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Salt and Sugar

Rebecca Carvalho
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Cover

Cover image

Praise

“A spectacularly heartwarming story about food, family, and finding your person, with the kind of lush prose you wish you could sink your teeth into.”

—Eric Smith, author of Don’t Read the Comments

“Salt and Sugar has everything you want in a love story: enemies to lovers, generational feuds, a beautiful setting that will make you want to book a ticket to Brazil, amazing food, and a Romeo and Juliet–esque romance that will leave you swooning. Carvalho’s writing nourishes your soul while teasing your senses, and I can’t wait to read whatever comes next!”

—Ashley Schumacher, author of Amelia Unabridged and Full Flight

“Full of heart, humor, and will, Salt and Sugar is about two determined, feisty, hilarious star-crossed teens working together to create something new, but baked with elements of tradition. I could not put this book down!”

—Jennifer De Leon, author of Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From

About the Author

Rebecca Carvalho is a Recifense writer based in Berkeley, California. She loves crafting stories filled with close-knit neighborhoods, Brazilian food, and telenovela-esque settings. When she is not writing, you can find her with her camera, gaming with her husband, or watching Star Trek for the hundredth time. Rebecca has a bachelor’s degree in English from Lawrence University. Salt and Sugar is her debut novel, and it was inspired by her life in northeastern Brazil.

RebeccaCarvalho.com

Dedication

For anyone wondering if they should follow a dream.

For my mom, who first encouraged me to pursue mine.

And for Michael, who never let me give it up.

1

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas, Grandma Julieta Ramires always said.

I watch the growing darkness stretch over my family’s bakery. Our sign, Salt, written in Great-grandma Elisa’s own handwriting, disappears in the twilight, this strange limbo hour before streetlights illuminate the Olinda hills.

I can’t make myself go inside. Not yet. The bakery is quiet, as if lulled by the heavy breeze blowing from the ocean. And so I wait another minute. And another. I wait for the moment Salt will suddenly—I don’t know—yawn.

“Wake up,” I urge it under my breath.

But Salt doesn’t startle awake just because I’m staring. And while Salt fades, the Molinas’ bakery glows in comparison. They call it Sugar, but don’t be fooled by the name. It’s the sort of toxic sweetness you find in certain poisons.

While all the other neighbors have closed their shops in mourning, the Molinas kept Sugar’s doors wide open like an insult. The happy twinkle of the lights on their facade makes my stomach churn.