Of Mice and Minestrone: Hap and Leonard: The Early Years

Hap Collins and Leonard Pine share a friendship that’s deeper than the heart of Texas. They are ideological opposites but are as close as brothers. Of Mice and Minestrone travels back to earlier times in their lives, not exactly bucolic, yet not as turbulent as their older years. “The Kitchen” is a nostalgic trip to Hap’s childhood, a large family gathering punctuated by a sumptuous meal and the warmth of togetherness. The titular “Of Mice and Minestrone” finds Hap embroiled in a fractured couple’s domestic discord. Hap makes a bold and kind gesture to a battered spouse, and the end results are not what he expected. “The Watering Shed” and the remaining two stories revolve around the core of Hap and Leonard’s friendship. The duo’s refusal to be cowed by ignorance, redneck rabble-rousers, crooked businessmen, or inherent danger serves to distinguish the last three stories.

Joe Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard never cease to interest the reader. The situations they start and end up in are amply filled with humor, wisdom, and heart. The early years provide the reader with more proof of the two characters’ innate humanity and inherent likability. No matter the trouble they find, their loyalty is to each other and what’s right, which makes every story stronger. An excellent addition to a great collection.