This was an interesting coming of age story for a girl who grew up under tough circumstances. We follow Delphine Auber for a good chunk of time, for me it was little bit too long. I would have preferred that she learn and make decisions about her life a little more quickly. This would be a good summer read with it's Cuba and Florida setting.

“I am the daughter of a proud father and a delightfully vain mother. I am a girl who has always known that her destiny must lead to greatness, and that I must achieve it whatever it costs me.”—Asha Lemmie, The Wildest Sun.

This coming-of-age tale whisked me away to postwar Paris, where we meet Delphine Auber, a young aspiring writer with dreams as big as the Eiffel Tower. From the get-go, Delphine’s journey captivated me. Having shouldered the weight of her alcoholic mother's care since she was a child, her story is one of resilience and determination.

But it's when she sets sail for the bustling streets of Harlem, where she lives with family friends, that things pick up. Her quest takes her to Havana, where she believes she'll find her long-lost father, none other than the legendary Ernest Hemingway.

One thing I appreciated about this book is how vividly Lemmie paints the vibrant backdrop of Havana. It’s like you’re right there, soaking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. Delphine begins her own literary journey, crafting novels she hopes will earn her father’s approval. And Delphine herself? Initially unlikeable, she becomes a character you can’t help but cheer for—I feel like I understood what made her tick.

That said, there were a few bumps along the road. Lemmie’s writing, while engaging, sometimes gets bogged down by unnecessary adverbs. Still, The Wildest Sun outshines Lemmie’s previous work, Fifty Words for Rain (2020). It’s a compelling tale with heart, soul, and just the right amount of drama. So, if you’re looking for a book to whisk you away to another time and place, this one’s worth a shot. 4 stars.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Delphine Auber's mother died and she is determined to find her father, who she was told was Ernest Hemingway. Delphine travels first to New York to stay with friends of her mother, but as she gets settled into her life, she realizes he's not there and she must decide what she really wants. She then travels to Havana to continue her search. Overall, a coming of age story about a young women finding her voice and figuring out what's important to her. Delphine was often naive and she spent much of her life building up her father's image in her mind, despite never having met him.

The main reason that I wanted this book is because I am a huge Hemingway fan, and love the thought of him having a love child.

I did not expect to find it so well done. This book was extraordinary! I am pretty sure I fell in love with Delphine from the first page. When we meet Delphine, we can tell that she will keep some secrets from us for a while, but we don't expect to see how troubled she is. We realize quickly that she is looking for the man she believes to be her biological father, Papa Ernest Hemingway. Delphine sets on a trip to find Papa at all costs, no matter who she leaves in the wake.

Delphine will eventually make her way to Havana and experience life like she never has before. This is a coming-of-age story that is beautifully written and well-executed. I adored every word on the page.

I was blown away by the writing contained within these pages. I was immediately drawn into Delphine’s life as well as her search for Ernest Hemingway who she believes to be her father. Her journey and personal growth was not always easy to witness. Sometimes her naïveté grated on my nerves but I also found it to be very realistic. I think Lemmie’s characterization is so well done.

The pacing was also done well. This isn’t a plot driven novel but it still kept my attention all the way through. I was fascinated from beginning to end.

This was my first experience with Lemmie’s work but it won’t be my last. I need to read everything she writes!

Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc. This was a solid 3 star read. It was a lot different than what I expected, but I did enjoy it.

I was a bit nervous about reading this book as I had a tough time with Fifty Words For Rain, but I did really enjoy Lemmie’s descriptive abilities, so I thought I’d give her another shot. I have to say that I liked this book a lot better. It was a little unevenly paced, but the story was interesting. The part that took place in Cuba was my favorite. I also appreciated that while there were sad moments in this story, it wasn’t as relentlessly depressing as Fifty Words.

The reader follows Delphine through her journey as a teen who just lost her mother and through a young woman who has matured and become comfortable in herself and her life. I didn't feel that this story told anything different than a book written in the same genre. As any typical teen, Delphine is always chasing and seeking the approval of her father/a man. Only as she matures, does she realize how much her mother did for her and the breadth of love her mother had for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

The Wildest Sun is a gorgeously written historical/literary novel the follows, Delphine Auber, an aspiring writer as she travels across the world in search of the man, she believes is her father, Ernest Hemingway. Asha Lemmie does an excellent job at bringing to life post-war Paris and pre-Castro Cuba. The characters are well fleshed out. Her depiction of Hemingway is believable. I would recommend this novel to historical fiction fans, Hemingway fans, or anyone who enjoys being transported all over the world.

** spoiler alert ** “The Wildest Sun” is a great read. Finished it in one weekend and truly enjoyed it. Read it if you like historical fiction, strong female protagonists, and stories about writers and writing.

What I liked:

• a fast paced and masterful prose
• character development from a young girl with her fears and hopes to a confident woman believing in her talent is excellent and a pleasure to follow
• descriptions of Paris, NYC, and Havana are lovely and come to life easily
• the premise of the novel is very interesting and the ending was not the happy ending I expected. A traditional happy ending would have probably been a bit boring and unfit for a character like Delphine
• this is a story of a woman finding her way in life and her happiness without it involving a man or a great love story (although there is a man, a love, and a friendship)

What disappointed me:

• I would have loved a bit more of a closure with a final letter with “Papa” that never arrived
• I know it really does happen that way in life that people spend years afraid to do what could make them happy or give them closure, but come on. She could have had an actual relationship with Hemingway - whether he was her father or not. I suppose it is fitting in the end to the character’s arc.

Lovely read overall!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I loved this one! I'm honestly unclear how much of it is fiction or if any of it is inspired by true events or people, but I was absolutely invested in the story of a young woman who believes she is Ernest Hemingway's daughter as she searches for him. I loved how we as readers got to visit France and Harlem and Cuba and Key West as her story unfolded. A great entry into the historical fiction genre, there is unexpected romance in the way Lemmie writes, which makes for an imminently compelling and readable story.

I loved Asha Lemmie's first novel. I could not totally warm up to the story line of her second book - it sounded interesting but improbable. How an 18 year old girl had the means to do all that travel was never fully explained. The main character Delphine wants to be a writer like Hemingway who she believes to be her father but I could not even figure out in what language she was writing and in which country she hoped to get published.

The Wildest Sun
A Novel
by Asha Lemmie

I am a huge fan of Ernest Hemingway so when I read the blurb on this book, I immediately knew this was a book I wanted to read. The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie follows a woman named Delphine, who believes her father to be the literary figure Ernest Hemingway. The story is an engaging and beautifully written, historical fiction. The story is set in beautiful Paris, New York, and Havana, as a woman searches over a decade for who she is. I enjoyed this beautiful book and everyone should read this.

A woman travels the world looking for her father, who she believes is Ernest Hemingway.

This one was just ok for me. I’m picky about writing styles for historical fiction though, so it could just be me.

What a fantastic book! Reminiscent of The Paris Wife, Ashe Lemmie takes us through the many trials and growing pains of Delphine who believes her father to be Ernest Hemingway. We cross decades and continents as we grow with Delphine in this powerful story about forgiveness, found family and finally letting go enough to choose yourself. I will be telling everyone to read this one.

I found this story to be engaging and beautifully written. Great for fans of Hemingway! This was my first Asha Lemmie novel - thank you to NG and the publishers.

THE WILDEST SUN is a fascinating story about a girl coming into adulthood, as she seeks to find out who she is. Delphine has just survived World War II in France. After the death of her mother, she leaves Paris in search of her father and embarks on a fifteen year journey that includes time in New York and Havana. The author has a wonderful talent for character development and establishing the relationships of all the characters. My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my advance Reader Copy. This is my honest review.

It was a really interesting book about a girl named D ELP HIN EAU. P. E!R. Her mother and the twenties apparently had a baby and she thought it was ernest hemingway's baby. She told these stories to this little girl. And this was during the occupation of Paris. Her mother wasn't alcoholic and was really hard for her growing up. But she did the best she could. Things escalated when her mother committed suicide and she thought she killed her. Lewis from the Conde. N. T. Came for her and she stayed with them. But she was not very happy because she really wanted to find her father. She also wanted to be a writer just like her father. Things took a turn for the worst when she stole money and went to new york to live with her uncle. She made up stories about how her mother was recovering. But the Uncle did not knoh, the sister was dead. She meets this woman named Teddy. And this is really interesting part of the story and how these women would come to new york and to try to find fame and fortune. A lot of the word just abused and by these wealthy men and allow them to turn out to be drug addicts.
Alex She still wanted to go to Cuba declined to father. So she did things like to get the money to get there. When she was in Cuba, she met a young man and she opened up to eventually. But this was really interesting. She did find Her father but it Really wasn't Her father because of the nun from the CONV. E!N. T. Send to her a letter. She was really happy there. And things were going really well. But she had to leave when Cuba became a Communist country. This book is really interesting. Because everybody found out who they really were and got what they wanted to in the end.

I received The Wildest Sun as an advanced readers copy from the publisher. As it started I found I was a little intrigued but after a few chapters I found it hard to engage and be interested in the story as a whole. Not the books fault most likely as I am a mood reader and into more thrillers and mysteries lately it just didn’t capture me quickly. I feel many will find this book very good but for me it wasn’t a fit.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Wildest Sun.

I loved Asha Lemmie's debut, Fifty Words for Rain. It was one of my top reads of 2020. When I had the chance to read The Wildest Sun, I wasn't sure how it would measure up -- Would I love Asha's sophomore novel just as much? Without a doubt, the answer is yes. The Wildest Sun is, at its core, a growing-up story, but it's so much more than that. It's about loss and friendship, the ability to trust and to find your place in the world.. which isn't maybe where you expected it to be. It;s about being true to yourself, despite the world trying to make you conform to something else. Delphine is a phenomenal character, and The Wildest Sun is now destined to be one of my top reads of 2023.