BOOK – The Last Fiesta

One for fans of Hemingway and J.M. Coetze, Andy Rumbold’s tale of a road trip through flamboyant Spanish culture is what you might call the perfect holiday read. Or at least it is in our opinion.

We’ve all had friends that have, for one reason or another, become acquaintances. We’ve all felt compelled to reunite after all this time, and dedicate a week or two to their company. And, those of us that have managed to do just that, will understand there will always be highs and lows that come from that reunion.

This fact forms part of The Last Fiesta, Rumbold’s debut novel and one that promises much for the future of the writer in question. A bunch of pals decide to get back together and hit the dusty trails, with the main intention being attending the famous fiestas of San Fermin, along with the town’s iconic and hugely controversial bull run. Penned with such visceral language it’s impossible not to picture each and every scene (or chapter), we’re also privy to the secrets, hometruths and realities that make up each of the characters, meaning we’re also drawn into their lives as though they were our own former besties.

Part travelogue, then, and part tale about why sometimes we have to forget the past, or at least put it behind us, it’s easy to understand why the pages in question have been in receipt of so much praise from critics and peers alike. It’s reflective yet tense, poignant, heartbreaking and genuinely intriguing. Or, to put it in a far more concise way, the best word to describe this work is utterly remarkable. Unique from beginning to last, by now you should already be guessing that, despite there being a pile of literary material waiting to be reviewed sitting on our far-too-small desks, this one is definitely coming with us for the next jaunt to sunnier climes.