The Legend of the Barefoot Mailman

by John Henry Fleming

Book Overview

A mix of comedy, tragedy, and misdirected mail carries this beautiful novel about a naive European immigrant who seeks his fortune in 1880s South Florida. The area was still very much a frontier then,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571198791
• ISBN13: 9780571198795
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A great quick read of a legendary Florida tale

This is the type of story that will interest a lot of different types of readers. It's historically-based fiction, a southern picaresque, a period story set over 100 years ago, and a quick read. If you only read modern "page turners," this one probably isn't for you. But if you like a good story with a factual basis and unique,. well-drawn characters, give this one a shot. If I had one complaint it would be that the book just isn't long enough. Just when you really get to know the characters it's all but over.

Great Summer Reading

This book was a pleasant find (a book I found because I pursued it, being curious about my former professor's first novel). I highly recommend this novel, and Floridians, tourists, and lovers of historical fiction will appreciate the lives of the characters and how their respective goals intertwine.

A great satire of the legends and lore of early Florida

Fleming takes the idea of real-life postal carriers who delivered mail by foot along Florida's beaches (before I-95, the railroad, etc.) and offers a hilarious, mostly fictitious look at the early settlement of Florida. If you know Florida, you'll recognize the brilliantly-drawn landscape and the optimism of those who go there to enjoy it. But even if you don't know Florida, you'll recognize the characters' determination to pursue their dreams, even when the pursuit doesn't take them where they expected! The only unpleasantness the book leaves you with is not knowing which of the characters you love most, because you will love them all!