I finished reading Papa, a personal Memoir. To say that the Hemingway boys had an unusual childhood is an understatement. Perhaps their life wasn’t much different from that of other famous and well-to-do people’s children, but I sure wouldn’t know (my friends and family didn’t fit either category and that’s just fine).
Living with such an eccentric and unstable person had to take a toll on the boys. Ernest constantly needed approval from others, he had to be “The Best,” he needed the attention of younger, beautiful women to make him feel “like a man” leading to multiple marriages and affairs. Trying to win the love and approval of such a man left Gregory a very damaged person.
Gregory told a compelling, although not particularly well written, story filled with interesting anecdotes. It’s a short read and if you want a peak into their family life, I would recommend reading it.
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