CHANCES IN DISGUISE

Following upon Evangelina Takes Flight (2017), Noble picks up Evangelina de León’s story, highlighting an important and frequently overlooked piece of American history along the way.

After her family’s flight from war-torn Mexico in 1911, they settled into their new home in Texas. Evangelina has graduated from high school and adapted well to her role as a midwife and apprentice to Doc Taylor, who serves the community of Seneca and surrounding areas. She is now a high school graduate with dreams of continuing her education. She hopes to marry her sweetheart and maybe even become the first woman of Mexican descent to graduate from medical school in Texas. However, when she attends the labor of Ramona Healy, a White woman, her dreams come crashing down: Hostile, racist Doc Morley bursts in, spewing insults and chasing her out of the room. When Mrs. Healy later passes away, Evangelina is charged with her murder. The story hurtles along as sexual violence and racism torment the young prisoner from the moment she arrives in jail. Though fictionalized, the novel is grounded in true historical events which saw Mexican refugees and American-born Tejanos facing sham trials, vigilantes, and violent policing without due process. This novel presents a story that is as relevant to and important for contemporary readers as it was in the early 20th century.

A timely and intimate first-person courtroom drama.