A New York Times Notable Book of the Year: âThroughout, Palinâs empathetic humor informs this perceptive tribute to the art of manliness.â âEntertainment Weekly
Martin Sproale is an assistant postmaster obsessed with Ernest Hemingway. Martin lives in a small English village, where he studies his hero and putters about harmlesslyâuntil an ambitious outsider, Nick Marshall, is appointed postmaster instead of Martin. Slick and self-assured, Nick steals Martinâs girlfriend and decides to modernize the friendly local office by firing dedicated but elderly employees and privatizing the business. Suddenly, gentle Martin is faced with a choice: meekly accept defeat as he always has, or fight for what he believes in, as his hero, Hemingway, would.
Filled with Michael Palinâs trademark wit and good humor, this novel is for anyone who has ever dreamed of triumphing over the technocrats and backstabbers of the world. Hilarious, touching, and ultimately inspirational, Hemingwayâs Chair will make readers stand up and cheer.
âHis book is well paced, his prose, carefully hewn, his characters fully developed and convincingly human. And his comic timing is impeccable.â âThe Washington Post
âThis bookâs strengths are . . . its dry, deftly, understated wit, its careful plot and character construction; its clever, on-the-money dialogue . . . Those pleasures carry you a long way.â âThe New York Times Book Review
âThe spirit of Hemingway is evident in Palinâs prose.â âThe Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
âFunnyman Palin brings a light touch to this yarn, treating his characters and their many weaknesses with an affection that will have readers rooting for his unlikely hero.â âPublishers Weekly