The Not-So-Old Man has issues. Ernest Hemingway has answers. Will they be enough to save the not-so-old man from death? Or prove to be his ultimate undoing.
"Every writer should read this book!" U.K. Book Review
Inspired by Hemingway's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Old Man and the Sea, this story dives deep into the mind of the legendary novelist—exposing his strengths and weakness like never before. Fact and photo-filled with touches of fantasy and humor, The Not-So-Old Man and the Sea is an in-depth biography Hemingway fans will cherish, and newbies will learn from.
It's everything you wanted to know about Hemingway but never thought to ask, wrapped in a thrilling high-seas adventure. Plus, all of his secrets to writing compelling fiction are revealed.
"Beautifully written and very heartwarming." Beta-reader
"Highly recommended reading!" Midwest Book Review
The not-so-old man's life is a mess. Decades-old tragedies simmer in his psyche to the boiling point, making him desperate for an escape. But to where? To the one place he's always found comfort—the sea. An ex-champion and long-distance swimmer, this 50ish rugged man dives into the Gulf of Mexico once more. But this time, he's not swimming for temporary relief. This time, it's for more. Much more ...
The yards turn into miles and the minutes into hours as the not-so-old man's thoughts frantically swim in every direction. Memories of his struggles with his wife, children, health, and sanity overwhelm him and trigger his mind to go to another place he always found comfort—the life and writings of Ernest Hemingway (AKA Papa). Each freestyle stroke sparks a new revelation. Each breath fuels a new identity.
He remembers his trip to Paris to retrace Hemingway's life with Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Pablo Picasso. He recalls Hemingway's birth, childhood, adolescence, and first job as a fledgling journalist. As his mind weakens from his swim, the not-so-old man imagines Hemingway's adventures in France, Austria, Spain, Wyoming, Key West, Cuba, and Idaho. Hem's injuries in WWI, the Spanish Civil War, hunting U-boats during WWII, and storming the beach of Normandy explode into his consciousness in fact-filled, real-life detail.
Feel for yourself Papa's thrilling safaris, bullfights, deep-sea fishing, skiing, hiking, and love affairs. And be there when the shotgun went off that killed him. (Shockingly, new forensic evidence from a M.D. asserts that Hemingway did NOT commit suicide.)
Finally, Hemingway's relationships with his four wives explode into the not-so-old man's consciousness in historically accurate and heart-throbbing detail. . .
"Pauline had finally given birth to my second son, Patrick. Poor Pauline, she couldn't give birth to save her life. Hours of painful labor that almost killed her and then a C-section. She went through nearly the same ordeal with Greg. But she's a trooper. I'd have her in my foxhole any time. She joined me at the Sheridan in August. She needed a break too.
There's a photo of Pauline and me in front of our tent at the Spear-O. You can see she was tiny—the tippy-top of her head barely came up to my shoulder. No wonder she had trouble birthing. But it's a good photo and she looks happy…"
As the not-so-old man tires, suddenly, he finds himself in a surreal, life-or-death struggle in the middle of the sea. The words of Hemingway echo in his head. Will they inspire him to muster the strength of will to survive, or make him realize he's just like several of Hemingway's characters who were fated to die all along? The answer—submerged seventy feet below the waterline—may surprise you.
Hemingway...