Coconuts for the Saint [Paperback]

Debra Spark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1996

Fainting on the doorstep of a Puerto Rican bakery, Maria Elena is drawn into the family of widower Sandrofo Cordero Lucero and his identical triplet daughters, when she tries to learn why Lucero has never taken a new lover. Reprint. NYT.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First novelist Spark weaves a multilayered tale of love and family history in Puerto Rico.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Portions of this occasionally well-written but ultimately disappointing hodgepodge of a first novel appeared as short stories in various magazines. Unfortunately, the pieces haven't been successfully unified into a whole. Sandrofo Lucero, a widower whose wife died giving birth to triplets, comes to Puerto Rico in 1968 to run a bakery. He falls in love with Maria Elena, who is determined to discover the secrets of his past. Maria Elena realizes that she will have to listen to the stories of Tata, Melone, and Beatriz before she can hope to understand their father. Maria Elena is the sole character to emerge as more than a one-dimensional construct. The voices of the daughters are indistinguishable from one another, and there is simply not enough character development for the reader to care what Sandrofo's background is. Not recommended.
Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 283 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (P); 1ST edition (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380726300
• ISBN-13: 978-0380726301
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,308,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Average, January 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Coconuts for the Saint (Hardcover)

There was nothing wrong with this book, although I feel like I've read it before. Same family saga searching for the past, same precious writing. The puerto Rican segments make it a little more interesting, but not by much.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend this rich novel., February 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Coconuts for the Saint (Hardcover)

I first read Coconuts for the Saint about four years ago and loved its magical qualities, well-developed characters, and unique story. About a month ago, I decided to read it again after remembering how I enjoyed it years before. I was not disappointed. Spark's writing involves you in the story throughout the book so much that it will be hard to put it down. The reader is allowed into the lives of a variety of characters in the lush world of a Puerto Rico bakery, where people are as wonderful and flawed as those in the real world. There is something almost musical about this novel in the way that the people and events flow and interact with one another. I highly recommend this book.