But in this summer of broken hearts, new friendships, secrets, and discoveries, change will be as sudden and explosive as the monsoon that marks the end of the sweltering heat-and transforms Nenita's young life in ways she could never imagine.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Its greatest gift is the comfort if not the joy of transformation. To Nenita, food is synonymous with love-the love she yearns to receive from her disappointed mother. Merlinda Bobis is an award-winning contemporary Philippine-Australian writer who has had 4 novels, 6 poetry books and a collection of short stories published, and 10 dramatic works performed. Richly imagined, gloriously written, Banana Heart Summer is an incandescent tale of food, family, and longingat once a love letter to mothers and daughters and a lively celebration of friendship and community.

Growing up with five sisters and brothers, she searches for happiness in the magical smell of the deep-frying bananas of Nana Dora, who first tells Nenita the myth of the banana heart in the tantalizing scent of Manolito, the heartthrob of Nenita and her friends in the pungent aromas of the dishes she prepares for the most beautiful woman on Remedios Street. In her lush, luminous debut novel, Merlinda Bobis creates a dazzling feast for all the senses. Merlinda Bobis (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating 647 ratings published 2005 20 editions. Twelve-year-old Nenita is hungry for everything: food, love, life. Average rating 3.86 1,273 ratings 150 reviews shelved 4,665 times.

Richly imagined, gloriously written, Banana Heart Summer is an incandescent tale of food, family, and longing-at once a love letter to mothers and daughters and a lively celebration of friendship and community. Her works include Banana Heart Summer: A Novel (2005) and Fish-hair. In her lush, luminous debut novel, Merlinda Bobis creates a dazzling feast for all the senses. Merlinda Bobis was born in the Philippines in 1959 and arrived in Australia in 1991.

Banana heart summer by merlinda bobis