The Girl in the White Cape - by Barbara Sapienza (Paperback)

About the Book

Blending a fresh adaptation of the Russian fairy tale "Vasilisa the Wise" with the practical concerns of everyday life, The Girl in the White Cape follows Elena, a sheltered teenager, and Frank, a kindhearted young cabbie, as they navigate transformative, magic-infused experiences in modern-day San Francisco.

Book Synopsis

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 full of skeletons, brooms, strange implements, and guinea pigs, among other oddities--seem straight out of a Russian fairy tale Father Al used to read to Elena . . . not life in 2020. If not for her beloved doll, Kukla--bequeathed to her by the mother she never got to know, but of whom she often dreams--Elena would be overwhelmed. Yet she works hard at every task given her, understanding intuitively that there is a purpose to every one of her grandmother's strange assignments.

Frank, a young taxi driver, enters Elena's world on the day he delivers a strange, witch-like woman named Anya to Our Lady. Upon meeting Anya and Elena, a dream-world begins to spin for him--and he feels a deep, protective pull toward Elena. In the days that follow, Frank devotes himself to saving her from the harm he is sure Anya intends toward her. What he comes to understand, as he enters more deeply into Elena's story, is that she has magic of her own. He thought he was supposed to save her--but in the end, the two of them may just save each other.

Review Quotes

"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, 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.