Casilda of the Rising Moon

by Elizabeth Borton Trevino

"A Tale of Magic and of Faith, of Knights and a Saint in Medieval Spain."

Genres: Historical Fiction, Medieval, Childrens

186 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 1967

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful historical novel about a saint whom I'd never heard of before in a Spain where Moors, Jews, and Christians co-existed. I love this time period and place, and the author brings it vividly to life. I felt bad for Ben Haddaj, who was such a likeable character and about whose religious crisis the author leaves us hanging. I wanted more about him! Recommended!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book my mom (a librarian) brought home for me and I must have read it 10 times. A few years ago I found a copy of the long since out of print book on ebay and bought it. In re-reading it, I really did like it all over again. It is set during the crusades and is the story of a Moorish princess who becomes a saint. I'm actually suprised I liked it as a kid!

[Capn]

Nine hundred years ago the Moorish King Alamun of Toledo had two daughters: Zoraida, who was everything a Saracen princess could be expected to be - wild, dark, beautiful, and impulsive - and Casilda, good and gentle, pale and fair as the rising moon. A visiting prince, Ben Haddaj, loves one, but is contracted to marry the other. Moors and Christians fight to the death within miles of the palace walls. Only Casilda, with a secret strength to sustain her, can see a clear road ahead of her - a road which she knows she must walk almost alone.
This is a medieval tale of knights and kings, of suffering Christians, of mystics and saints. And it is based on the legends still stold in Castile about Casilda their special saint.
Recommended for girls between the ages of ten and thirteen.
cover design by Peter Farmer

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story was whimsical but tragic. The characters were tolerable. However, I have a couple issues with this book. First, throughout the entire book, the Christian God and Allah are referred to as the same entity. Second, the Catholic idea of a "saint" breaks my heart because Jesus is our go-between, not a brother or sister in Christ who's gone home before us. Additionally, throughout the entirety of the Bible, "saint" refers to anyone who has put their trust in God, not someone who is "recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness."

[Lady D]

OK, finished it. that's as good as it gets. Casilda is a self centred teen, who thinks shes Christ!! |She is a princess who hates the idea of her brother taking slaves and starving them in dungeons, so goes and heals and feeds them from food stole from the kitchens. However, Casilda also then uses slaves to carry her to the Spring waters that will heal her, (from an illness that does not seen to exist)…..
She leaves the princess lifestyle to live in a cave and heal people, while telling the sick to praise God and not her.
Not for me. Self centred, saccharine rubbish. No moral here.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casilda is the youngest and most beloved daughter of the ruler of Toledo, but she also brings a lot of grief into his life. She is frequently ill, but whatever strength she has she insists upon using to help the Christians her father holds prisoner. It is also clear to all who know her that Casilda herself wishes to be a Christian. Though Casilda has male admirers, such as Ismael Ben Haddaj, a Muslim prince with a Jewish heritage, she remains singularly focused on living out her mission on earth according to God's plan rather than pursuing marriage. As her story unfolds, her journey to sainthood plays out for the reader, culminating in a miraculous ending.

This book is, I believe, what The Inquisitor's Tale (2016) (which I don't recommend for Catholic kids) was trying to be, or perhaps could have been. Set in medieval Spain, this story brings the three major Western religious traditions - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam - into one place and time and explores how their members get along with one another. This time, though, not only is Christianity treated fairly, the main character turns out to be a fictionally fleshed-out version of a canonized saint! Obviously, as a Catholic mom, I prefer this book. When Kirkus reviewed the book in 1967, the reviewer wrote, "Outside a Catholic frame of reference, it is doubtful if girls will find her a convincing heroine." Lucky for us, my girls and I live smack-dab in the middle of that frame of reference, and I have no doubt that when they meet Casilda in a few years, they will love her story as much as they love the ones they already know about St. Therese, St. Elizabeth, St. Margaret of Antioch and many others.

In terms of writing, I'll admit that this book isn't as compelling as the author's Newbery Medal book, I, Juan de Pareja (1965), but I do still think it's well-done. That Kirkus review complains about it being a "miracle play without metaphor" but personally that's what I love about it. The Kirkus reviewer is correct when she writes, "one cannot regard Casilda as a saintly soul motivated by kindness and compassion, one must acknowledge and revere her as a saint." There is no question that Casilda is a saint in this book, and what's wrong with that? Personally, I'd like a few more unapologetically Catholic books to come live on my bookcase and insist that I believe in their saints.

Casilda of the Rising Moon was a pleasant surprise for me. I came into it cold, without reading even a blurb, and could not believe how much I enjoyed seeing my own faith tradition treated so respectfully and seriously by a children's author. I see this author has written other books steeped in Catholic tradition, and I'll be looking for those as well.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.