Recommended: Z by Therese Anne Fowler

If you liked The Paris Wife, I highly recommend this great book about Zelda Fitzgerald. It's an incredible look at one of the most interesting and memorable women of the 1920's. Zelda's life was the complete opposite of Hadley's but equally fascinating (it's hard to believe they lived in Paris and shared a circle of friends). Without a doubt, this is one of my favourite books of all time. 

As a muse to others or an artist in her own right, Zelda Fitzgerald casts a long shadow across twentieth century literature, fashion, and popular culture. She has been cast as an icon, a provocateur, as both angel and devil on the shoulders of a literary genius, but it was her zest for living and loving which made her a legend. Zelda could be both inspirational and insufferable in the same moment, and in Z, Therese Anne Fowler’s exquisite first novel, the essence of this enigmatic woman and her relationship with F. Scott Fitzgerald is captured in all its glory and pain.

Z follows Zelda from her early teenage years, falling for a young soldier and writer, through the literary fame that stalked their marriage, and finally into the devastating descent of their love. We watch as Zelda and Scott revel in the glamorous life encapsulated in Hemingway’s Moveable Feast, thriving on young love and the endless possibilities of Paris in the 1920’s. Scott’s star quickly rises, and Zelda’s yearning for a fuller life is palpable, as she stands impatiently at the edge of the spotlight. In a lesser writer’s hands Zelda’s story could have been either a puff piece or a hatchet job, but Fowler has an amazingly deft touch, and a deep respect for both Zelda and Scott. She brilliantly captures the tremendous, at times even theatrical love that binds them together, as well as the poisonous venom they both allow to seep into their relationship. Their moments of childish vulnerability, passion, and tenderness are endearing, and their viciousness is infuriating – these two truly cannot live with or without each other.

Z unravels the enigma of Zelda Fitzgerald with grace, bravery, and profound honesty. Her spirit will haunt you long after the final page.