Robert Wintner 
Toucan Whisper, Toucan Sing : A Novel 
A Novel

Toucan Whisper, Toucan Sing is a novel about modern Mexico, the conflicting goals of development versus ecological preservation, and the aspirations and struggles of the indigenous people who service tourists at a beachfront hotel. Central to this tale are two brothers: the ambitious twenty-two-year old Antonio, also known as ‘;The Maestro, ‘ with his rippling abdomen and bursting biceps, is the favorite of many of the women at the hotel Oaxtepec where he is in charge of pool activitites. His sixteen-year-old, mute brother, Baldo (Antonio’s ward since their parents died), works as a drink boy, cutting open coconuts with a machete and serving guests poolside. Baldo, an ostensible gentle giant, is reminiscent of Lenny in Steinbeck’s classic,
Of Mice and Men.