A novel chronicling the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fiery, passionate wife, Zelda, as she searches for identity and struggles with the highs and lows of her marriage and life.I wish I could tell everyone who thinks we’re ruined, who thinks Scott’s beyond washed-up and I’m about as sharp these days as a sack of wet mice, Look closer.Look closer and you’ll see something extraordinary, mystifying, something real and true. We have never been what we seemed.I’ve been a fan of F.Scott Fitzgerald’s work for many years, so when I heard of this novel based on the Fitzgerald’s life together from Zelda’s perspective, I was incredibly intrigued.Zelda’s personality shines through in the voice of this novel, from the spoiled Southern belle looking for adventure, to the famous flapper who reveled in fine living, and finally to the frustrated and disillusioned woman she eventually became. This book delves right into the Fitzgerald’s reckless lives with intense emotion and feeling, yet also with incredible attention to detail that show that this is a well-researched piece of fiction.Sadly, since real life isn’t all “happily ever after”s, there are parts — especially near the end — that are downright depressing, that really make the reader feel the debilitating hopelessness and pain that Zelda experienced daily. Scott, even from days after their wedding, seemed overly controlling and critical of her; he was certainly not portrayed in a particularly positive light, which may bother some readers.Overall: A heartbreaking tale of a marriage gone wrong and a search for identity, written with the prose of a Fitzgerald novel.
