Of Mice and Minestrone by Joe R. Lansdale

Published by Tachyon Publications on May 28, 2020

The prolific and versatile Joe Lansdale has done us the favor of writing some new Hap and Leonard stories, most of which appear here for the first time. The volume is subtitled “Hap and Leonard: The Early Years.” While the duo appeared in a three-season television series that I haven’t seen, Lansdale explains in an introduction that the television series and the print stories depart a bit in how the two friends first met. The print version of that meeting is told in a story that appears in Blood and Lemonade.

The first story in this volume, “The Kitchen,” sets the scene by describing Hap’s enjoyment of the smells in his mother’s kitchen. The volume begins to show Lansdale’s grit and wit in the next story, the two-part “Of Mice and Minestrone.” As events progress, Hap explains why, as a teen, he wanted out of Marvel Creek, Texas. “You might call it a one-horse town, and if you did, that horse was crippled and blind in one eye and needed to be put down.” Hap had a summer job mopping floors and doing errands for the local police, putting him in a position to see an older guy named Dash who abused his wife Minnie. Hap does his best to help but Minnie pays a price when she stands up for herself. The story then turns into a murder investigation. Hap’s contribution consists of sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. He learns a lesson about making assumptions — his own and the opposing “good old boy” assumptions made by Dash’s buddy on the police force. The story showcases Lansdale’s ability to write powerful scenes that linger in memory.

Leonard finally makes an appearance in “The Watering Shed,” a story about friendship and racism in a slowly desegregating South. As always, Lansdale recognizes the complexity of race as an issue. Some of the characters are racists, some aren’t, some are in between. By the end of the story, Hap learns something about the importance of standing up for what’s right. In the last story, “The Sabine Was High,” Hap and Leonard meet for the first time after Hap’s release from prison and Leonard’s return from Vietnam. Leonard is proud that he served and Hap is proud that he went to prison for refusing the draft. Their experiences have changed them, but their friendship has only strengthened. The story is a reminder of a time in history when Americans could disagree about politics and still go fishing together as friends.

In between “The Watering Shed” and “The Sabine Was High,” Leonard enlists Hap to work as a sparring partner in the aptly titled “Sparring Partner.” Hap and Leonard are both decent amateur boxers. The small-time promoter who hires them has a history of finding black boxers to match against white boxers. The promoter doesn’t really care if the boxers are good, a callous attitude that places his boxers at risk. The trainer knows better but wants to keep his job. The story culminates in Leonard switching places with an untalented boxer and going up against a slow but monstrous brute. This might be the best boxing story I’ve ever read, but apart from the fight itself, the story addresses collateral characters who confront moral dilemmas and, in a couple of cases, make a selfless choice. This is a heartwarming story and my favorite in the volume.

The collection ends with recipes for southern delicacies (chili and pies and the like) that appear in the stories. Not being much of a cook, I can’t comment on whether they are good, but they did make me hungry for pie.

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