Call Me Zelda

A psychiatric nurse named Anna Howard forms a bond with patient Zelda Fitzgerald at a Baltimore hospital in 1932. Through their connection, Anna becomes deeply involved in the complex life of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. The narrative moves between the hospital setting and glimpses into the Fitzgeralds' past, exploring their marriage, artistic ambitions, and struggles. Anna's own story intertwines with Zelda's as both women confront their personal histories and losses. The novel reconstructs a pivotal period in Zelda Fitzgerald's life through a mix of historical fact and fiction, examining her creative endeavors and mental health challenges. Through Anna's perspective, readers gain insight into the Jazz Age icon's later years and her relationships. This story examines themes of identity, artistic expression, and the price of being overshadowed by fame. The bonds between caregiver and patient raise questions about healing, friendship, and the nature of truth in memory.

Readers appreciate the fictional nurse Anna's perspective on Zelda Fitzgerald's later years, finding it provides a fresh angle on the familiar Scott and Zelda story. Many note the book succeeds more as historical fiction than a biographical account. Readers praised: - The focus on Zelda's time in psychiatric care - Period details of 1930s Baltimore - The complex friendship between Anna and Zelda Common criticisms: - Too much focus on Anna's personal story vs Zelda - Slow pacing in the middle sections - Historical inaccuracies about the Fitzgeralds Review Stats: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (180+ reviews) Sample reader comments: "A unique way to tell Zelda's story through her caretaker's eyes" - Goodreads "The nurse's storyline felt unnecessary and took away from Zelda" - Amazon review "Strong on atmosphere but weak on historical facts" - LibraryThing

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🌟 Author Erika Robuck extensively researched Zelda Fitzgerald's medical records and personal letters at Princeton University while writing this novel. 🌟 The story's narrator, Anna Howard, is a fictional psychiatric nurse, but her character was inspired by actual nurses who cared for Zelda at the Phipps Psychiatric Clinic. 🌟 The Highland Hospital in Asheville, NC, where much of the novel takes place, is where the real Zelda Fitzgerald died in a fire in 1948. 🌟 This book portrays the complex relationship between F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald from a unique perspective, focusing on Zelda's time in psychiatric care rather than their glamorous Jazz Age years. 🌟 Zelda Fitzgerald was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1930, though modern experts believe she may have actually suffered from bipolar disorder, which was poorly understood at the time.