You can now purchase books directly from Penguin Random House on RIF! Free Shipping on orders over $20.
    • Monthly Favorites
    • Excerpts
    • Giveaways
    • Book Apothecary
    • TBR Time
  • |
    • Articles
    • Videos
    • Author Interviews
    • 8 Great Questions
    • Author Essays
    • Longform
  • |
    • RIF Podcasts​
    • Marlon & Jake Read Dead People
    • The Adaptables
  • |
  • Subscribe

What I’m Reading: Paula McLain

Paula McLain, author of Love and Ruin, tells us about three must-read books that deserve a place on our to-be-read shelves.

By Margaret Dunham • 3 years ago
Paula McLain

Paula McLain, the bestselling author of The Paris Wife, is back with Love and Ruin, returning to Ernest Hemingway and his passionate, stormy relationship with Martha Gellhorn.

In 1937, 28-year-old Martha Gellhorn travels alone to Madrid to report on the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War, drawn to the stories of ordinary people caught in the devastating conflict. It’s the adventure she’s been looking for and her chance to prove herself as a worthy journalist in a field dominated by men. But she also finds herself falling in love with Hemingway, a man on his way to becoming a legend.

Martha and Ernest’s relationship and their professional careers ignite. When Ernest publishes the biggest literary success of his career, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Martha must make a choice: surrender to the confining demands of being a famous man’s wife or risk losing Ernest by forging a path of her own.

McLain told us about three books she can’t get enough of. Watch the video below and you’ll see that they deserve a place of honor on your to-be-read shelf!

What We're Reading This Week

Get recommendations for the greatest books around straight to your inbox every week.
Great! You've signed up successfully!
We are experiencing an error, please try again.
By clicking Sign Up!, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Penguin Random House Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and agree to receive news and updates from Read It Forward and Penguin Random House.
  • The cover of the book Love and Ruin
    Featured Book

    Love and Ruin

    Paula McLain

    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
     
  • The cover of the book The Secret History

    The Secret History

    Donna Tartt

    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
     
Buy The Book
  • Amazon
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Bookshop.org
  • Apple Books
PAULA MCLAIN is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Circling the Sun, The Paris Wife, and A Ticket to Ride, the memoir Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses, and two collections of poetry. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, O: The Oprah Magazine, Town & Country, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, and elsewhere. She lives in Ohio with her family.
Read it Forward: Always Directing You To Your Next Great Read

At Read It Forward, we have a healthy obsession with authors, stories, and the readers who love them.

About Us
Affiliate Program Disclosure
Subscribe for Giveaways + Recommendations

Every week we host a new literary giveaway! Enter to win our favorite new reads, bookish goodies, and so much more.

Get weekly book recommendations delivered right to your inbox and find out What We’re Reading.

Subscribe to our Newsletters
Explore
  • Find your Next Book!
  • Essays and More
  • Author Interviews
  • Our Monthly Favorites

Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Copyright ©1995-2021 Penguin Random House. All rights reserved.

[email_signup id="4"]
Great! You've signed up successfully!
We are experiencing an error, please try again.
By clicking Subscribe, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Penguin Random House Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and agree to receive news and updates from Read It Forward and Penguin Random House.