The Possibilities of Sainthood [Hardcover]

Donna Freitas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2008

Antonia Lucia Labella has two secrets: at fifteen, she’s still waiting for her first kiss, and she wants to be a saint. An official one. Seem strange? Well, to Antonia, saints are royalty, and she wants her chance at being a princess. All her life she’s kept company with these kings and queens of small favors, knowing exactly whom to pray to on every occasion. Unfortunately, the two events Antonia’s prayed for seem equally unlikely to happen. It’s not for lack of trying. For how long has she been hoping to gain the attention of the love of her life – the tall, dark, and so good-looking Andy Rotellini? Too long to mention. And every month for the last eight years, Antonia has sent a petition to the Vatican proposing a new patron saint and bravely offering herself for the post. So what if she’s not dead?



But as Antonia learns, in matters of the heart and sainthood, things are about as straightforward as wound-up linguini, and sometimes you need to recognize the signs.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 7 Up—Antonia Lucia Labella, 15, strives to become the first living saint in the history of the Catholic Church. She petitions various saints for any number of reasons, big and small, serious and amusing. Every month for the last eight years, she has written to the Vatican with a new idea for a patron saint for everything from fig trees to kisses and offered herself as a candidate for the position. Her first request after the death of her father was to become the Patron Saint of Daddy's Heart. Each suggestion has been met with silence, but Antonia hasn't given up hope. The teen's life revolves around working at Labella's Market (the best homemade pasta in Rhode Island), school, boys, and saints. Freitas brings to life the protagonist's experiences at a Catholic school and in an immigrant family. First loves and family feuds fill the pages. Antonia wants nothing more than to experience her first kiss with her longtime crush and is horrified when his advances indicate a desire for more. She takes her religion seriously, without proselytizing. With a satisfying ending, this novel about the realistic struggles of a chaste teen is a great addition to all collections.—Cara von Wrangel Kinsey, New York Public Library
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Fifteen-year-old Antonia Labella is a busy girl. She goes to Catholic school, helps her widowed mother in the family grocery, and dreams about kissing Andy Rotellini. However, updating her saint diaries is the most pleasurable way to fill her time. Each year Antonia starts a new diary, filling it with pictures and cards of saints to venerate and pasting in copies of her letters to the Vatican as well as the infrequent replies. Antonia writes regularly, noting oversights in patron-saint specializations and recommending the logical candidate to fill the position—that would always be Antonia. First-time novelist Freitas hops into the romance genre and brightens and heightens it by providing characters who are anything but run-of-the-mill (though Mom’s a little stereotypical) and expanding the tale to include a religious fervor not usually seen in today’s teens, not so amusingly anyway. Yes, it’s kind of silly that Antonia thinks she has a shot at being the Patron Saint of the Kiss, but her first-person narrative is so smile inducing, it’s easy to go along with the premise. As Antonia sorts out her feelings for longtime crush Andy, as well as Michael, the boy who makes her blush, readers will be hard-pressed to decide what interests them most—make-out sessions or martyrs. Grades 8-10. --Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (August 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374360871
• ISBN-13: 978-0374360870
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,150,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite characters!, September 14, 2009

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Whatcha Reading Now? (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Possibilities of Sainthood (Hardcover)

Antonia Lucia Labella is immediately likable from the first pages where she petitions the Vatican to name a Patron Saint of Figs and Fig Trees. In this warm and witty novel by Donna Freitas, Antonia's voice is what propels this story forward and makes readers not want to leave her world. She prays her way through gym class, a family celebration that requires her to wear a candle crown ablaze and, most importantly, for a truly divine first kiss. Leaving Antonia behind at the end of the book made me melancholy. I hope we will see more of her in the future.
--Reviewed by Michelle Delisle

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Donna Freitas has created a warmhearted story filled with humor, reflections and life, November 19, 2008

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Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Possibilities of Sainthood (Hardcover)

Fifteen-year-old Antonia Lucia Labella lives in Rhode Island with her mom and grandmother. She helps out in the family's Italian grocery store located beneath their apartment and goes to the all-girls Catholic school with her best friend, Maria. She spends most of her remaining free time learning about her favorite subject: saints.

Antonia prays to the saints everyday, and her favorite section in the school library is the one with anything a person ever wanted to know about saints. In fact, she has a secret goal, known only to her grandmother and Maria, which is to become the very first living saint in the history of the Catholic Church. Every month she writes a letter to the Pope, suggesting an area lacking in saint representation --- for example, the Patron Saint of Figs and Fig Trees. And every month she humbly suggests herself to fill the role. The Vatican hasn't shown much interest thus far.

Antonia has another secret, this one known only to Maria. At the age of 15, Antonia has yet to experience a real, romantic kiss. And she is determined to do something about it. The object of her affections is the gorgeous Andy Rotellini, who goes to the boys' Catholic school. So far, he doesn't seem to know she exists, but after her mom hires him to work at the family store, the situation seems to take a turn for the better.

There is one other fellow in Antonia's life, a guy who utterly confuses her. Two years ago, she met Michael McGinnis, and they hung out all summer, quickly becoming friends. But then Michael had to go and ruin it all by trying to kiss Antonia. Two years ago, Antonia wasn't ready for her first big kiss, and she ran away from Michael. She's been pushing away his attentions ever since. But Michael is persistent, and Antonia finally agrees to try the friendship thing again. Will Michael behave himself this time? After getting to know him better, does Antonia really want him to?

Donna Freitas has created a warmhearted story filled with humor, reflections and life. Antonia is amazing: very goal-orientated, determined, guided by her heart, a character who almost becomes a real friend. Freitas has a writing style that invites a reader to step into the story, to become part of it, and really feel the emotions and actions of her characters. THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD is a charming and witty book, and her newly-acquired fans will be demanding more.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GreenBeanTeenQueen Reviews, July 20, 2009

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GreenBeanTeenQueen (MO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Possibilities of Sainthood (Hardcover)

When I first read about this book, I thought "hmm, sounds cute, but how interesting can a story about a girl obsessed with saints be?" But I was wonderfully surprised! This story has heart and a wonderfully cohesive family that you don't see often in teen fiction.

I loved spending time with Antonia and her big Italian family and Antonia's side comments about being a Catholic School Girl always made me laugh out loud. I also give big cheers to Maria, who is a great example of a true best friend.

Overall, this is a fun story that is a great feel good read. I would recommend to anyone looking for a smart romance with a great cast of characters.