Hemingway's Girl
Authors: Erika Robuck
Tags: #Fiction, #Biographical, #Historical, #Literary
Praise for
Hemingway’s Girl
“Robuck’s breathtaking alchemy is to put us inside the world of Hemingway and his
wife Pauline, and add a bold young woman to the mix with a story uniquely her own.
Dazzlingly written and impossibly moving, this novel is a supernova.”
—Caroline Leavitt,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Pictures of You
“I read
Hemingway’s Girl
in a single sitting—I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with Robuck’s Hemingway
and with the fiery Mariella Bennet, but what I loved most was the novel’s message:
that we can inspire each other to be better human beings.”
—Ann Napolitano, author of
A Good Hard Look
“Historical novels rise or fall on how believably they portray their eras and the
characters who populate them. Ernest Hemingway comes to life in
Hemingway’s Girl
, but he meets his match in Mariella, a tough, smart nineteen-year-old making her
way in a vividly realized Key West. Erika Robuck’s novel is colorful, atmospheric,
and a pleasure to plunge into.”
—Joseph Wallace, author of
Diamond Ruby
“Writing in clear and supple prose, Erika Robuck evokes a setting of the greatest
fascination—Hemingway’s household in Key West in the 1930s, where we see her captivating
heroine growing in insight and beginning to learn about love. This is assured and
richly enjoyable storytelling.”
—Margaret Leroy, author of
The Soldier’s Wife
“Erika Robuck brings to vivid life the captivating and volatile world of a literary
legend. Like a Key West hurricane,
Hemingway’s Girl
gains power and momentum, destroying much in its path, and reminds the reader of
the strength found in healing. Fans of Ernest Hemingway will devour this book!”
—Kristina McMorris, author of
Letters from Home
and
Bridge of Scarlet Leaves
“Fans of Paula McLain’s
The Paris Wife
will adore Erika Robuck’s spellbinding tale of Hemingway and the fiercely independent
Cuban girl he befriends in 1930s Key West. Robuck is a gifted storyteller, and in
Hemingway’s Girl
she brings the literary legend to life: his passions for boxing and fishing, the
tumult of his second marriage, his curious tenderness toward Mariella, whose beauty
he is enthralled by and whose grit he admires. Evocative and taut,
Hemingway’s Girl
is an irresitible, exhilarating story of love and adventure, impossible to put down.”
—Dawn Tripp, bestselling author of
Game of Secrets
“Even if you aren’t a Hemingway aficionado, you’ll love this robust, tender story
of love, grief, and survival on Key West in the 1930s. And Hemingway fans should agree
that because of its strong heroine and writing,
Hemingway’s Girl
is a novel of which Papa himself would approve. Addictive.”
—Jenna Blum,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Those Who Save Us
and
The Stormchasers
HEMINGWAY’S GIRL
Erika Robuck
NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY
N
EW
A
MERICAN
L
IBRARY
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, September 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © Erika Robuck, 2012
Readers Guide copyright © Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2012
Photo of Ernest Hemingway ca. 1930s, from the Ernest Hemingway Collection of the John
F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
“Who Murdered the Vets? A Firsthand Report on the Florida Hurricane” by Ernest Hemingway,
reprinted by permission of International Publishers, New York, NY
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed
in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in
or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
Purchase only authorized editions.
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:
Robuck, Erika.
Hemingway’s girl/Erika Robuck.
p. cm.
ISBN: 978-1-101-59936-5
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899–1961—Fiction. 2. Women household employees—Fiction.
3. Key West (Fla.)—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3618.O338H46 2012
813’.6—dc23 2011053196
Set in Bell MT
Designed by Spring Hoteling
Printed in the United States of America
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility
for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
For my mother, Charlene
Dear Reader,
I fell in love with Ernest Hemingway when I was nineteen years old while reading
A Farewell to Arms
. After reading all of his novels and eventually ending up in his home in Key West,
I had a strong desire to tell a piece of his story and inspire others to read his
work.
The protagonist of
Hemingway’s Girl
, Mariella Bennet, is a product of my imagination. I used her to tell the story of
Depression-era Key West, Ernest Hemingway’s life at the time, and the major events
that took place for the people of that place and time. Any mistakes in the time line
or plot are entirely my own.
There are conflicting reports as to whether Hemingway was referred to as “Papa” at
the time the book takes place. I chose to make it so to suit my fictional purposes.
Finally, please note that according to several sources, the abundance of polydactyl
cats was not a fixture of the Hemingway residence in 1935. I hope their absence does
not take away from your enjoyment of the story.
Sincerely,
Erika Robuck
HEMINGWAY’S GIRL
Just south of Key West
24ºN and 82ºW
July 3, 1961
Mariella peered down from the stern at the dark forms below and knew her fish was
there if she had the strength to take it.
The urging of the boat on the waves, the arc of the flying fish, and the glints of
light on the sea’s surface had acted in chorus to bring her here, to this spot. She
lifted the pole and scanned the horizon. Moments later, she felt the tug on the line,
then the lurch that jerked her forward.
Mariella threw her cigarette over the side of the
Corrida
and backed into the chair anchored to the deck. The line bowed the pole over the
edge of the boat and slid back and forth on the railing in response to the fish. She
dug her feet into the decking and pushed her graying black hair out of her eyes. She
wanted to call Jake, but pride clamped her mouth. It wasn’t long before Mariella felt
the fatigue in her arms and thought of
The Old Man and the Sea.