LADY IN THE BLUE CLOAK by Eric Kimmel

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric A.  2006.  The Lady in the Blue Cloak.  Ill by Susan Guevara.  New York: Holiday House.  ISBN 0823417387

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Kimmel retells six stories of the Spanish Missions in San Antonio, Texas.  Each folktale describes the the friars' relationship with the indigenous people living in and around the missions.  There are mystical spirits and miracles happening at every turn.  In "The Lady in the Blue Cloak," apparitions from a blue-cloaked nun with the gift of bilocation prepares the indigenous people for the Spanish changes to come.  In "The Padre's Gift," a helpful friar performs miracles for those in need.  The humble friar produces an original deed for Senor Castro who was at risk of losing his land.  For two boys who fear their parents' scorn upon learning that they lost their cattle, the friar hands them bags to fill with stones and transforms their smooth stones into rare coins. 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Lady in the Blue Cloak beautifully combines some of the history of the San Antonio missions with popular legends passed down from generation to generation.  Kimmel even provides an adequate introduction and a "Texas Missions Time Line" that dates between 1682 - 1845.  Guevara's colorful, oil illustrations at the start of each story reflect the miraculous events to come.  In "The Lady in the Blue Cloak," the painting is taken over by a woman draped by a blue shawl over her red and white habit.  Rays of the sun or a brilliant halo shine from the back of her head, and a flowing angel and white dove fly in the sky above her.  In her right arm, she embraces the mission of the Tejas people.  In "The Miracle at the Gate," the deep colors draw in the reader.  A booming image of a gentle woman hovers over the Mission of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Acuna.  She is wearing the colors of Our Lady of Guadalupe and her head bears a large gold crown.  Her arms are stretched over the mission to protect the Tejas people from the Comanche raiders' attack.  "It was too late to shut [the gate].  The padres and their flock kneeled to pray.  Only heaven could protect them now."  The image shows the Comanches trying to enter the gate, but are unable to get through.  The book provides an exciting retelling of good intentioned friars without the gruesome details involved in missionary life.  Each of the stories offers a holy and saintly standpoint of the San Antonio Missions.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

June Franklin Naylor Award, 2006

Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Oct. 1, 2006 (Vol. 103, No. 3))

There are very few collections of these stories available for the age group, and the mysticism, faith, and magic--captured in reverential oil paintings bordered with angels, saints, and other religious imagery--will resonate with some children, particularly Catholics and Texans, for whom the symbolism and history may be more familiar.

Ginjer L. Clarke (Children's Literature)

The six short stories in this collection retell legends from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, when Spanish missionaries established early Christian churches in Texas, over the objections and attacks of the indigenous people. 

Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)

The entries here contain various elements, including saintly biographies and ghost stories that depict faithful obedience as well as the motivating power of romantic love. 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Read other stories on the Texas Missions, such as:
   The Spanish Missions of Texas by Megan Gendell
   The Art and Architecture of the Texas Missions by Jacinto Quirarte

*Visit Eric Kimmel's webpage to get a sense of his voice:  www.ericakimmel.co/hear-a-story/