Toward the end of the first World War, many young folk, including Zelda Sayres, sought relief from all the death and sadness. For someone as beautiful and vibrant as she, any excuse to be able to dance or attend a gathering was welcome, but on one particular evening, when she was performing a ballet solo for soldiers, she noted one solder who stood out to her. He was tall and blond and had an air of confidence she’d rarely encountered in the boys she knew in her small southern town. He was also an author, something that also attracted her, as she was an avid reader and dabbled in writing herself. Unfortunately, her father did not appreciate the attraction of an author, something he perceived as a sideline and not a steady career, and he insisted this was not suitable for his daughter. It took a couple of years, but Scott Fitzgerald proved himself worthy, at least to Zelda, and she followed him to New York City, where their adventure together began. For better and for worse…
This novel provided a peek inside the glamorous but exhausting lives of both F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda. Based on extensive research and told from her vision, it not only showed the wonders of the time and the artists they rubbed shoulders with. It also shed light on the struggles they had, with each other and each with their own demons. To an outsider, it may have seemed the perfect life, with world travel, sophisticated parties, knowing the most famous of the writers, dancers, and artists of their era. But to Zelda, it was a constant challenge; keeping up, maintaining appearances physically, financially, and emotionally. Multiple times the pressure was so high, it necessitated hospitalization and inhumane treatments for Zelda.
What is apparent is that while on the outside, Zelda did not see herself as a feminist in the stereotypical sense, she was one at heart, and this is what likely ate at her throughout her life. She could not see why she needed to suppress her own artistic endeavors just because her husband needed to pursue his. His jealousy was so overpowering that even when she wrote stories, he published them under his own name, claiming they’d get more acclaim if he did so. This undermining of her, the constant repression she had to force upon herself, slowly ate at her, giving her both physical and psychological pains throughout her adult life.
This is a very dramatic, historical fiction account of Zelda’s life with F. Scott Fitzgerald. I highly recommend it!
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