The Love Story Behind The Catcher In The Rye You Definitely Didn't Know

If you graduated from an American high school, you've probably read The Catcher in the Rye. J.D. Salinger's coming-of-age novel has practically become mandatory reading for anyone in adolescence.

Even if you're familiar with Holden Caulfield's rage against the machine, you might not know much about Salinger's life. The film Rebel in the Rye, released on September 8, exposes the fascinating love story that took place just before Salinger wrote Catcher. The film depicts J. D. Salinger's (Nicholas Hoult) love affair with Oona O'Neill (Zoe Deutch).

O'Neill had a life of legendary proportions. She was the daughter of Eugene O’Neill, the Nobel Prize-winning American playwright behind Long Day’s Journey into Night. She was embedded into 1930s and ‘40s elite society, and partied with the Vanderbilts. Mostly, though, she had a fascinating love life that led to being disowned and having eight children — a story that probably merits a film of its own.

Here’s why Oona O’Neill is really the most interesting part of Rebel in the Rye.