Picturing Hemingway's Michigan

For many readers, the name Ernest Hemingway conjures up images of the Spanish Civil War, the snows of Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro, or the author's years in Key West and Cuba. This book, however, focuses on a neglected locale in the great author's life: the Little Traverse Bay region of northern Michigan, where the young Hemingway and his family vacationed during the first two decades of the 20th century. Federspiel (history, Central Michigan University) has put together a beautiful and thoughtfully curated collection of photos that portray life in this part of Michigan between 1900 and 1920, along with family photos showing the Hemingways at their leisure. Accompanying the images are excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's letters, journals, and published writings that show how strongly his Michigan years influenced his literary output. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Michael R. Federspiel is professor of history at Central Michigan University and serves as the president of the Michigan Hemingway Society.