Chai, Chat With Books: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

"Chai, Chat with Books" is a small group of eight ladies who share their passion for reading over a cup of tea and lots of chaat and snacks. Our book club meeting is time away from the daily grind — more like "me-time." All of us live in the Naperville area, and we look forward to the monthly meetings.

Book of the month: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Summer was heralded by a hot discussion on The Paris Wife — the joys, trials, and tribulations of Ernest Hemingway and his first (of four) wife, Hadley Richardson. Though narrated in first person by Hadley, the novel is fiction built on deep research into the couple's life. It was recommended by Snigdha, and many members were excited to read about Hemingway, an all-time favorite. The book also clicked with our all-ladies group because it revolves around a marital theme: what makes a marriage tick — or, in this case, not.

Does genius excuse a lopsided marriage?

The first hot topic was the skewed nature of a marriage where one spouse is as driven as Hemingway. The story unfolds in his early years, as a young Ernest tries to make his mark on literature. The entire relationship orbits his need to channel creative energy into superlative work; everything else is insignificant. Hadley accepts her role — as fuel for his artistic temperament — as gracefully as she can, uncomfortable in the bohemian Jazz Age Paris where monogamy and Victorian standards are out of place. She secretly resents the time and energy Hemingway takes from her and their marriage. The marriage survives for years against the odds, then finally succumbs to his brazen infidelity.

After reading, many members expressed newfound respect for the spouses who carry the unequal burden of life with the creative creatures of this world.

Is it fair to give Hadley a fictional voice?

The second debate: McLain wrote the book in first person, in Hadley's voice. Since it's a fictional account of real people, the autobiographical air troubles some readers — is it ethical to put invented thoughts into a real woman's mouth, especially without her authorization? Other members found it compelling precisely because of the first-person intimacy, arguing the author's clear declaration of fiction warns readers to take it "with a pinch of salt."

Reading it once again whetted our appetite for Hemingway himself, and many of us spent summer afternoons leafing through old favorites — The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms, A Moveable Feast. In that posthumous memoir, Hemingway gave Hadley her due at last: "I wished I had died before I ever loved anyone but her."