Too real to not be funny, and too wonderfully written to not be clever, this is a wonderful read. Though the synopsis makes the book sound incredibly boring, and the most popular cover of the book doesn't really help, Bell's writing is a treasure, and the story is wonderfully hilarious. And in the midst of the poetry of Bell's language, and the humor of the situations spun by an American woman dropped into the middle of an extended South American family, there's also a poignant and worthwhile story of a woman in the middle of her life, unsure of her marriage and her direction, and fighting what seems like absurdity on all fronts.

Bell's protagonist, Rubia, is utterly believable, and hugely entertaining. The backstory: as a college student from New York, she fell in love with a man from South America, and followed him back to his hacienda after they got married. Bell's novel picks up the story fifteen years later when Rubia is smack in the middle of her husband's huge and quirky family, living on the outskirts of a small city in South America, known mostly for its saints. If not for her ill mother-in-law, she might have already left her husband, but then again, maybe not. If not for her business, she'd probably be going crazy, but then again, maybe not. And then, there are those miracles...

Simply, the book jacket synopsis makes this sound mundane at best, boring or absurd at worst, and the primary cover of the book doesn't do much better--though, on a side note, my old used edition has a much more entertaining cover which has an opposite (though no better) effect on potential readers. But, only a page in, I was hooked, and found the whole read unspeakably brilliant. It's possible that readers with no familial connection to large South American families won't be quite so entertained...but I think they will, though readers with some direct exposure to families blended from very different cultures will probably get an added kick from it all.

In any case, I can't recommend this highly enough--consider it the reality-based version of Christopher Moore, or think of Modern Family set in South America, slightly dated and slightly less loving, and with an ironic eye toward religion and progress. All together, this is just a wonderful read.

Highly recommended. ( )