{"product_id":"caramba-paperback","title":"Caramba! - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eNina Marie Martinez\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn \"absurdly entertaining first novel\" (\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e) about mamacitas and mariachis, fiestas and tupperware parties, rodeos and Miss Magma beauty contests. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Endlessly inventive ... very funny. Martinez's deadpan perspective on faith, romance and the uneasy bonds of family is truly wonderful.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post Book World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNatalie and Consuelo are like-minded individuals who live in Lava Landing, California. When they aren't working at The Big Cheese Plant, they get all dolled up for the racetrack, or go for at a tequila float at The Big Five Four. They urgently need to get Consuelo's father out of Purgatory: he won't stop turning up in women's dreams until they do. But that means a trip to Mexico, and Consuelo still hasn't gotten over her fear of long car rides.... \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this touching and dazzling fresh novel, inspired by La Loter'a, a Mexican game of chance not unlike bingo, the American experience emerges in a brilliant new language and landscape.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWelcome to Lava Landing, population 27,454, a town just this side of Mexico, where Miss Magma reigns and rockabilly and mariachi music are king. Enter our protagonists, Natalie and Consuelo, self-described \"like-minded individuals.\" They spend their days at The Big Cheese Plant and their nights at The Big Five-Four, the hottest spot in town. But they have long-term projects, foremost among them to cure Consuelo of her unreasonable fear of public transportation and long car rides so they can finally take Natalie's 1963 Cadillac convertible on the road trip it deserves . . . \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"From the Hardcover edition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNINA MARIE MARTINEZ was born in San José, California to a first generation Mexican-American father, and an American mother of Germanic descent. A high school dropout, she holds a Bachelors degree in literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz. In addition to writing novels, she is also a vintage clothes enthusiast and dealer and an avid baseball fan. She currently resides in Northern California where she is at work on her second novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 384\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 7.98 x 5.32 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 13, 2005\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41840282960007,"sku":"9780385721523","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/47f6a548643436feee2fbb77727a5ef7.webp?v=1734082970","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/caramba-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}