A Pattern of Silent Tears

Mariana Ruybalid’s story of friendship follows the lives of Magdalena, a divorced mother of three and Marta, an American missionary stricken with cerebral palsy. Following a personal calling to seek and serve neglected children with physical disabilities, Marta becomes friends with Magdalena, who helps her improve her Spanish. Both women face questions of belonging as Magdalena faces a second divorce, an uneasy attraction to a fellow parishioner, and a shattering aftermath to passion that provides no easy answers.