Hemingway in Cuba by Hilary Hemingway, Carlene Fredericka Brennen, Carlene Brennen

From the Publisher

From 1939 to 1960, Ernest Hemingway made Cuba home to his life and work. Upon winning the Nobel Prize, he pronounced himself a "Cubano Sato"—garden variety Cuban—and gave the award to the Cuban people. To this day the Cubans revere "Ernesto," and the country that Hemingway loved remains unchanged in its character and beauty.

Carlene F. Brennen is an award-winning photojournalist and author. A Hemingway scholar, she served as coordinator of the International Hemingway Festival for three years

Publishers Weekly

Niece Hilary Hemingway (Hunting with Hemingway) and Hemingway scholar Brennan gather anecdotes and photographs of Hemingway's Cuban years (1928-1954). There's the well-known procession of wives and lovers-Pauline, Jane Mason, Martha Gellhorn, Mary Welsh, Adriana Ivancich-complete with snapshots and bedroom speculation. The authors recite incidents that may have inspired passages in Hemingway's books and follow them with highlighted sentences from the novels. Still, the love stories and writing stories are sidelined by fishing tales, as Hemingway hooks, gaffs and weighs a seemingly endless stream of tuna, marlin and sharks. The testosterone positively sizzles, until the narrative reaches 1954, when Hemingway becomes the first Cubano Sato ("garden-variety Cuban") to win the Nobel Prize. The whys and hows of Hemingway's subsequent departure from Cuba are apparently too cloudy for this sunny volume, so the remaining chapters simply detail the research facilities at his estate, Finca Vig!a, hypothesize on the relationship between Castro and Hemingway, and review Hemingway sites in modern Havana. But even if the text's uneven, there's no arguing with the gorgeous layout and illustrations. Thanks to the 160 sepia-toned photographs of the man, his friends and his Cuba, this volume earns its place on any Hemingway fan's shelf. (June) Forecast: A perfect gift for the fishing dad, this book should do well in bookstores in and around Hemingway hot spots, including Key West, Fla.; Oak Park, Ill.; and Sun Valley, Idaho. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Hemingway's niece Hilary, who previously tortured fans with the truly awful Hunting with Hemingway, here rehashes the old monster's lifelong love affair with Cuba. Of all the noted locales (Paris, Key West, etc.), Hemingway seemed most attached to the tropical isle and might have remained permanently if not for Castro's sudden declaration of communism. This volume spends far too much time amateurishly chronicling Ernesto's early visits and later residency, which have been well scrutinized by top biographers. The book reveals nothing new until describing materials in the author's home, now a museum, kept secret by Cuban scholars. Perhaps in the interest of improving U.S. relations, Cuba is slowly providing small glimpses of these papers, photos, letters, marginalia, etc., which should add greatly to future Hemingway studies. Separated, those fascinating details would have made a fine journal article that saved readers from first being dragged through 15 chapters of tired fishing/fighting/drinking/screwing stories. The numerous photos are excellent, but those and one solid section aren't worth $35. This Cuban is a nickel stogie. Not recommended.-Michael Rogers, "Library Journal" Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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