HUNTING WITH HEMINGWAY

Hemingway and Lindsay (Dreamland, 1998) carry the Hemingway traditions of hunting, family, and storytelling into the new millennium.

After her mother’s death in 1997, Hilary, the daughter of Ernest’s younger brother Leicester, inherits an audiocassette. On the tape is a recording of a fireside storytelling session given by Leicester, who had committed suicide 15 years earlier. Hilary transcribes these tales she has never heard before, weaving them with the chatter of his fireside companions and with her own feelings, and the result is a book that rejoices in the simple beauty of a story. A huntsman and writer like his brother, Leicester describes adventures that he and Ernest experienced around the globe—with tales of nighttime crocodile hunts and slim escapes from stone-throwing baboons. Together, Leicester and his brother—often his savior—make a dynamic duo, and his tales are awesome, admirable, and a bit incredible. The pair escapes vicious packs of cannibal dogs, kills a king cobra, captures wild ostriches in Africa, and slays a kimodo dragon in the Far East. Or do they? As Hilary, Lindsay, and their daughters listen to the recording, they just can’t decide whether these are true stories or tall tales. Here, the story becomes a personal and touching one as well. Leicester Hemingway chose “the family exit” rather than suffer a double amputation made necessary by his diabetes. Hearing her father’s stories helps Hilary finally mourn his loss and gain a new perspective on her family tradition.

Hilary honors her father and celebrates her family legacy with this collection of fantastic hunting stories.