irony to the text and to the subject matter.
345 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2023
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About the author
Jim DeFilippi
52 books4 followersJim DeFilippi is a crime novelist (DUCK ALLEY, BLOOD SUGAR, JESUS BURNED) and humor writer. His crime novels are all times humorous; his humor writing at times is criminal. Newsday called his stuff “Suspenseful, often hilarious,” Publishers Weekly added, “Excellently paced and imaginatively told,” but his favorite blurb is “Whoa, that was good.”
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 4, 2024
Here is a review from travel writer and romance novelist Roberta Lerman:
BUSTING STONES by Jim DeFilippi
With his latest book, Busting Stones, writer Jim DeFiippi takes his readers on a unique and absorbing journey through ten decades of the remarkable, yet often tragic, life of war correspondent and writer Martha Gellhorn. I have always been intrigued by this woman, whose talent, humanity, and accomplishments were often at odds with her personal choices.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this telling is the strong, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes humorous, sometimes serious voice this author employs to weave the tale of a life fearlessly lived and the glass ceilings Gellhorn shattered, despite the many obstacles thrown at her by lovers, colleagues, the prevalent misogyny that existed in America and her own often-destructive self-doubt.
This is a fast-paced, entertaining read that kept me turning page after page as I was drawn in by this fascinating story that made feel a myriad of emotions, from laughing out loud to sadness to wanting to shout as if Gellhorn could hear me, like my husband does when he watches a football game and thinks a bad play was just made. What is important is this author made me feel and think as his words brought to life aspects of Gellhorn’s personality, the women’s movement, and the history of those past times that I did not know so much about. Masterful storytelling. I give it (and it deserves) five stars. I highly recommend.
BUSTING STONES by Jim DeFilippi
With his latest book, Busting Stones, writer Jim DeFiippi takes his readers on a unique and absorbing journey through ten decades of the remarkable, yet often tragic, life of war correspondent and writer Martha Gellhorn. I have always been intrigued by this woman, whose talent, humanity, and accomplishments were often at odds with her personal choices.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this telling is the strong, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes humorous, sometimes serious voice this author employs to weave the tale of a life fearlessly lived and the glass ceilings Gellhorn shattered, despite the many obstacles thrown at her by lovers, colleagues, the prevalent misogyny that existed in America and her own often-destructive self-doubt.
This is a fast-paced, entertaining read that kept me turning page after page as I was drawn in by this fascinating story that made feel a myriad of emotions, from laughing out loud to sadness to wanting to shout as if Gellhorn could hear me, like my husband does when he watches a football game and thinks a bad play was just made. What is important is this author made me feel and think as his words brought to life aspects of Gellhorn’s personality, the women’s movement, and the history of those past times that I did not know so much about. Masterful storytelling. I give it (and it deserves) five stars. I highly recommend.
September 29, 2023
A book everyone should read.
I am one of those readers who doesn’t give out a 5 star rating very often and when I do I have to think about what 5 stars means to me. Do I think about the people in the book even when I am not reading it. What emotions do I have while reading the book, not just about the people but about the subject matter. Do I laugh, do I get sad. Did I learn something while reading the book. Do I talk annoying a lot about the book to people who will say, ok so what happened today in your book. YES, YES, YES, YES, and YES. I can honestly say I didn’t even think about whether it was 5 stars it was absolutely 5 stars.
Thank you Mr De for bringing me Martha Gellhorn, information on the women’s movement, and topics on American/World history I didn’t know a lot about with your wonderful, humorous prose to them all.
I am one of those readers who doesn’t give out a 5 star rating very often and when I do I have to think about what 5 stars means to me. Do I think about the people in the book even when I am not reading it. What emotions do I have while reading the book, not just about the people but about the subject matter. Do I laugh, do I get sad. Did I learn something while reading the book. Do I talk annoying a lot about the book to people who will say, ok so what happened today in your book. YES, YES, YES, YES, and YES. I can honestly say I didn’t even think about whether it was 5 stars it was absolutely 5 stars.
Thank you Mr De for bringing me Martha Gellhorn, information on the women’s movement, and topics on American/World history I didn’t know a lot about with your wonderful, humorous prose to them all.
September 28, 2023
A treasure!
Amazon called Busting Stones the Number One New Release in Women's History Studies. He earned the award! He did an amazing job covering Women's history in the US and elsewhere, AND telling the story of the writer Martha Fellhorn. I knew nothing about her. Buy the book and read it to the end. You'll be glad you did.
Amazon called Busting Stones the Number One New Release in Women's History Studies. He earned the award! He did an amazing job covering Women's history in the US and elsewhere, AND telling the story of the writer Martha Fellhorn. I knew nothing about her. Buy the book and read it to the end. You'll be glad you did.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews