Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring

“‘Viva la vida?’ Paloma asked, tapping Tavo’s arm. ‘What does it mean?’

‘Long live life,’ he said. ‘This is one of Frida’s last paintings before she died.’

‘Viva la vida,’ Paloma repeated. Something about those words warmed her all over.”

As Paloma learns about Frida Kahlo and her art, she rather quickly develops an affinity for the person Frida was and what she stood for. Paloma will discover that Frida is a positive model for the kind of life she herself wishes to emulate.

“‘It’s true I am missing something…’ she said, securing a sky-blue shawl over her shoulders. ‘But you’re missing something, too, Paloma.’ Frida gazed warmly at her. ‘I hope you’ll find it in my beautiful ciudad.’”

The dream Paloma has in which Frida speaks to her of her missing peacock ring motivates Paloma to have a change of heart and decide to assist Gael in locating the item. Though it is a dream, the words that Frida speaks are telling: She recognizes that Paloma suffers greatly from the loss of her father. Cervantes uses Spanish words in the text such as “ciudad” (meaning “city”) to highlight the connection between Paloma and her heritage, as well as make it a partially educational text for readers who do not speak Spanish.

“[Paloma] had always been told that her name meant ‘dove.’ Doves represented peace and love. At a cousin’s wedding, the bride and groom had released white doves at the end of the ceremony. That was the kind of ‘Paloma’ she was. Peaceful. Loving. Not a gross pigeon. Had her mom been wrong about the correct translation of her name for all these years?”

Paloma is confused after Lizzie insults her by insisting that her name means “pigeon,” which is regarded as a dirty, nuisance animal. Paloma’s name, chosen by her father, has always been special to her. Cervantes uses emphatic single-adjective sentences to convey Paloma’s certainty that her identity is “[p]eaceful” and “[l]oving.”

“‘Why is it you always want to hear that story?’

Paloma handed the ring back to her mom. ‘I like knowing that he couldn’t sing, either. And I like that the ring is a memory. A memory I can touch that he touched, too.’”

Because her father died when she was young, Paloma has few memories of him. She comes to know who he was through her mother’s sharing of memories and stories. When Paloma finds parallels between her father and herself, she feels closely connected to him, despite his absence. Cervantes uses the intimate sense of touch to establish this connection, since it is the sense that requires bodies to be in contact.

“Even back home, Isha and Kate had told Paloma to cool it with all the note cards. But that’s the thing with memories—Paloma never knew when they were going to show up. If she didn’t capture them right on the spot, maybe she’d never get the chance again. And she couldn’t help but feel she’d already missed too much.”

Paloma is desperate to collect as much information about her father as possible. Because she has no memories of him herself, she is reliant on what information her mother can provide. The notecards partly symbolize the connection that Paloma attempts to keep with her father when Discovering Familial Heritage.

“Gael […] raised his hands up to the sky in frustration. ‘Why are all the bravest people only in stories?’

‘The books are fiction, but to me she’s like a real person. I’ve learned a lot from her.’

‘Good, we will have to be fearless like her.’”

Cervantes employs a metafictional device whenever she discusses the mystery novels that Paloma reads, highlighting that this novel is also part of the mystery genre and aligning Paloma with other detective protagonists. The fictional detective not only inspires Paloma, but the information Paloma has learned from the mystery novels proves essential in helping her to locate the ring.

“Paloma’s gaze moved away from the painting of Frida’s father to a blank spot on the wall. In that empty white space, she imagined a canvas. And on the canvas, she’d paint her own father […] If she painted this portrait, would people know that she also loved him? Would they know, by just looking at it, how much she missed him?”

The absence of her father is a defining feature in Paloma’s life. Being in Mexico, his birthplace, causes her to think of him constantly. Further, the parallels between herself and Frida Kahlo, coupled with the reverence Paloma’s father had for the artist, further cement the newly-found importance of the artist to Paloma.

“‘Thanks.’ Paloma smiled. No one had ever called her brave before. Her friends back home in Kansas mostly called her grumpy face, worrywart, smarty-pants, and nosy butt, but never courageous. Still, Paloma was nervous about sneaking out of the house tonight. She couldn’t back out now. Not after Lizzie had just said she had courage.”

The role Paloma plays in her new friendships contrasts with that of her friendships at home. Cervantes uses emotive, colloquial nicknames to establish the ease with which Paloma’s friends insult her and her resulting feelings of hurt. Paloma is encouraged that Lizzie deems her courageous and this motivates her to pursue the missing ring.

“Paloma smiled but suddenly felt sorry for Tavo. The first night they met, after Lizzie played that sad melody on the trumpet, Tavo had called himself a lonely boy. Now she could see why. Tavo was being dragged from Spain to Arizona and back to Mexico at his parents’ whim. He probably barely had time to make any true friends.”

Paloma values her friendships with others and is moved by those who are not as fortunate to have close friendships like she does. Though the Castillo twins caution her about Tavo, Paloma finds him to be a kind person. This underscores one of the novel’s messages about having empathy and following one’s instincts.

“‘When I first saw one of her self-portraits, I thought the same thing,’ Paloma said. ‘Then I learned how painting saved Frida’s life. It was freedom to her. She didn’t paint what society expected her to paint. She painted what she felt. Now that I know more about Frida, I don’t see the hairy eyebrows anymore. I see a perfect bird with its wings expanded in flight. I think it represents her soul soaring.’”

When another student criticizes Kahlo’s physical appearance, Paloma explains that it is Kahlo’s art that is important. Paloma’s use of the bird metaphor is meaningful, given that her own name means “dove.” Her speech conveys The Value of Art.

“[Paloma’s] heart hurt, too. Sure, the Castillos had lied to her. But they’d been so nice to her, too. She couldn’t dismiss them without hearing their side of the story first.”

Paloma must reconcile the new information about the Castillos with the experiences she has had. Whether or not they can be trusted complicates her relationship with them. Cervantes builds tension in Paloma’s confusion, as she does not yet have the whole truth about them.

“Paloma frowned and stepped back from [Gael’s] embrace. It was wrong to suspect Mr. Farill. He had been so kind to her. He paid for her mom’s trip to Mexico. He was Tavo’s father. Still, Paloma couldn’t ignore the evidence: Mr. Castillo told Gael and Lizzie it was Mr. Farill.”

Paloma does not wish to think badly about Mr. Farill. Here she tries to reconcile her experience with him with the information Gael gives her that suggests that he is behind the theft of the ring. Paloma respects and cares about Tavo and does not want him to be negatively impacted by his father’s wrongdoings. Cervantes hence suggests that The Pursuit of Justice for the Greater Good is a difficult but necessary path.

“‘I’m sorry about your dad,’ [Paloma] said. Paloma turned back toward the school’s doors. With every step she took, a sharp pain shot across her chest. She knew what it was like to want your father back. Paloma would give anything for another day with hers, for even one true memory of him.”

When Paloma learns that Mr. Castillo has been imprisoned, she is able to empathize with Gael and Lizzie. The absence of her own father, in turn, motivates Paloma even further to see that justice is carried out and that Mr. Castillo is exonerated.

“[Paloma] felt guilty knowing now who broke into [Tavo’s] home. She was the one who had led them there. It was all done behind her back, but still the guilt was like a hot, scratchy blanket she wanted to shrug off but couldn’t.”

The blanket simile builds a sensory image of discomfort. It also echoes the blanket that Gael will later hide beneath when the three children trap Mr. Farill for the theft.

“‘Okay,’ Paloma said to herself. ‘I just need to Lulu up and do this.’”

When Paloma becomes nervous or scared during her search for the ring, she encourages herself by reminding her of the courage exhibited by Lulu Pennywhistle. This desire to emulate Lulu aids Paloma, reminding her that she is capable. Cervantes modulates the phrase “man up” to “Lulu up” partly for comedic effect and partly to make a gendered point about women’s potential for bravery.

“‘We didn’t tell you because we figured you would try to stop us or, worse, tell your friend Tavo.’

Paloma stepped back, shocked by Gael’s words. ‘I would never do that,’ she said. ‘I would never betray you guys like that. I want to help your dad, too.’”

Paloma is taken aback when the Castillo twins assert that she may be disloyal to them. Paloma’s friendship with them has been genuine and she is briefly hurt by the notion that it could be otherwise. The conflict grows complicated as she finds herself momentarily caught between her allegiance to the Castillos and her friendship with Tavo.

“Paloma winced. Her heart melted for Gael and Lizzie. It had to be torture knowing that their innocent dad was in jail with real criminals. It was straight-up unfair. She couldn’t help but think of her own father. She had a memory box full of photographs of him holding her, taking her for rides on the pony carousel at the mall, and reading picture books to her. All these photographs were wonderful. It proved that he wanted to be with her. But nothing is like having your father by your side. That’s what stung Paloma the most. Gael and Lizzie had a dad. He was alive. Yet Mr. Farill was keeping him from his children for his own personal greed.”

Her love for her own father motivates Paloma to aid in exonerating Mr. Castillo. She can empathize with the twins, understanding the sadness they feel at their father’s absence and false imprisonment. Cervantes hence suggests that empathy is essential for the pursuit of justice for the greater good.

“‘I had this made for you.’ Paloma’s mom held out a necklace with an opal dangling from a gold chain.

‘Your wedding ring!’ Paloma gasped.

Her mom latched it around Paloma’s neck. ‘Now it’s yours. Something your father touched will always be with you. It’s your very own memory.’”

Paloma’s mother has helped Paloma know her father by conveying anecdotes and other stories about him. The necklace, however, is a tangible reminder of him which will help Paloma keep him even more present in her thoughts. The word “latched” evokes a sense of permanence, suggesting that Paloma will always have the memory of her father.

“‘One last thing, Paloma.’ [Gael] pulled the eagle warrior medallion from under his shirt. ‘I’m giving this back to you for—’

‘Protection,’ she finished for him. She bent her head for him to loop it around her neck. ‘Gracias.’

‘No matter what happens tonight, I want you to know that I am not done knowing you,’ Gale said. Paloma’s heart flipped in her chest. ‘You’re going to fly off to Kansas eventually, but our friendship doesn’t end at some imaginary border in the sky. We are birds. Our friendship is our wings. We are going to be part of each other’s sky for a long time, okay?’”

Paloma’s accepting the medallion back from Gael is a sign that she once again trusts him and understand the reasons that he was not entirely forthcoming with her. The metaphor Gael uses referencing birds, wings, and flying has even greater significance because of the meaning of Paloma’s name; Cervantes connects their friendship to the peace, love, and freedom that birds represent in the text.

“Mr. Farill called us traviesos,’ Paloma said. ‘What does that mean?’

‘It means “troublemakers.”’ Gael smiled and shrugged. ‘Maybe we are?’

Paloma let out a deep breath. ‘Definitely.’”

Gael and Paloma are proud to be called “troublemakers” by the thief because they know that they are not behaving immorally but instead exposing the wrongdoings of Mr. Farill. Cervantes hence conveys a message that doing what is right sometimes conflicts with doing what all adults say.

“As soon as she arrived at Casa Azul for the award ceremony, everyone started taking pictures of Paloma and her mom. Several people gave her flowers and called her la Palomita Valiente. The brave little dove.”

Paloma’s father gave Paloma her name because of its meaning, and Paloma has always taken pride in the way it signifies love and peace. Now, nearly all of Mexico knows her name and its association with the peaceful bird. This makes their moniker even more special to Paloma.

“For so long, Paloma had yearned for her own memories of her father, but she’d discovered something better. Even though her father wasn’t with her in Mexico, he was with her every step of the way. She had arrived in Mexico as his little bird, but now she was leaving as Palomita Valiente.”

The trip to Mexico, though full of surprises and unexpected events, has proven to reveal more about her father to Paloma. She has gained an affinity for the country and its culture and thus deeper insights into who her father was as a person. Furthermore, this passage exemplifies Paloma’s character development and uses the bird metaphors to highlight how she has changed over the course of the novel.

“‘Paloma…’ Gael shouted from below. ‘You are our best-est friend now, and we made this painting for you so you’ll never forget us.’ Lizzie took the painting and held it up in front of her. In the painting, Gael and Lizzie sat side by side holding hands. Behind them, a large peacock spread its wings. ‘It says…’ Gael continued.

‘For Paloma, we searched for a peacock and found a beautiful dove. We’ll never forget you.’”

Gael and Lizzie rely on the symbolism of Frida’s peacock, along with the meaning of Paloma’s name, to show their appreciation to Paloma for helping them. A painting is a fitting gift, as it was Frida Kahlo and her art that brought Paloma and the Castillos together.