Overview
The story of Ernest Hemingway and Pauline Pfeiffer during six summers from 1928 through 1939—each showing Hemingway at a different place in his writing as well as a different stage of their marriage
A revealing look at Ernest Hemingway's life and loves during his Wyoming years.After the success of The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway sought refuge in Wyoming with his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. This is the story of their six summers together, a period marked by creative inspiration and marital evolution.
Darla Worden unveils a little-known chapter in Hemingway's life, tracing his transformation from a smitten newlywed to a restless husband. Cockeyed Happy explores themes of:
- The influence of Wyoming's landscape on Hemingway's writing
- The complexities of his relationship with Pauline Pfeiffer
- The allure of fame and the challenges of maintaining a marriage
For readers of literary biography and anyone fascinated by the life of Ernest Hemingway.
Reviews
"Darla Worden’s Cockeyed Happy, about Ernest Hemingway and his second wife Pauline, portrays not only a marriage but also a landscape rarely examined in his life and work. Worden briskly and engagingly conveys how the hunting grounds and fishing streams of rugged Wyoming shaped Hemingway’s writing life, burnished friendships, and backdropped this not-forever-happy relationship." —Steve Paul, author of
Hemingway at Eighteen "Cockeyed Happy is an exuberant and forthright account of a far-too-underappreciated period of Hemingway's life. Darla Worden's affection for her subjects and their surroundings is irresistible." —Craig Boreth, author of
The Hemingway Cookbook "What you didn’t learn in the recent PBS three-part documentary about Ernest Hemingway and his years with his second wife, Pauline, you will learn in Darla Worden’s Cockeyed Happy—and more! This is a story of romance, adventure, anger, and regret, told with intimate and compelling detail. It’s a provocative read." —Lee Gutkind, author of
My Last Eight Thousand Days"Darla Worden has written a captivating book that reads like a novel yet is thoroughly researched with factual attention to detail. . . . Her descriptions of time and place resemble a travelogue that makes you want to experience the area for yourself, despite the changes since Hemingway’s time. . . . Worden’s book is a refreshing addition to Hemingway scholarship." —Ruth Hawkins,
Unbelievable Happiness and Final Sorrow“Streamlined and impacting, Darla Worden’s Cockeyed Happy could be construed as a narrative of the author himself, a compelling account of Hemingway’s summers in Wyoming—and I can think of no finer compliment.” —Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries
"[An] immersive debut. . . For readers interested in a lesser-known aspect of Hemingway’s life, this is worth a look." —
Publishers Weekly"Enticing. . . ‘Cockeyed Happy’ is not only a look into a famous marriage, but it’s also a lot of fun to read." —
6park.news"This is a stirring story that not only highlights an aspect of the famous novelist’s private life, but acts as travelogue through parts of the West." —
COWGIRL Magazine OnlineAuthor Biography
Wyoming native Darla Worden lives in Denver, Colorado, where she is editor in chief of Mountain Living magazine. Worden also is founder and director of the Left Bank Writers Retreat in Paris and a journalist known for articles about art, architecture, travel, and the West. Visit her at darlaworden.com.
Mother's Day
Father's Day
