Climb into the mind of one of the greatest writers of all time, Ernest Hemingway, and experience his life in an imaginative, thrilling, and historically accurate way that brings his personality to life and exposes shocking details about his (alleged) suicide.* Candid and hard-hitting, tender and romantic, the story begins where Hemingway's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Old Man and the Sea left off. But this story isn't centered around an old man fighting a giant marlin, but a not-so-old man fighting his past, himself, and the incarnated evil intent on destroying him.
The not-so-old man is an ex-champion long-distance swimmer who sets out on a long swim in the Gulf of Mexico to forget the two heart-breaking tragedies that for decades have ruled his life. As memories of his past haunt him, he distracts himself from his misery by thinking of his favorite writer, Ernest Hemingway. From Hemingway's early childhood when his mother dressed him as a girl, to his wartime exploits, four marriages, ex-pat life in Paris, safaris, and bullfights, to the genetic illness that could have caused him to commit suicide, all 61 years of Hemingway's life are woven into a fast-paced, psychological drama that is not only thrilling in its own right but punctuates the tenor, importance, and inspirational qualities of Hemingway's works. You'll learn about the four women he married and how each influenced his writing. You won't just learn about safaris, bullfights, and deep-sea fishing, but feel the sweaty palms and pounding heart of the struggles as if you were there. The Normandy invasion, Spanish Civil War, skiing in Austria, and ex-pat life in Paris with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, and Pablo Picasso all come to life in revealing and enlightening scenes.
What was the name of the high school newspaper he wrote for? Who helped him get his first job as a cub beat-reporter at the Kansas City Star? Why did he and his first wife, Hadley, move from Paris to Toronto and then back again? What Parisian café did he pen much of his first novel in? Why did he move from Cuba to Idaho? What was the name of the Venetian princess he had a platonic (plus the hugging and kissing) relationship with, all in front of his fourth wife? How much did the 60-foot long swimming pool cost at his house in Key West, and who paid for it? What was the name of the Key West bar he met his third wife in, and what magazine did she write for? What was the name of his favorite cat? How much did he weigh on March 24th, 1960? What was the name of his fishing boat, how long was it, and what kind of engine did it have? What odd habit did his second son Greg have? And more. Much, much more.
As the not-so-old man remembers all these things about Papa Hemingway, suddenly, he finds himself in a surreal, life or death struggle in the middle of the sea. Pirates? A cargo ship bearing down on him? A pack of hungry sharks? An angry marlin looking for revenge? The words of Hemingway echo in his head. They inspire him, guide him, comfort him in this, his darkest hour. But will that be enough for him to muster the strength of character to save himself? Or is it time to just cut bait and admit defeat? The not-so-old man's strength is fading. His will is weakening. And his mind. . . his mind. . . might just become Hemingway's mind too.
"Beautifully written and very heartwarming..."
"Hemingway fans will rejoice, and many more will be made upon reading this book..."
