Chapter 16 Summary

In the years after La Loca is buried, Sofi, encouraged by the daily petitions for prayers from the mother of the little crazy saint who died twice, founds the Mothers of Martyrs and Saints, or M.O.M.A.S. Eventually, the annual conference becomes larger than the World Series and the Olympics, providing a gathering place for the members and their transcended offspring (some transparent and some not), as well as droves of spectators hoping to have various ailments cured and vendors selling souvenirs.

The favorite souvenir is the La Loca Santa and her Sisters Tarot Deck drawn by an artist in Italy. In it, both the Empress card and the Queen of Swords represent Sofi as a mother, "a quick-witted, dance-loving strong woman who was nevertheless powerless to the sorrow she suffered." Esperanza appears as the Knight of Swords, "driven by...