Soldier's Home

Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on July 21, 1899, and died in Ketchum, Idaho, on July 2, 1961. After graduating high school, he worked as a reporter for The Kansas City Star for six months, where he learned how to write in short, declarative sentences, a minimalist style he would come to adopt in his literary works.

Hemingway enlisted as an ambulance driver in WWI, and in 1918, he was severely wounded, an experience that impacted his writing and worldview. World War I formed the backdrop of Hemingway’s first novel, 1929’s A Farewell to Arms, as well as several short stories, including “Soldier’s Home.”

After the war, Hemingway spent many years overseas, including in Paris, where he met writers Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Hemingway reflected on his time in Paris in his celebrated memoir A Moveable Feast published in 1964.

Hemingway continued to work as a reporter for much of his life, and assignments as a war correspondent led him to witness major historical events of the 20th century, including the Spanish Civil War, the Liberation of Paris during World War II, and Fidel Castro’s ascension in Cuba. These events influenced Hemingway’s writing, including his most celebrated fiction. Although his works concentrate on individual psychology and intimate relationships (often with sexual undertones), they are commonly set in or near war zones or other dramatic and violent conditions.

Despite his literary success, Hemingway suffered from depression and other mental health challenges. On July 2, 1961, at age 61, Hemingway took his own life. Hemingway was married four times and was survived by three children.

One of the most accomplished American authors of the 20th century, Hemingway has been the subject of numerous biographies and documentaries. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and Novel Prize in Literature in 1954.