FINDING HEMINGWAY

A young lawyer who is between jobs goes to Spain on a journey to find Ernest Hemingway, or at least his ghost, in this debut novel.

Callie McGraw is a hotshot in the legal world in New York, but after a company merger, she finds herself unemployed. Luckily, a friend asks her to be general counsel at his new tech startup. The only problem is the new job is in San Francisco and it doesn’t start for six months. While she mulls it over, her phone rings, and on the line is Hemingway, who died in 1961. Callie is an enormous fan of The Sun Also Rises and is floored when Hemingway tells her to come find him in Spain. Not questioning the supernatural aspect of this wild occurrence, Callie wrestles her way out of her lease, packs her bags, and heads off to Barcelona. Once there, she meets a geeky American graduate student named Trevor. The two become joined at the hip until Hemingway calls again and they travel to Madrid. There, she meets Claudio, a wealthy Spanish playboy with a passion for partying. He and Callie become lovers, but she still hang outs with Trevor daily. As the months pass, Callie and her small entourage are drawn to Pamplona, where the running of the bulls may lead her to the answers she is seeking. Dortzbach’s wine-soaked tale of an American living it up in Europe has a wonderful first-person voice that charges through the narrative in an ego-driven but conscientious way that is quite engaging. Callie is not always perfect, and she has serious trust issues, but her love of Spain and devotion to friends, namely the ever lovable Trevor, make the book an enjoyable read. The Hemingway phone calls add a light touch of mystery to a story peppered with Spanish art, culture, and food.

A smart and gratifying tale about an American in Spain trying to enjoy life.