The Lady in Blue

by Javier Sierra

An elaborately woven novel of intrigue about one of America's most curious and enduring legends -- the enigma of the Lady in Blue In Los Angeles, Jennifer Narody has been having a series of disturbing dreams involving eerie images of a lady dressed in blue. What she doesn't know is that this same spirit appeared to leaders of the Jumano Native American tribe in New Mexico 362 years earlier, and was linked to a Spanish nun capable of powers of "bilocation," or the ability to be in two places simultaneously. Meanwhile, young journalist Carlos Albert is driven by a blinding snowstorm to the little Spanish town of Ágreda, where he stumbles upon a nearly forgotten seventeenth-century convent founded by this same legendary woman. Intrigued by her rumored powers, he delves into finding out more. These threads, linked by an apparent suicide, eventually lead Carlos to Cardinal Baldi, to an American spy, and ultimately to Los Angeles, where Jennifer Narody unwittingly holds the key to the mystery that the Catholic Church, the U.S. Defense Department, and the journalist are each determined to decipher -- the Lady in Blue.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Religion, Fantasy, Thriller

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested in “The Lady In Blue” but disagreed with Javier Sierra’s treatment and how awkwardly he tried to shape disparate details into a novel. I give two stars because I respect his inspiration: imparting history that is little-known. I love that he visited key people and places. It is helpful to cite a Canadian biography that enhanced my understanding of souls more than any other: “Angel Eyes”. Paul Elder describes the Monroe Institute, where sound waves induce astral travel. I don’t fathom why Javier or his protagonists emphasized ancient records. They could interview present day people who experienced the Monroe Institute!

Contradictions abounded. You don’t need to be divine to astral-project. Frequencies can improve the receptive state to consciously control visits but people can spontaneously be invited to travel while asleep. This novel proposed that over-exposure to angels and astral travel, killed people. Angels and spiritual encounters are positive things, that refresh us! Javier should not praise converting Aboriginal faith and nature harmony, into obeisance of religions that admittedly fakes things.

Neither author nor editor understood cliff-hangers or plots. Jennifer dreams of a blue lady, knowing her family is clairvoyant and having left a job experimenting with astral projection. Why ask a psychiatrist about her dreams?! Jennifer’s former job is a given that readers know all along. That is the revelation the author spends 300 pages eking that out?! An angel gave Carlos her name to save time.... but he goes to the FBI, to help them beg her psychiatrist for her name and address!? You had her name and the FBI knows any address!

Carlos flew to retrieve a document.... by the person who mailed it to California!? Jennifer said, from this Spanish-speaking state: “It’s a good thing you can read this”! Giuseppe Baldi was forced into a six-hour drive, to talk with someone he saw locally? Even when logic was not sloppy, interrupting the flow between five viewpoints made revelations redundant. I have Javier’s other novels and hope they improved after 1998.

[Pombar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siempre es un placer volver a leer a Javier Sierra. Y en orden inverso, ya que es su primera novela y es una de las que me quedaba sin leer.

La figura de Maria Jesús de Ágreda hace de puente de una novela con tintes históricos, pero trama de ficción, donde conocemos secretos vaticanos, intrigas de espionaje a nivel internacional y tramas indígenas en Nuevo México.

Como siempre, libros fáciles de leer, con una documentación fascinante y que te tienen enganchado hasta el final. Siempre que te guste el estilo Sierra, claro.

[Lena_en_libros · Rating 1 out of 5]

Esto va de apariciones marianas de una señora con un manto azul que de repente se torna en un libro de espías con tintes eclesiásticos y enredos con el Vaticano donde todos los personajes ocultan cosas...

Y ni siquiera tenemos el ritmo trepidante de Dan Brown o John Grisham...

Para mi, un desastre de historia del que podéis prescindir en vuestra vida lectora

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not a typical read for me. It reads somewhat like a Dan Brown thriller where modern settings and controversies are used to explore old religious issues. I picked it up because of the references to the Jumano Indians ( modern Wichita Nation) and the Spanish incursions in New Mexico during the 1600s. I really enjoyed the parts of the books dealing with the ancient Spanish missionaries and their interactions with the Native Americans but when the story line returned to 1991, it was hard to keep my focus. These modern conspiracy books just seem too far fetched. I do like the way the author dealt respectfully with both Native American and Spanish traditions so overall this was a good book.

[Majo's Library. · Rating 2 out of 5]

La Dama Azul, de Javier Sierra 2005
Historical Fiction Español, que siendo del subgénero "religioso" mezcla delicadamente temas científicos demasiado a la ligera.
La historia se inicia de una manera fenomenal, jajaja es que tenía que decirlo! Me enganchó desde las primeras páginas, desarrollándose gran parte de la trama en Roma (faltaría más).
Pero, cayendo en picada a partir de la mitad.

Volveré a leerlo, algún dia.
Tal vez, cuando eso tenga otra percepción de la obra, ya que ganó tantos premios, fue traducida a decenas de idiomas, fue la mejor obra de ficción histórica y qué se yo cuántas cosas más.

Justo a mí me viene a no gustar. Ja!

[Lynelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, I read the Spanish language version of this. It was much more straight-forward writing than someone like Ruiz Zafon, so it was an easy read. I'm not sure how the English translation would come across. The topic of the book was absolutely fascinating to me and spurred me to do some minor research into it after I had finished reading this novel.

This book tells the story of la dama azul, the blue lady, who would appear to Native Americans in what today is the Southwestern U.S. and Northwestern Mexico and warn them change was coming as the Spaniards advanced on those areas. Apparently there are true accounts of Native Americans who told the Spanish that they knew the conquistadores were coming because the blue lady had warned them ahead of time.

Of course, the Spanish took it to be a sign that the Virgin Mary had appeared to prepare the way for their holy conquest. Many Native Americans believed it was one of their goddesses appearing to them as a warning. Interestingly, the Catholic Church investigated a particular nun who lived in Spain for the gift of bilocation, believing that she somehow could bilocate herself and appear before the Native Americans while still remaining in her convent in Spain.

This was a story that kept my interest and definitely piqued my interest in the topic. It is a work of historical fiction, although many of the characters in the story are based on actual historical figures. In many cases, the author chose to use their real names.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I read it in Spanish). I really liked it - although this is the first novel from Sierra I read - I've read some essays but no novel. I am currently reading The Lost Angel (I guess that's the English title), and it's amazing too, but now that I am almost finished with this second book, I believe he tends to repeat some elements.
Sierra is a great narrator and knows how to explain abstract things quite easily.
He has been called "the spanish Dan Brown", but I do not agree with that. I think Sierra writes BETTER (in a stylistic sense) than Brown, and that his novels are much more well-prepared (I am referring to the previous research phase).

Then, back again to The Lady in Blue, I am not happy with the end of it. It all happens absolutely too fast and succinct, in comparison with the rest of the book.

Overall score: 9/10

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. Ridiculous. Terribly ridiculous. Ridiculously terrible.

[Soraya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

Bastante entretenido y con todas las vibes de investigaciones de cuarto milenio. Aunque me ha resultado repetitivo en muchas ocasiones y se me ha hecho algo pesado.

[Delia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The jacket of this book made it sound like something I would love to read. I must admit that I was disappointed.

Lady in Blue follows four different stories, one of which happens hundreds of years earlier. There is a group of Indians in the New Mexico territory that are visited by a lady who radiates blue light and gives them religious relics shes has brought with her. She prepares them to receive instruction in a new faith.

Second there is a priest who is working on a secret project for the Catholic church. He is trying to find out about this mysterious "Lady in Blue" and how she was able to project her self into the past. The church refers to it as Chronovision.

Third is a report who has lost his father and it trying to regain in by following the story of this Lady in Blue. By a series of events he is led from one place to another, slowly letting him piece things together.

And last there is a woman in Los Angeles who holds the key to putting the whole story together.

I frankly found it confusing to follow the story back and forth through time. I didn't ever get invested in any of the characters and frankly halfway through I had no desire to find out what happens. Still, I kept really hoping that it would get better.

Towards the end of the book angels come into play, but I must admit that why they do is confusing. Apparently there will be a sequel to the book, or at least the way is left open for one, but after forcing myself to finish this one, I don't believe I will read the second if it ever comes out.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is historical fiction that goes back and forth among many locations, time periods and characters. This made it a bit difficult to get into initially and to keep everything straight. The story is based upon The Lady in Blue. She appeared to many Native Americans in New Mexico from 1629-1633. The story is being researched by scientists, cardinals, a journalist, a psychiatrist, and the U. S. Defense in New Mexico, Los Angelos, Rome and Spain. The interest in The Lady in Blue is that she is recorded in the history of the Catholic Church to be a nun from the small village of Agreda in Spain, who was able to convert thousands of Native Americans in New Mexico to christianity while remaining in Spain. Thus the church and government is researching the feasibility of bilocation. In this way it begins to read like a Dan Brown suspense novel. A thoughtful, enjoyable read.

[María E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"La dama azul" es la primera novela publicada por Javier Sierra, en 1998, yo la leí después de haber leído "Las puertas templarias" y no me gustó demasiado, el tema era interesante pero la lectura se hacía pesada y no enganchaba.
Estos "defectos" los ha corregido Javier Sierra con éxito en esta nueva versión de 2008, la historia es igual de interesante, pero la lectura ya no resulta pesada, es ágil y amena y engancha desde el principio. Obviamente, en 10 años el autor ha aprendido mucho sobre el arte de escribir y eso se agradece en esta novela.

[Leo C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy interesante! Te hace pensar si es verdad o no lo que narra el autor. Gran trabajo de investigación. Gracias a esta novela he conocido a Sor María Jesús de Agreda, una religiosa española que vivió en el siglo XVII, el misterioso fenómeno de la bilocación y la Cronovisión. Recomendable a todos los que nos gusta la novela de misterio y fenómenos sobrenaturales. Eso sí, recomiendo la nueva versión rectificada y ampliada que ha publicado Planeta. La versión de 1996 es bastante floja además de que fue escrita por un Javier Sierra con bastante menos experiencia.

[Lisístrata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuando cogí este libro no tenía ni idea de lo que iba. No había leído la sinopsis. Lo tenía en mi lista porque el escritor me gusta. Los temas sobre los que escribe siempre me interesan.

La dama azul es más histórico que de suspense o intriga. Está toda la novela muy bien documentada (siempre se lo curra). Nada de lo que aparece es invención suya por extraño que parezcan ciertos sucesos. Ha creado una novela basándose en hechos que ocurrieron históricamente. Todo está documentado, ya depende de cómo lo interprete cada uno.

La he leído con muchas ganas e interés. 

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent surprise, this historical/religious thriller! Could not stop reading! Loved this book and in the mean time I bought another book by the same author. Definitely a good read!

Maria Carmo,

29th. August 2012.

[Diego Sánchez Pérez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Como un libro de intriga debo decir resulto ser una decepción, está bien que quiera meter temas de investigación e historia universal para crear un caso. Para empezar no logra engancharme hasta la mitad de ahí en adelante apenas logra engancharme. En cuanto a la prosa al mezclar crímenes con rituales, suspenso y creencias religiosas me pareció muy incoherente más la acción que esta horriblemente escrita llevando así una narrativa muy torpe y la tercera parte sin comentarios. Reconozco que las descripciones historias me parecieron bien contadas como para continuar con la novela.

Con todo esto de escribir historias con esas características mencionadas no le encuentro mucha gracia con lo mismo que me pasa con Dan Brown que no le aguanto ningún libro. Además me ha dejado perplejo haciendo me la pregunta ¿Qué coño es esto un ensayo, un thriller o una novela historia?

Pienso que Javier Sierra me parece más un investigador que como novelista de ficción, créanme que si escribiría puros ensayos créanme que le quedarían excelentes.

[Karen Ullo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone recommended this book to me as a good work of Catholic fiction. I don't want to spoil it, but in the final analysis, it's definitely not. However, my misconception is not the book's fault. I only give it three stars because the prose is mediocre (perhaps because it is a translation?) and because the author is only partially successful in weaving his disparate plot lines together. It is an ambitious work, however, and usually engrossing, though at times I did get bored.

[Adelaide Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5* Um livro de ficção histórica, onde o autor intercala as aparições marianas e os segredos da igreja.
Um bom trabalho de investigação sobre uma época não tão conhecida da História da Igreja

[VictorTLJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con una documentación muy buena y aspectos muy curiosos e ideas metafísicas, se convirtió en una lectura muy entretenida. Cuántas cosas moverán el mundo escondidas bajo nuestro desconocimiento.

[Wendell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I suppose anyone who can manage to sustain invention for 400 pages, even at the dilute level of The Lady in Blue, deserves acknowledgment, but this is a silly, amateurish book that got exactly the ham-handed translation it deserved. Indeed, it’s almost a textbook example of why bad writing in one language so often becomes bad writing in translation. Translator James Graham did little to re-work the purple, telenovela-flourishes that I can only imagine sounded slightly less silly in Spanish than they do in English; and he not infrequently simply gave up on the attempt to create genuine English syntax, leaving the bones of the Spanish version visible through the skin. At some point, I actually started making marginal notes whenever I found howlers, but my favorite is when he has a journalist exclaim “Hell’s bells!” I don’t know what the original Spanish was, but I do know that “Hell’s bells!” sounded old-fashioned in my mother’s mouth more than forty years ago, and someone familiar with English might have been expected to know how foolish it sounds today.

Here, in any case, and since I can’t resist, are a few other examples:

p. 1 “Baldi consulted his wristwatch, undid the last button on his habit ...” Picky point, but habit is a bad word choice to the extent that it makes one think of a nun and not a priest. Baldi, however, is a Benedictine priest and, at the beginning of the novel, is travelling on the vaporetto in Venice. Technically, what priests wear could be called a habit, but there are many better words: tunic, cassock, or soutane come to mind. If it’s got buttons, however, it’s not the typical Benedictine vestment (which is a tunic with hood and a scapular for men - no buttons) but a cassock, which makes sense for a Benedictine monk who has also been ordained as a priest (such as Baldi). So, either Sierra wasn’t sure what he was describing or Graham wasn’t. Finally, “last button” – is that the top one or the bottom one? Vague description in Spanish = vague description in English.

p. 2: “Why am I still doing this”? (Baldi) asked himself. “Why am I still watching the other ... passengers ... as if I was going to find that one of them was carrying a journalist’s camera?” “As if I WERE” perhaps – here’s a fine opportunity to keep the subjunctive alive in English. And what object, exactly, is a “journalist’s camera”?

p. 312: Friar Bernardo speaks: “If we don’t manage to convince His Majesty that it has been a Franciscan Conceptionist nun ... who was responsible for the conversions in New Mexico...” Wrong verb tenses all around; the present perfect “it has been” is not only grammatically wrong, it’s damn awkward. What about a simple “If we don’t manage to convince His Majesty that a Franciscan Conceptionist nun was responsible for the conversions in New Mexico...”?

p. 317: “Mike Sheridan, the head of the Los Angeles office of the FBI’s Cultural Patrimony Department....” The FBI doesn’t have a “Cultural Patrimony Department” – not in Los Angeles and not anywhere else. There’s an Art Theft Program, but that’s about as close as it gets. “Cultural patrimony,” by the way, is one of those terms that’s used in Italian and Spanish but not in English to mean “art treasures, archeological artifacts, and historical materials” and the like. Probably Sierra got it wrong, but Graham didn’t check his facts – which is part of what a translator is supposed to do.

p. 364: Baldi again, responding to a question about the nationality of a person he is investigating. “No (she’s not Italian, she’s) a North American.” Now, other than Spanish speakers, who say “norteamericano,” who uses “North American" in that way? Granted, “American” by itself is tricky if you want to indicate a US citizen only, because it technically means everyone from Canada to way, way down south. But what’s wrong with “No, she’s from the U.S.” (as the character in question actually is)?

I could go on like this, but I’ll stop. As for plot ... well, there’s lots of plot, in the way that a plate of spaghetti has lots of noodles, but none of them is necessarily connected to the others. As you read on past page 300 and realize that Sierra is still introducing new plot twists and coming nowhere near a conclusion, you might start worrying. And the worry is fully justified, because the ending is a non-ending that accounts for approximately a third of the balls Sierra has left hanging in the air. In the final pages, he pulls a “deus ex machina” (in just about the literal sense) that turns a long, slightly delirious novel into nothing more than a shaggy dog story. Put this one on your “Forewarned is Forearmed” list.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lady In Blue mixes real life historical figures and documents with imagination, to create an intriguing mystery. The author takes us from 17th century America to modern day Europe in a story spanning nearly 400 years and 6000 miles. But who is The Lady In Blue.

In the present day, a young American woman, under the care of a psychiatrist, is having disturbing dreams. What is the cause of the dreams? Could they be related to some work she did for the Department of Defense while serving as a lieutenant in the American military?

In the 17th century, a Spanish nun is credited with converting thousands of American Indians to Christianity, before and priests or missionaries have visited their locations in the New World.

The strange, unbelievable aspect is that the nun herself has never visited the America's. She, apparently, has the ability to appear in two places at once. A talent for bilocation. But, is the nun the lady in blue, or is there another, even stranger explanation?

A young Spanish journalist stumbles across the convent where the founding mother is the nun Marìa Jesús de Ágreda. He begins to try to untangle to story and the connection between the 17th century nun and the present day. It takes him on a journey both physical and metaphorical, challenging his own beliefs.

As the story began to unfold in the early chapters, I thought I could see a few clues as to the conclusion. The clues, if such they were intended to be, cleverly misled the reader away from the final conclusion, so don't be tempted to skip to the end.

The threads of the complex story require the reader to constantly pay attention and remember what has gone befeore. The reader needs to keep their wits about them and it is worth the effort.

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead:


Revine scarba pe care o am de cate ori citesc carti despre cum au convertit oamenii cu forta alti oameni la religia ortodoxa... Daca nu se converteau, nu era bine, daca se converteau, iar nu era bine...vine Inchizitia sa vada de ce s-au convertit..si jmekerul dintre ei, bineinteles, de abia astepta sa prinda pe ala care pomenea de dna in albastru sa-l "interogheze" putin.
Pe bune?! Care era pb? Nu auzisera de miracole?! Sau de fapt pb lor era ca erau fani ai torturii si ca n-au apucat sa chinuie, sa tortureze si sa arda pe rug cat mai multi indieni? Sau poate pb era ca ii convertea o femeie in locul lor, "sfintii parinti"? Se confirma, din nou, ca de fapt nu ii interesa atat religia cat tortura, pe unii dintre ei. Pur si spl le placea sa chinuie oameni in Numele Domnului.

Cartea este scrisa impecabil, ca de obicei.
A fost o placere sa o citesc!

Dar...eu nu rezonez cu teoria autorului despre ingeri, cum ca se nasc ca orice om de rand, traiesc si mor ca oricine dar ce fericire ca sunt frumosi si se pot teleporta....si le place sa intervina in cursul vietii unor oameni. Nu oameni curati si fara de pacat, nici macar oameni care cred in religie, ci asa, cum au ei chef sa-i aleaga...probabil dau cu zarul...
Sincer, mi s-a parut putin tras de par si fortat cursul actiunii. Adica daca puteau sa ia manuscrisul si sa il dea cuiva, pt ca doar se pot teleporta, nu???atunci de ce nu o fac pur si simplu, in loc de toata incurcatura pe care au facut-o, transmis juma de cod intr-un sfert de mesaj si vizitat oameni in avion in timpul zborului (celorlalti pasageri probabil le-a acoperit Dumnezeu ochii de n-au vazut-o cand a aparut si a disparut), drogat si rapit preoti (...pe bune???asta e comportament de fiinta divina???...)...nici macar nu e f clar de ce anume trebuia rapit preotul ala, adica ii dai indicii si pe urma te deranjeaza ca ”si-a dat seama prea devreme” si il rapeste sa-l tii izolat vreo cateva zile?... si pt cineva care se vrea a fi subtil si sa nu iasa in evidenta, doamna inger apare peste tot imbracata in negru dar cu mocasini rosii...de ce au ingerii pasiunea pt culoarea rosie?... de ce nu se imbraca in alb cu pantofi albasti sau verzi? Ca ar fi le fel de discret.
Si, mai ales, NU rezonez cu teoria ca Iisus a fost un"infiltrat" adica jumatate om jumatate fiinta divina. Despre asta nu vreau sa comentez mai mult. Pana la urma, e dreptul fiecaruia sa creada (in) ce vrea.
Finalul... alea 2 cuvinte... "ingeri razvratiti"... si parca s-a intors povestea. Parca punctul culminant sta fix in ultimele alea 2 cuvinte... 😁 mi se parea mie ca sunt cam razbunatori ingerii astia. Nu ca nu le-as da dreptate, adevarul e ca Biserica Catolica n-are nici ea o istorie prea buna si daca e adevarat ce spune autorul, cum ca ii atribuiau Fecioarei Maria aparitiile care de fapt apartineau unor (multe) calugarite in Mexic, nu pot sa spun ca inteleg de ce... si calugaritele tot aceeasi religie o practicau si ii invatau si pe indieni sa creada... in fine, fiind vorba de biserica probabil ca n-ar fi fost de acord indiferent care era adevarul si ar fi "cosmetizat" ei putin situatia ca "sa dea mai bine".
Sper la inca un volum cu acelasi subiect dar cred ca sper degeaba.
Ma bucur ca am invatat lucruri noi despre o istorie pe care nu prea o cunosc, a Noului Mexicului. La fel cum am invatat din fiecare carte a acestui autor.
Il recomand din suflet celor care iubesc cartile cu subiecte religioase.


The disgust I feel every time I read books about how people forcibly converted other people to the Orthodox religion comes back... If they didn't convert, it wasn't good, if they did convert, it wasn't good either... the Inquisition comes to see why they converted... and the joker among them, of course, couldn't wait to catch the one who mentioned the lady in blue to "interrogate" him a little.
Seriously?! What was the pb? Hadn't they heard of miracles?! Or was their pb actually that they were fans of torture and that they didn't get to torment, torture and burn at the stake as many Indians as possible? Or maybe their pb was that a woman was converting them instead of them, the "holy fathers"? It confirms, once again, that some of them weren't actually interested in religion as much as torture. They just liked to torture people in the Name of the Lord.

The book is impeccably written, as usual.
It was a pleasure to read it!

But...I don't agree with the author's theory about angels, that they are born like any ordinary person, live and die like anyone else, but how fortunate that they are beautiful and can teleport...and they like to intervene in the course of people's lives. Not pure and sinless people, not even people who believe in religion, but just as they feel like choosing them...probably they roll the dice...
Honestly, I found the course of action a bit drawn out and forced. I mean, if they could take the manuscript and give it to someone, because they can just teleport, right??? then why don't they just do it, instead of all the mess they made, transmitting half the code in a quarter of a message and visiting people on the plane during the flight (God probably covered the other passengers' eyes so they didn't see her when she appeared and disappeared), drugging and kidnapping priests (... seriously??? this is the behavior of a divine being???...)... it's not even clear why that priest had to be kidnapped, I mean you give him clues and then it bothers you that he "realized too early" and kidnaps him to keep him isolated for a few days?... and for someone who wants to be subtle and not stand out, the angel lady appears everywhere dressed in black but with red loafers... why do angels have a passion for the color red?... why don't they dress in white with blue or green shoes? That would be so discreet. As usual, "Mysterious are the ways of the Lord". So it is with angels.
And, above all, I DO NOT resonate with the theory that Jesus was an "infiltrator" that is, half man, half divine being. I don't want to comment on that any more. After all, everyone has the right to believe (in) what they want.
The ending... those 2 words... "rebellious angels"... and it's like the story has turned around. It's like the climax is right in those last 2 words... 😁 it seemed to me that these angels are a bit vengeful. Not that I wouldn't agree with them, the truth is that the Catholic Church doesn't have a very good history either and if what the author says is true, about them attributing to the Virgin Mary the apparitions that actually belonged to some (many) nuns in Mexico, I can't say that I understand why... and the nuns practiced the same religion and taught the Indians to believe as well... anyway, since it was the church, they probably wouldn't have agreed no matter what the truth was and would have "beautified" the situation a bit to "make it look better".
I hope for another volume with the same subject but I think I hope in vain.
I'm glad that I learned new things about a history that I don't really know, that of New Mexico. Just like I learned from every book by this author.
I recommend it wholeheartedly to those who love books with religious subjects.

[Ratita de biblio · Rating 1 out of 5]

No suelo yo ser muy dura en mis reseñas negativas, pero en esta ocasión me va a tener que perdonar el señor Javier Sierra pero esta historia no hay por dónde cogerla.

Partiendo de la leyenda de La dama azul cuyo origen es el México precolombino, la trama nos lleva a través de varias líneas temporales y al más puro estilo Dan Brown, por la extraña historia de una serie de apariciones marianas con carácter evangelizador que podrían estar vinculadas con las supuestas bilocaciones de la monja española franciscana Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda, en el siglo XVII.

A partir de esta leyenda de base real y bien documentada por el autor, eso no se lo voy a negar (de hecho, los municipios de Ágreda y Nuevo México están hermanados y Javier Sierra es hijo adoptivo de este último), la trama se traslada a la actualidad tornándose estrambótica. Mezcla de entresijos del Vaticano, periodistas que toman la acción de su mano y se lanzan a atrevidas persecuciones, y ex agentes del orden público que sufren extraños trances o visiones, todos intentan desentrañar y utilizar el don de la bilocación temporal o espacial, haciendo que la historia se mueva en la delgada línea que separa lo real de lo ficticio. Para mí es demasiado increíble hasta el punto de tornarse irrisoria.

El estilo narrativo no ha sido tampoco de mi gusto. Demasiado simple, repetitivo, por ocasiones parece un texto en pañales. Vale que es la primera novela del periodista, pero estamos hablando de un señor que en 2017 gana el Premio Planeta, otro galardón tampoco precisamente de mi devoción, esperaba un mínimo de calidad.

No es la primera vez que leo a Javier, y salvo esporádicas ocasiones, es un autor con el que no conecto en absoluto, tenedlo en cuenta también a la hora de tomar en firme esta opinión. No recomiendo esta historia más que como mera curiosidad, algo que podéis subsanar igualmente con echar un ojo a la leyenda de La dama azul o con algún podcast de media horita mientras hacéis los macarrones para mañana.

[Carolyn Kost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sierra (La cena secreta; Plaza & Janés, 2005) has made a career out of his interest in historical mysteries. First published in Spain in 1998, this novel is the result of seven years of research and is based on factual evidence and historical documents. In the 17th century, when missionaries arrived near the Rio Grande in New Mexico, they were astonished to learn that a blue lady had already been there and had prepared the natives' hearts and minds for Christianity. Fearing satanic involvement, agents of the Inquisition investigated the case and discovered that a young nun had repeatedly traveled to New Mexico to evangelize the native tribes--without leaving her cloister in Spain. The nun's deposition produced a veritable manual for bilocation--the ability to be in two places at once--a skill that has extensive military application in the present day. The ensuing battle either to protect or to develop this skill involves the U.S. military, the Vatican, the media, and others. Ecclesiastical intrigue, secret societies, and a mysterious murder beg comparison with Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, but the premise is far less theologically provocative. An entertaining page-turner; recommended for public libraries and bookstores, particularly where there is interest in Southwestern lore or alternative spirituality.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a great idea, but, unfortunately, it wasn't that well written. I wondered if it had been translated from Spanish - the author is Spanish - but it doesn't indicate that it is. The idea of the book - the plot - involved a journalist investigating the "bilocation" - ability to be in two places at once - of a 17th century nun. This nun lived in Spain but was reported to have appeared to native Americans in what is now New Mexico. Her appearances there helped to convert the native Americans to Christianity before missionaries from Europe arrived there. As the journalist investigated, he encountered many coincidences that led him to a group of priests working at the Vatican with a group of intelligence officers from the United States. As it turns out, some of these people are angels! Like I said, the idea is great, but this author does a very poor job with the writing!

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books like "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown. Be prepared for some sloppy writing, though!

[Wayne]

PRE-READ:
Every time I was at the local Post Office in the queue I would see this book in the discretely and temptingly placed Book Bin...and refused ABSOLUTELY to be tempted.
BUT (that word ALWAYS means something is going to happen,n'est-ce pas??) ...because I just booked to see a documentary at the Sydney Film Festival about a young filmmaker's seeking out witnesses to the 1968 miraculous Virgin Mary apparitions in Egypt's Coptic Christian community.He is hampered however by their reluctance to talk and the producer(his mother) being unwilling to commit more funds to his project and expressly forbidding him to interview her Coptic relatives.It is supposed to be very funny and ultimately very moving.The Catholic Church has its Fatima and Lourdes apparitions of Mary which do not survive close scrutiny ...there is always some hidden agenda among the hierarchy.
Well, what could be more in the vicinty but a fictional take on this dubious spiritual phenomenon of the religious mind or it's scheming executive.
DONE...I bought it!!!

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was much more in keeping with the Da Vinci Code formula. Short, alternating chapters between time periods and points of view, a look into the history of apparitions/sightings throughout New Mexico of a nun preaching God's Word to American Indians in the 1600s and clues and revelations about the Catholic Church's involvement.

I enjoyed the alternating time periods and the writing flowed much better than author Javier Sierra's first American best-seller, The Secret Supper. However, the ending was a huge disappointment that I couldn't give it anything better than two stars. It was anti-climactic and the "revelation" or secret in the end--although surprising--wasn't earth-shattering. Plus, a tongue-in-cheek comment about the solution to the whole dilemma of leaking information to a writer and have him call the book "The Lady in Blue" was too contrived for my taste--leaving me with an unsatisfactory taste in my mouth.

[Siabooks343 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un gran descubrimiento de autor y de libro!
Un libro que se lee solo y el enganche es brutal.
Tiene un cóctel estupendo de suspense y acción que lo vuelve de lo más adictivo . El argumento está perfectamente desarrollado, con una base de investigación tan bien realizada que en muchas ocasiones de olvidas de ello , dejándote llevar y disfrutándo de la historia que pudiera parecer pura fantasía o ficción.
El tema de las bilocaciones me pareció fascinante pero aún mucho más como lo ha plasmado su autor.
Los viajes en el tiempo, y como conecta las diferentes historias en marcos distintos de tiempo y ubicaciones son increíbles.
Un libro que disfrutarás de principio a fin, de fácil y rápida lectura
100 💯 recomendado

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing. So far it's a bit bloodless, my heart hasn't beat faster a single time, I haven't worried for a character or wondered how someone was going to get out of a situation. It just ambles along. Because there are so many central characters, and each one gets a chapter, I haven't been able to really care for much less fall in love with any of them. At this point, I just need to get through it or get rid of it.

I finally finished it. I've decided that the author focused more on the "history" than the "story" and definitely lacked character development. I would not recommend it.

[Krizia Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story has a good plot but very confusing. A lot of characters that confuses me. A lot of changes in settings, such as in TIME and PLACE. There was a surprise towards the end that felt out of place for me. The story was disjointed and was not nicely translated. I think the author could have gone another path.