Book Club Questions for Hemingway’s Widow

Book Club Questions 

Before Mary met Ernest:

  1. Bill Walton commended Mary’s “first-class, creative journalism,” recognizing “what a long road she had traveled on her own from Bemidji to Time” in an occupation that had been a male preserve until then. So why did Mary long to escape from small-town life, and what tradeoffs did she make to establish herself in the world of war reporting?
  2. Did Mary have regrets about leaving her small-town life behind?
  3. Many friends noted Mary’s bravery and that no one intimidated her. Where did she come by her inner strength and confidence?

After Mary met Ernest:

  1. Why did Ernest find Mary irresistible?

 

  1. At first, Mary did not seem to be strongly attracted to Ernest. Why not, and what changed her mind about him?

 

  1. Mary soon learned that Ernest was moody and abusive, especially when he drank. So why did she decide to become involved with him? Did she make a mistake?

 

  1. We see a conflict between Mary’s feelings, as revealed in her journals, and the image she projected to her friends. Where do you think the truth lies?

 

  1. Do you think the relationship between Mary and Ernest changed after he saved her life after her fallopian tube ruptured? How did it change?

 

  1. Were you surprised by the gentleness Ernest displayed to Mary’s parents when they met in New Orleans?

 

  1. During the trip to Italy, Mary fell deeper in love and more dependent upon Ernest, just as he was becoming besotted with Adriana. Should Mary have put her foot down and left Ernest, or did she handle things well?

 

  1. When Ernest became abusive, especially during the Ivanciches’ visit to Cuba, should Mary have left him? When she accepted gifts of jewelry, minks, and cash, did Mary give Ernest permission to be abusive so long as he paid for it?

 

  1. Did Mary make the right decision when she told Ernest she would leave, but only if he told her to do so when he was sober in the morning?

 

 

After Ernest’s Death:

 

  1. Why do you think Mary tried to cover up Ernest’s suicide?

 

  1. Do you think Mary deliberately left out the keys to the gun cupboard?

 

  1. Did Mary do the right thing when she sued Hotchner to prevent him from telling the story of Ernest’s decline and suicide?

 

  1. What did you think of Mary for giving JFK a lecture about his actions in Cuba?

 

  1. Do you believe that Mary enjoyed her widowhood? Why didn’t she remarry?

 

  1. Did Ernest deserve Mary? Was she too good for him? Do you wish Mary had rejected Ernest’s advances?

 

 

 

General Questions about the Book:

 

  1. Is Mary a believable character? Do you like or dislike her?

 

  1. What are your favorite/least favorite parts of the book? Should parts have been left out?

 

  1. What scenes have stayed with you?

 

  1. What questions would you ask the author?