Margaux Hemingway recently committed suicide. This attracted media attention not only because she was the world's highest-paid model but also because she was the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway—himself a suicide victim. Some of the news stories accurately reported that suicide was no stranger to the Hemingway family as Ernest's brother, sister, and father had all committed suicide. Thus, there have been five suicides in the Hemingway family, spaning four generations. Such family histories often lead to the question about whether or not suicide may have a genetic component. Interestingly, Margaux Hemingway was quoted as saying: “Alcoholism and suicide seem to be something we Hemingways have inherited.” This article examines this possibility by reviewing relevant clinical, twin, and adoption studies as well as recent molecular genetic studies.