I've always been intrigued by the figure of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald but never delved into any research on her or read any biographies. This was a fun way to learn, through fiction. Apparently the author adhered to Zelda's letters and friends/acquaintances stories quite closely, though had to fill in details (and some very dramatic) when needed. It was an enjoyable novel, and yet sad. There's so much to relish in the character of Zelda, in the love story of her and Scott, in their travels, in their friends, in their enemies. I liked the way Fowler had Hemingway saunter through their lives wreaking havoc where he could; not that he was the only source of misery to come between Zelda and Scott.

And as someone that a lot of people have remembered only when I'm in the context of standing next to my husband, boy, do I feel for Zelda. She was certainly tied down by the social rules of the time and what it meant to be a wife: meaning, a wife was supposed to be her only role, not only by society, but by Scott himself. I felt so lucky during parts of this book to be in the present day.

Only one quibble, really. There seemed to be gaps or rushes through certain parts. I understand the gaps because of basing the story on reality; there might not be anyone who knows what happened during that time or perhaps there was nothing of note that happened. On the other hand, there was a sentence near the end of the book about how Zelda and Scott went to Cuba for vacation and I think it was just a paragraph that mentioned it. It seems it was their last time together...what happened there?

In the end, I cried a little. I was sad to say goodbye to Zelda and especially in the manner our heroine had to leave this world.

I'm eager to read Zelda's published fiction and more of Scott's work as well, since so much of it seems to be a glean into their lives together. Recommend this novel for lovers of the jazz age and those romantic expats in Europe.