Bargain eBooks #494:

Hemingway Man by Jim Maher

Type: Novella

Genre: Young Adult

Price: $2.99

Where to Get It:

Espressobooks
Amazon (Kindle)



Sixteen-year-old Will has just lost his father. With no one else to guide him towards manhood, he follows the teachings of Ernest Hemingway:

1. Plant a tree.
2. Write a book.
3. Fight a bull
4. Have a son.

Good luck with that.

***

Hemingway Man is a fast-paced 50,000 word coming-of-age novella with plenty of laughs and a gripping larger-than-life narrative. Will is an instantly likeable narrator as he embarks upon his "man quest". But even Task 1 proves more hazardous than he'd expected:

***

I had the Douglas Fir cone in my pocket and took it out very carefully. It was a little squashed from when I had to run away from the bear, but looked every bit as manly a cone as I could have hoped for. I bent down into the hole and made a cone-sized pit with my fingers. This was it, the moment of truth. My first step down the path to manhood was about to be completed.

I heard a rustle.

There was something in the forest.


What they're saying about it:

“This was a truthful and soulful look at a boy turning into a man and how he navigates loss. Really funny yet raw and sometimes painful, I can imagine this being a great read for all kinds of folks.”

“Hemingway Man is a charming coming-of-age story about teenage Will who has recently lost his father and believes it is now up to him to become the man of the house. A true character-driven story, the tale is both relatable and engaging and presents a very real picture of a normal family going through a challenging time.

The author shows a true facility with words and writes with a fresh and entertaining style. He evokes images and memories with ease and makes you laugh through your tears. It is a great read for anyone who faced real trials as a teenager and worked hard to come through those challenges, however misguided the efforts might be. What starts out as a sad story of loss actually becomes a story of hope and love - the
angst and zeal of youth all wrapped up in one lovely novella.”