Maria Elena has given up on men until she faints on the blue cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. What she needs is sugar; what she gets is an abandoned wedding cake, a mysterious baker, and his triplet daughters. Is Sandrofo the bereaved widower he claims to be? Maria Elena falls in love, and becomes determined to learn the truth.

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"A gorgeous novel...as richly imaginative, wildly sensual and wisely unsettling as they come. Real world magic." ―Washington Post Book World

“Eloquent and enchanting...a delightful novel reminiscent of Gabriel García Marquez and Isabel Allende. Spark has combined an acute sense of place with a suspenseful plot...and with characters that are emotionally believable and realistic.”
―The Boston Book Review

“Ms. Spark has a knack for the unpredictable that makes reading her novel a process of incremental discovery...the openness of her mind, the generosity of her narrative spirit, bring life to the book in, well, a magical way.”
―The New York Times Book Reivew


"Debra Spark’s first novel reveals a Proustian longing for what was. Spark’s Puerto Rico is an island of lost loves, of romantic hopes, and of secrets withheld―all of which beckon like a tray of sweets behind the bakery window." ―Kathryn Harrison, author of The Kiss

PRAISE FOR DEBRA SPARK

"We fans of Debra Spark’s work love her dearly for her rich characters, dazzlingly complex emotional landscapes, and gentle irony." ―Lauren Groff, author of Fates and Furies

"Spark is a writer both to admire and to enjoy." ―Jane Hamilton, author of A Map of the World