Hadley talks about the summer after her divorce
After the difficult summer of 1926, when Pauline, Ernest and Hadley were all in Southern France on an awkward holiday with friends at the Murphy’s Villa America, Hadley knew, finally, that her marriage was over. Returning to Paris by train, she and Ernest each found a new place to live and begin the next part of their lives separately. For Hadley, it meant leaving Paris for a while to think about and recover from what Hadley calls a “miserable” summer. Ernest began his marriage to Pauline. Although they both moved on, it was an ending that would haunt Ernest forever.
What makes Hadley’s life story so compelling is not only the adventures she had traveling with Ernest and meeting some of the most famous writers and painters of her generation, but the strength of character she had when it all ended. She continued to love Ernest after everything, and he loved her deeply for the rest of his life. In an earlier part of her conversation with Alice, Hadley says that she could never bring herself to hate Ernest, and in fact, remained grateful for all of their experiences together.
Listen to this clip of Hadley telling Alice about the summer after their divorce when she and Bumby went to the United States to see family and friends. Hadley had a lot of reasons to hold her head up high, not the least of which was Bumby. Click on the blue title below to hear the tape.
Hadley Free As Air 2
Another wonderful snippet of Hadley and her wonderful life! Thank you, Allie! Another one knocked out of the park.
I don’t like to read about her divorce, but I need.
Happy Internacional Women’s Day to her! Definitely, she was a big and strong woman!
Hadley’s perspective on Ernest is priceless. What a wonderful woman. I love it that she can call him a “terrible responsibilty and “a great man” in practically the same breath.
Great interview, Allie. There are some classic statements in there!
Ernest was leading a double life with Pauline & Hadley “just didn’t care for it.”
“I was glad it was over, is that an awful thing to say?”
She sounded so upbeat about it – she missed him, but she certainly didn’t let it destroy her!
Quite a woman.
Thanks Paul, you highllight one of the many things I admire about Hadley. She so fully lived the adventures of her marriage to Ernest and was so poised when it all ended.
I love Hadley’s soft spoken voice, the way she speaks about her child, and the fact that she felt like “a million dollar and free as air” after her divorce. Her life with Ernest was probably exhaustingly intense…Thank you for sharing Allie.