Early praise for The Ghost of Bridgetown : " The Ghost of Bridgetown is the story of a woman traveling to Barbados to return an artifact; however, that does little to convey this beautifully complex novel of identity and discovery. Debra Spark writes with remarkable precision and clarity, which permits the connections in the interlinking threads of the story to emerge gracefully and lock together powerfully. But what is most impressive about this novel is its power to utterly transport the reader-- one of the surest signs of extraordinary fiction. The Ghost of Bridgetown is an impressive literary feat, and Debra Spark is surely one of the very finest writers of her generation." --Robert Boswell "In this intelligent, often bitingly funny exploration of liberal guilt and confusion, Spark's utterly believable characters balance on the razor's edge between justice and mercy, truth and love. The result is an edgy and unusual novel." --Andrea Barrett "What begins as something of a ghost story, a shaggy-menorah story, winds up being a profound meditation on human hauntedness, the inevitability of ghostliness and grief. This is a beautiful, wise, and enormously moving novel.

" --David Shields Praise for Coconuts for the Saint : "In a lush debut, Debra Spark explores the mysteries of identity and the minefield of memory with unmistakable grace. This is a gorgeous novel. Real world magic." -- The Washington Post "Ms. Spark has undeniable appeal, a knack for the unpredictable that makes reading her novel a process of incremental discovery. The openness of her mind, the generosity of her narrative spirit, bring life to the book in a magical way." -- The New York Times Book Review "An excellent debut novel that examines the nature of love, the power of family and the inexorable pull of the past. Spark uses her intricate, multilayered structure to deliver a myriad of entertaining scenes and marvelous insights.

" -- Publishers Weekly (Starred).