The Wildest Sun

A Novel

By: Asha Lemmie

Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers

Following her New York Times bestselling debut Fifty Words for Rain, Asha Lemmie's next sweeping and evocative novel introduces a determined young woman’s search for the larger-than-life literary figure she believes to be her father.

When tragedy forces Delphine Auber, an aspiring writer on the cusp of adulthood, from her home in postwar Paris, she seizes the opportunity to embark on the journey she's long dreamed of: finding the father she has never known. But her quest—spanning from Paris to New York’s Harlem, to Havana and Key West—is complicated by the fact that she believes him to be famed luminary Ernest Hemingway, a man just as elusive as he is iconic. She desperately yearns for his approval, as both a daughter and a writer, convinced that he holds the key to who she's truly meant to be. But what will happen if she is wrong, or if her real story falls outside of the legend of her parentage that she’s revered all her life?

The Wildest Sun is a dazzling, unexpected, and transportive story about coming into adulthood—from escaping our pasts, to the stories we tell ourselves, to the ambition that drives us—as we seek to find out who we are.

Intriguing Story of Self Discovery

A beautiful bildungsroman with a central female character, who journeys between three very different cultures (French, American, Cuban), in search of her own identity, redemption and acceptance, this book presents youth and maturity, friendship and love, beyond tradițional social boundaries and an unusually winding path from childhood trauma to learning and healing.
Starting in the aftermath of WWII, the action brilliantly focuses on the individuals and their personal struggles, which unfold on the background of large social turmoil, describing the agency they hold over their own destinies, despite doubts, feelings of guilt or inadequacy, confusion about the future.
Very hopeful ending.

Delphine’s strength and determination for an 18 year old

Liked the characters that were positive and supportive to Delphine that gave her hope for a future.!

delightful, quirky story!

Imagine growing up believing you're Ernest Hemingway's daughter. And imagine searching for him, plotting how to meet him, and wondering if he remembers your mother from his time in Paris. Will he recognize you as his child? This is a fast "read" It isn't complicated, just the sort of book you'd listen to on a trip or at the beach. I recommend it for listeners who want something light and unusual, a break from WWII dual timelines or long, complicated family sagas.