Caramba!: A Tale Told in Turns of the Card

by Nina Marie Martínez

Book Overview

An "absurdly entertaining first novel" (Los Angeles Times) about mamacitas and mariachis, fiestas and tupperware parties, rodeos and Miss Magma beauty contests. "Endlessly inventive ... very funny.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375413758
• ISBN13: 9780375413759
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Mamacitas and Mariachis

Inspired by La Lotería, a Mexican game of chance not unlike bingo, the novel is a joyous story of mamacitas and mariachis, fiestas and Tupperware parties, rodeos and Miss Magma beauty contests. In Caramba! the American experience emerges in a brilliant new language and landscape, both touching and dazzlingly fresh. (summary by the Latino Recommended Reading List from the Association of American Publishers's * Publishing Latino Voices for America Task Force)

Spanglish

Okay, let me say this first. I really love this book. I got it for Christmas last year, and whenever I read it, I feel very christmasy, which is just weird, but understandable. This book is really cute. After the death of their boss, Nat and Sway set off on a road trip to send his ashes into freedom, and meet a bunch of strange characters on the way, including some lady criminals and a maraiachi who is also an ambassodor of Jesus, his mother and her boyfriend. It's a bit confusing, there are tons of characters, but it's fun and it makes you wish you had a friend like Nat or Sway. My only compliant is that I couldn;t read the spanish. But that's my problem, because I am too lazy to learn spanish. It's a fun book, please give it a chance. Also, the cover is so loud, it will definately get you attention...if that's what you want.

I wish I had written this book!!!

Oh! How wonderful it must be to have your head filled with such amazing adventures and lucious characters. It has been such a long time since I've read a book where the characters just leap from the pages and invite you into their world. The artwork is enchanting and adds so much to the story. It gives the feeling that you are a part of the book & the exploits of the characters. The people populating this book have stayed with me ~ I miss them & want MORE!

Hola amigos!

Don't miss the point that this book bridges English and Espanol. So that's what my hermanos to the south (and north, and everywhere) are doing. And thinking about, and playing, and writing, and, um, what they're trying to get out of purgatory--which, by the way, is all done in white. Heaven has deep, rich colors. With all your favorite things, like in a Mexican Western. This chica has a clever, refined sense of humor--in two languages. Check it out. Improve your Spanish. Learn about lonchera crime; two-faced, paroled mujeres; and born-again mariachi frustrations. Try not to steal any dress designs--cut on the bias. Me gusto mucho. Deserves a place on the bookshelf of gringo's with even the smallest Spanish vocabulario.

AS ZESTY AS SALSA, AS MELLOW AS A MARGARITA

"Caramba!" bursts upon the literary scene as zesty as salsa, as mellow as a margarita, and as much fun as a Mexican hat dance. Before turning to page 1, there are a few things this author would have you know: "I believe that English and Spanish are live languages, hence they're always changin'." "People say that my book is very funny, but I am dead serious." "The characters come to me first as quirks, then as dilemmas: A Born Again Christian Mariachi, an ugly beauty queen, a girl who's afraid of public transportation and long car rides....." "Many books begin with a disclaimer that says that the events therein described are fiction. If my book gets one of those, then it will speak the truth. I made everything up, except for the Javier Solis death-by-taco story." There, now that you're prepared, turn to page 1 of "Caramba!"and meet Natalie and Consuelo, known as Nat and Sway. As Sandra Cisneros is wont to say, these two are "Thelma and Louise on the border." Home to this twenty-something pair is Lava Landing, California. Now, while Nat and Sway are aching to break free and see the world, there's also something waiting to burst forth in Lava Landing - a dormant volcano. Lava Landing is close to the Mexican border and home to the Miss Magma beauty contest. Swaying hips and mariachi music are hallmarks of this community, as are some of the most outrageous characters ever imagined - Javier, a born-again mariachi who falls for a drug dealer; Lulabell, an honest-to-goodness witch; and True-Dee, a drag queen hair dresser. Until Nat and Sway can determine how they can hit the road to adventure in Nat's 1963 Cadillac convertible the girls work days at the Big Cheese Factory, and spend their nights at The Big Five-Four. Here, seated in their favorite booth they sip tequila floats, dance, and check the action. And there's activity aplenty in this brightly presented book spiced with illustrations captioned in both English and Spanish. As we follow the lives of Shay, Nat, and their friends we're reminded of how very much alike we all are - it's just that these two have a heck of a lot more fun than most of us. As defined by the author "Caramba" is what you say when you don't know what to say. I know what to say about this book: it's an antic read, terrific, surprising fun. It's as intoxicating as a Tequila Sunrise. Don't miss it. - Gail Cooke