Woman of Light

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and discusses the novel’s treatment of racism and stillbirth.

The motif of the clairvoyant woman or girl spans four generation in Woman of Light. The original clairvoyant is Desiderya, referred to as the Sleepy Prophet in Pardona. Those around her believe her gift to foretell events is sporadic, saying “her spirit antenna was often broken. But, sometimes, many times, it worked just fine” (xviii). Kali Fajardo-Anstine does not explicitly frame Simodecea—the wife of Desiderya’s adoptive grandson Pidre—as a clairvoyant, but mentions her intuition regarding the burgeoning tents of miners and other laborers in Animas. On the other hand, Simodecea’s daughters—Sara and Maria Josie—possess Desiderya’s clairvoyance. When Maria Josie has visions of their mother’s death by firing squad, Sara advises she force herself to forget; thus, both sisters abandon their gift. The focal clairvoyant of all four generations, however, is the last to appear in the novel: Luz. First consulting tea leaves, then coffee grounds, and then no medium at all, her gift develops beyond that of a fortuneteller. She embraces this gift. The title Woman of Light refers to Luz herself, made apparent by her name—the Spanish word for light. Her clairvoyance illuminates the past and future, allowing her to recount her family’s story and unite all four generations.