The Hemingway Project really began with A Moveable Feast, the first Hemingway book I read for pleasure (without being assigned to read it!) A Moveable Feast left me wanting to know more – what happened after Paris? What happened to Hadley and Bumby?
The story of Hadley’s five year marriage to Ernest is indeed a love story but it is also the story of Hadley’s awakening into her own strength and self worth. Hadley and Ernest nurtured each other and were both deeply transformed by their experiences in Europe. During their marriage they met some of the most dynamic people of their time, and they shared adventures in France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain, hiking, skiing, fishing and traveling. They attended bullfights, bet on horses, watched boxing matches and bicycle races, drank with writers and painters in Paris, and eventually had a child together.
Yes, Ernest became famous after The Sun Also Rises was published, but Hadley became real. The self confidence she gained during those years with Ernest was unshakable and she remained grateful to Ernest for opening up the world for her. Their story is bittersweet to observe, and it is why I love reading about Hemingway’s early years so much.
Click below to read and listen to my posts about Hadley: