Sofia's Saints

by Diana López

Since her mother's death twelve years earlier, thirty-year-old Sofía Loren Sauceda has lived in the same house where she grew up. Although she must work as a waitress to make ends meet, Sofía indulges her artistic muse by burning unique renderings of various saints onto wood. She has even managed to sell some of her work at a local flea market. However, she refuses to compromise her artistic integrity by creating more marketable work, and she has little patience for those who do. Sofía's resolute philosophy begins to unravel when she learns that her beloved house is to be sold and that her only hope of buying it lies with an old coffee can filled with spare change. Forced to confront both her painful past and the seemingly inevitable loss of her old home, Sofía realizes that she must reevaluate everything she thought she knew about art, love, men, miracles, and money.

152 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Diana López is the author of numerous middle grade novels, including Confetti Girl and Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel. She also wrote the middle grade adaptation of the Disney/Pixar film Coco. Diana is a lifelong resident of Corpus Christi, Texas and works with various nonprofits to mentor new writers.

Reviews

[V.P. Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! It really captures the essence of Corpus Christi; the weather, the sounds, etc. Sofia is coping with many things such as the loss of her mother, the loss of the only home she's ever known. She tries to make a living while also staying true to her art of burning the images of saints into wood. At first I was wondering where was the story was going, what was the point of it? But by the end I felt satisfied. Her search for the magic that she yearns for completes a circle in the story.

[Christine Granados · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tight novel that reads much like an extended short story which is to say there are no superfluous words. Liked it very much.