bookish girl book club

I’m home from the hospital (for now) and feeling good (for now). Although I’m ready to have this baby, I’m not super excited about being back in the hospital in about two weeks. I usually like a little more time between my stays there. Before I head back though, I want to wrap up this book and put a plug in for the August pick. I would love to hear some more book suggestions, too.

Book 6: Dona Isabella

“Father Joseph said that, as for him, he would rather combat the superstitions of a whole Indian pueblo than the vanity of one white woman.”

Although I think Bishop Latour’s motives are as pure as possible, his desire to build a cathedral in Santa Fe might be his only vain ambition. He admits that “such a building might be a continuation of himself and his purpose, a physical body full of aspirations after he had passed from the scene.” Even Latour is susceptible to the sin of pride – he wants something worldy to show for all his sacrifice and work, some way not to be forgotten.

Latour’s one submission to vanity, however, is rivaled by that of another – Dona Isabella. How funny is it that she would rather give up her inheritance than admit in a court of law – “before everybody!” – her true age? The Bishop and the Vicar have a vested interest in whether or not she receives the money since she will undoubtedly take care of them and maybe throw a generous donation at the cathedral fund as well. The differences between Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant are evident in each of their approaches to convince her to testify of her real age. Vaillant is impatient and impetuous. Latour is gentle and understanding (who doesn’t love this guy by now?). His convincing counsel could be an Oil of Olay slogan: “A woman … is as old as she looks.” My thoughts exactly. Better to impress people with how good you look for your age rather than claim to be ten years younger and secretly shock people with how old you look.

Does anyone (okay, Melissa or Casey) have any ideas about Latour’s feelings that the people he has met (i.e. Carson and Chavez) “not only had a story, but seemed to have become his story?" How have these people contributed to who Latour is and “his story” in the mission field?