Azucar! The Story of Sugar [Paperback]

Alan Cambeira (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2001

AZÚCAR! The Story of Sugar is a fictional novel that offers a gripping testimony to the unmasked brutality and decay of daily life on a contemporary Caribbean sugarcane plantation, Esperanza Dulce. Azúcar, the intelligent and beautiful young girl, is the central character, but the omnipresent protagonist is her namesake, "azúcar" -- sugar itself. Azúcar’s story is a complex and hauntingly atmospheric tale of sustained intrigue, murder, revenge, forbidden love, and an unnerving journey into the mystical spirit world of Caribbean ritual. Even after Azúcar’s fiercely determined grandmother arranges for her to emigrate to Canada -- with a most unlikely couple-- where she is dramatically transformed, she is still not completely free from the hypnotic pull of the distant Caribbean plantation. Azúcar meets and falls in love with Lucien, whose own mysterious history shockingly brings them both back to Esperanza Dulce to confront the terrifying ghosts of an unknowingly shared past.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" He captures masterfully the Caribbean reality: the quest for a sense of identity and wholeness." -- Sept Magazine from Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe, May 2002

". . . A beautiful rendering of classic Caribbean syncretism; a microcosm of the Caribbean melting pot." -- Trinidad Express from Port of Spain, Trinidad/Tobago, March 2002

"His writing is boldly lyrical, reflecting Caribbean sensuousness, rhythms and mysticism." -- The Observer from Kingston, Jamaica, April 2002

"This novel has more of the tone and texture and taste of the mysterious Caribbean milieu than many other novels. -- Listin Diario Newspaper from Dominican Republic, March 2002

A beautiful rendering of classic Caribbean syncretism; a microcosm of the Caribbean melting pot. -- Trinidad Express (Port of Spain, Trinidad/Tobago)

This novel has more of the tone and texture and taste of the mysterious Caribbean milieu than many other novels. -- Listín Diario (Dominican Republic Newspaper), March, 2002

From the Publisher

AZÚCAR presents a story about the oppression of women and the male fear of those "secret powers" men believe certain women to have. AZÚCAR’s story touches on the notion of finding a way to escape the barbarisms and exploitation of one life for another . . . elsewhere. AZÚCAR’s story offers a bold, feminine perspective of certain Caribbean realities.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Belecam & Associates, Inc. (December 2001)
• ISBN-10: 0972082115
• ISBN-13: 978-0972082112
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (140 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,266,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

376 of 377 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing tour de force!, July 17, 2003

By 

CoffeeGurl - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Azucar! The Story of Sugar (Paperback)

This book is so beautifully written it is to be savored over time, like fine wine. It moved me deeply, delighted me in a literary sense, and was always a compelling joy to come home to. Alan Cambeira is a stellar writer; surely he could speak of the phone book and be just as mesmerising, but when the topic is the struggles of sugarcane business in the Dominican Republic, it is indeed a rare and wonderful feast. Brava to a sublime author and a worthy topic. This proves that Hispanic literature is one of the worthiest to read. I recommend it not just as a library piece, but also as a special gift for any friend with a soul...

321 of 321 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important New Literary Voice, June 24, 2003

By 

Amy Forsyth (Burlington, VT (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Azucar! The Story of Sugar (Paperback)

Alan Cambeira, an exciting Dominican author, writes fiction without being outlandish. However, he is conspicuously unconventional. His words are carefully selected and positioned just right to concoct a dazzling and suspenseful tale set against the deceptive beauty of the Caribbean. His characters are shockingly real and the story itself is compelling and powerful. I highly recommend this book for those readers with a genuine interest in cross-cultural fiction.

320 of 320 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provokes Discussion and Thought, July 18, 2003

By 

Salvatore Vescia (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Azucar! The Story of Sugar (Paperback)

This particular novel impresses me greatly. Not just the truly unique and multidimensional characters and the events and circumstances in which they find themselves. But also the deeper ideas and serious issues that serve as what I think is the driving force of the story itself. This is the kind of complex novel that actually provokes thought because of these underlying issues. The profit motive and greed that largely determine the behaviors and attitudes of the plantation owners, for instance, became the basis for serious discussion after finishing this novel. Cambeira gives the reader something to really think about. A Great Read.