Summary
Fifteen-year-old Elena lives in a church attic in San Francisco’s Richmond neighborhood, where she is cared for by her guardian, a kind Russian priest named Father Al. Six days a week, Father Al sends her out of Our Lady, across the meadows and ponds of Golden Gate Park, and all the way to Baba Vera’s house on Taraval Street for Baba’s version of school.
Unlike regular school, however, Elena’s learning is unnerving. Baba Vera’s preposterous demands, dizzying antics, and house-which is…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781647425036 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1647425034 |
| Author: | Barbara Sapienza |
| Publisher: | She Writes Press |
| Imprint: | She Writes Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 256 |
| Release Date: | 25 July 2023 |
| Weight: | 296g |
| Dimensions: | 216mm x 140mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“Sapienza’s novel is a masterful blend of magical realism and folktale. Elena’s journey serves as an allegory for preparing for the unknown, crossing the threshold into adulthood, and carving out a life and family of one’s own, with a touch of magic on every step of the way.”
—BookTrib
“Holding a very special appeal to readers with an interest in deftly crafted coming of age novels blended paranormal urban fantasy, The Girl in the White Cape by Barbara Sapienza is a unique, entertaining, and memorable read from cover to cover.”
—Midwest Book Review
“… I found The Girl in the White Cape to be a very unique novel. Never before had I read a fantasy novel with such a different plotline. Sapienza wrote Elena’s character to be old-fashioned, not present-day like her fellow teenagers and neighbors living in 2020. Because of this, there is an interesting dynamic of division: Elena’s pre-20th century personality with the modernism of other characters. It created a different tone for the novel, which I found to be a nice change from the normality of fantasy storylines.”
—San Francisco Book Review
“Barbara Sapienza weaves a captivating yarn incorporating dream-like sequences and a tinge of supernatural elements, which enhance the story, making it all the more riveting to read.”
—Readers’ Favorite
“… Sapienza’s prose has a fablelike quality; sometimes it relates gauzy scenes, and other times it tells bloody tales … ”
—Kirkus Reviews
“I identify with Elena’s journey as she faces the unknown and opens herself to magical connections with others. She is afraid, but she still leans into and trusts an inner intuition that guides her, teaching us that even as we encounter darkness, new ways of seeing can be found.”
—Gail Warner, author of Weaving Myself Awake: Voicing the Sacred Through Poetry
“In The Girl in the White Cape, gifted storyteller Barbara Sapienza awakens our childlike wonder as she invites us to explore the power of the feminine, of mystical knowing, and of trusting our heart in this beautifully crafted fairytale of love and healing. Her rich characters, like a fine Cabernet, made me want to savor each page.”
—Donna Stoneham, author of Catch Me When I Fall and The Thriver’s Edge
About The Author
Barbara Sapienza
Barbara Sapienza, PhD, is a retired clinical psychologist and an alumna of San Francisco State University’s creative writing master’s program. She writes and paints, nourished by her spiritual practices of meditation, tai chi, and dance. Her family, friends, and grandchildren are her teachers. Her first novel, Anchor Out (She Writes Press, 2017) received an IPPY bronze medal for Best Regional Fiction, West Coast. Sapienza lives in Sausalito, CA, with her husband.
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