Fresh and funny, this debut novel introduces a 15-year-old Catholic schoolgirl who experiences typical adolescent angst but has her own way of dealing with it: Antonia regularly petitions the saints. Longing for her first kiss, she settles on St. Augustine as an intercessor ("Hark back to your wayward youth," she urges him in her Saint Diary), but when her prayer gets her more aggressive action than she bargained for, Antonia decides to fill the gap in hagiography and proposes herself as the patron saint of the first kiss. Her e-mails to the Vatican (inhabited here by a pope open to the notion of women priests, gay marriage, etc.) add flair to a coming-of-age novel already vivid for its warm portrayal of urban Italian-American family life. "My daughter looks like a puttana! What have I done to deserve this?" shrieks Antonia's widowed mother when she catches Antonia rolling up the waist of her school uniform (Antonia's list of the "Top Five Ways Italians Express Love" begins with "by being totally honest with each other, i.e., fighting"). While getting at serious issues, Freitas (author of Killing the Imposter God and a frequent contributor to PW) wins readers over with a beautifully sustained light touch. Ages 12-up. (Aug.)
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The Possibilities of Sainthood
Narrated by Emily Bauer
Donna FreitasUnabridged — 6 hours, 29 minutes
The Possibilities of Sainthood
Narrated by Emily Bauer
Donna FreitasUnabridged — 6 hours, 29 minutes
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Overview
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
Gr 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
Antonia Labella is a typical parochial schoolgirl, complete with plaid skirts and knee socks, but for years she's hoped the Vatican would make her something much more: a saint. She'd happily settle for being the saint of figs or even pasta-making. Antonia figures if there's a patron saint of accounting, why not? When not cultivating an encyclopedic knowledge of the saints, she swoons over hottie Andy Rottelini and pines for her first kiss. Freitas infuses Antonia's quirky narration with crisp depictions of daily life in Federal Hill, a close-knit, Italian-American neighborhood in Rhode Island. Readers hear heavy accents, smell simmering tomato sauces and feel the ever-present pull of Catholicism. Antonia's comedic treatment of the four big Italian obsessions-love, family, food and religion-will give teens insight into a rich, warm and complicated culture. Even non-Italian, non-Catholic readers will relate to Antonia as she struggles with an overbearing mom and gets giddy just thinking about landing her kiss. Like good homemade pasta, this satisfying novel balances lightness with substance and leaves teens wanting another serving. (Fiction. 12 & up.)
“Catholic schoolgirl Antonia Labella aims for canonization in this satisfying comedy.” —People magazine
“Hilarious and sweet.” —Miami Herald
“Behold: A rare bloom of a book, a genuflection toward the reality that today's young can still be, more likely than not, good at heart. The Possibilities of Sainthood while never gloomy or dogmatic, is a literary work of mercy. Let us rejoice and be glad.” —Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked
“With a satisfying ending, this novel about the realistic struggles of a chaste teen is a great addition to all collections.” —School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Fresh and funny, this debut novel introduces a 15-year-old Catholic schoolgirl who experiences typical adolescent angst but has her own way of dealing with it: Antonia regularly petitions the saints. . . . Her e-mails to the Vatican (inhabited here by a pope open to the notion of women priests, gay marriage, etc.) add flair to a coming-of-age novel already vivid for its warm portrayal of urban Italian-American family life.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Like good homemade pasta, this satisfying novel balances lightness with substance and leaves teens wanting another serving.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“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.” —Booklist, Starred Review
“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 . . . a charming a witty book.” —Teenreads.com
“Clever and highly entertaining.” —Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX
“Utterly fresh and funny, The Possibilities of Sainthood has heart. The voice of Antonia Lucia Labella is authentic and endearing. A contagious energy pulsates throughout, pulling us into a wholly believable world of burying fig trees, navigating girlhood, petitioning the Pope, and above all else--possibilities.” —Tanya Lee Stone, author of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl
“The Possibilities of Sainthood is like the kiss Antonia longs for: passionate, funny, truthful, and most of all, a pleasure.” —Emily Franklin, author of At Face Value and The Other Half of Me
“Donna Freitas' lighthearted look at one adolescent's journey through school, boys, and her religion is a slice of slightly irreligious, yet redemptive Catholic culture.” —ALAN Online Picks
“It's one of those stories which displays real life.” —A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
“It's funny and true to life.” —A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
“This book is super cool! It made me laugh, a lot.” —A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
Emotions rule Emily Bauer's narration, creating an accurate portrayal of the dramatic Labellas. Bauer gives heroine Antonia Lucia Labella bouncy, bright tones, which emphasize the story's humor as Antonia fires off letters to the Vatican, seeking sainthood for her careful tending of the Labella fig trees, making the best pasta in Rhode Island, or becoming the Patron Saint of the Kiss. Antonia's comic views and Bauer's sarcastic delivery run the gamut from how Italians love to the best way for a 15-year-old girl to modify her Catholic school uniform. In contrast, Antonia's widowed mother rails at her daughter in a furious "just-off-the-boat" Italian accent. Bauer’s depiction of this mother-daughter struggle makes it stand out in relief against Antonia's humorous takes on religion and first love. S.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940172560828 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Brilliance Audio |
| Publication date: | 08/05/2008 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 12 - 17 Years |
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