Review: "Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald" by Therese Anne Fowler

This is a fictional version of the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, told in her voice from her perspective. It is essentially about her married life to F. Scott Fitzgerald but includes a small background on her childhood and her life after his death.

This book was very fascinating and appealing. I became interested in Zelda after reading The Paris Wife by Paula McLain which mentions the Fitzgeralds and their hard living lifestyle. Mainly based on letters that were exchanged between Scott and Zelda, it sheds light on a marriage that was riddled with problems caused by both parties. They were the “golden” couple who lived life to the fullest without a thought for tomorrow. Life was good until it all comes crashing down around their heads. Alcoholism, affairs and mental breakdowns signal the end of the fairytale.

I enjoyed this book very much. The story is Zelda’s, from her view. Too often we only hear about the great men and not the women behind them. Pick this book up today and get a taste of what life could be like married to a legend. It turns out that it isn’t as glamorous as imagined.