“Every saint has a miracle. Every miracle has a price.”
— The fundamental truth of the Soria family and their unique ability.
Archivist's Choice
All the Crooked Saints
Maggie Stiefvater (2017)
Genre
Fantasy / Historical Fiction / Young Adult / Romance
Reading Time
320 min
Key Themes
See below
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In the desert town of Bicho Raro, the Soria family faces the challenges of their miraculous abilities, as three cousins try to break free from a past of dark saints, forbidden love, and the unexpected costs of their own desires.
Synopsis
In the isolated desert town of Bicho Raro, Colorado, the Soria family has a unique, difficult gift: they can perform miracles, but each miracle comes at a cost, reflecting a 'darkness' within the person seeking it. This darkness appears as a physical or psychological problem that only goes away when the person truly understands and accepts who they are. The story focuses on three Soria cousins: Beatriz, who has no emotions and tries to understand them through science; Daniel, the town's chosen 'saint' who performs miracles for others but struggles himself; and Joaquin, who broadcasts rebellious truths and secrets over a pirate radio station as Diablo Diablo. Their lives connect with visitors like Pete, a young man with a mysterious past and his own dark problem, and Antonia, a newcomer who questions the family's traditions. As they deal with their personal issues, the cousins and the town's visitors must face their inner struggles, question what miracles truly are, and discover that real healing comes not from magic, but from self-acceptance and the bravery to face difficult truths. The story ends with the community healing, as the Soria family changes, and each cousin finds their own way to self-healing and a new direction.
Reading time
320 min
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Atmospheric, Mysterious, Introspective, Melancholy, Hopeful
✓ Read this if...
You enjoy atmospheric, character-driven stories with a touch of magical realism, exploring themes of family, self-discovery, and the human condition.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer fast-paced plots with clear-cut fantasy systems or straightforward resolutions to magical problems.
Plot Summary
The Soria Family and the Desert Saints
Bicho Raro, Colorado, is a remote desert town where the Soria family has lived for generations. They have a unique and difficult tradition: they can perform miracles, but these miracles always leave a 'dark saint' behind, a physical sign of the supplicant's inner darkness. To become whole again, the supplicant must resolve their own darkness. The Soria family members also have their own internal struggles. Daniel Soria, the current 'Saint of Bicho Raro,' performs many miracles but cannot perform one for himself. His cousin, Beatriz Soria, is a smart but unemotional girl, always trying to understand her lack of feelings. Their other cousin, Joaquin Soria, secretly runs a pirate radio station as Diablo Diablo, broadcasting the town's strange tales and his own worries.
Pete and the Radio Broadcast
Pete, a young man with a mysterious past and his own dark saint—a physical sign of his past mistakes—arrives in Bicho Raro. He was drawn to the town by Joaquin's Diablo Diablo radio broadcasts, which hinted at the town's miraculous nature. Pete has been wandering, looking for a way to resolve his own darkness, which feels like a constant, heavy presence. He immediately senses the strange energy of Bicho Raro and the Soria family. His arrival, while seeming like a coincidence, starts a series of events that will challenge the Soria family's traditions and the town's understanding of miracles.
Beatriz's Experiments and Daniel's Burden
Beatriz, interested in how Soria miracles work and her own emotional emptiness, begins to observe Pete and his dark saint with scientific curiosity, hoping to understand the phenomena. She sees miracles as a puzzle to solve, not a spiritual act. Meanwhile, Daniel is overwhelmed by constant requests for miracles from townspeople and visitors. He feels trapped by his role as the Saint, unable to help himself or find personal satisfaction. His miracles, while helping others, only seem to increase his own sense of isolation and tiredness, as he takes on the suffering he sees.
Joaquin's Confessions and the Town's Secrets
Joaquin, through his Diablo Diablo broadcasts, offers a unique view into Bicho Raro's strange world. He interviews townspeople, shares his own worries, and speculates on the nature of Soria miracles, often accidentally revealing deeper truths about the community and his family. His radio show becomes a confessional for the town, allowing its oddities and hidden pains to surface. He struggles with his own identity and purpose, feeling overshadowed by Daniel's saintly role and Beatriz's intelligence. His broadcasts are a way to exert his own influence and find his voice among the family's powerful legacy.
The Arrival of Antonia and the Challenge to Tradition
Antonia, a Soria who left Bicho Raro years ago, returns, bringing a fresh, often critical, view of the family's traditions. Unlike the current Sorias, she believes the supplicant should be actively involved in their own miracle, rather than just receiving it. Her return stirs up old tensions and forces the family to rethink their long-held beliefs about how miracles should be performed and what they truly mean. She challenges Daniel's passive approach and Beatriz's detached observations, advocating for a more engaged and empathetic understanding of the miraculous process.
Pete's Past Revealed and the Search for Redemption
As Pete spends more time in Bicho Raro, his dark saint grows heavier and more oppressive, reflecting his unresolved guilt and the burden of his past actions. He desperately seeks a miracle that will truly free him, not just a temporary fix. He forms an unexpected connection with Beatriz, who, despite her lack of emotions, finds herself drawn to his struggle. Pete's journey becomes a main focus, as he deals with self-forgiveness and the true meaning of healing, pushing the limits of what the Soria family considers a 'successful' miracle.
Beatriz's Awakening and the Nature of Emotion
Through her interactions with Pete and her observations of the town's suffering and hope, Beatriz begins to feel emotions for the first time. This awakening is both confusing and exciting, forcing her to reconsider her scientific, detached approach to life and miracles. She starts to understand that emotions are not just inconvenient variables but important parts of the human experience, essential for true understanding and connection. Her intellectual curiosity shifts from just observing to actively taking part in Bicho Raro's emotional life, especially in her growing bond with Pete.
Daniel's Crisis and the Limits of Miracles
Daniel, increasingly burdened by his saintly duties and realizing his miracles offer only temporary relief, experiences a deep crisis of faith. He sees the endless cycle of dark saints and the superficiality of many requests. He questions how effective Soria miracles truly are and his own ability to bring real healing. This personal trouble forces him to face his own needs and desires, realizing he cannot keep sacrificing himself indefinitely without finding his own way to wholeness. He begins to seek a different kind of miracle, one that involves self-discovery rather than self-sacrifice.
Joaquin's Public Confession and the Power of Truth
Inspired by the unfolding events and his own growing understanding of the Soria traditions, Joaquin takes to the airwaves for his most personal broadcast yet. As Diablo Diablo, he confesses his own darkness, his fears, and his hopes, encouraging the townspeople to face their own inner struggles. His public vulnerability deeply resonates with the community, showing the power of truth and shared humanity. His broadcast becomes a catalyst for others to acknowledge their own 'dark saints' and begin their personal journeys towards healing, showing that sometimes, the most powerful miracle is simply speaking one's truth.
The Community's Collective Healing
Inspired by Joaquin's broadcast and the Sorias' changing views, the townspeople of Bicho Raro begin to actively engage with their own dark saints. They no longer passively wait for a Soria miracle but instead start personal journeys of introspection and self-forgiveness. This collective effort changes the town, creating a sense of shared responsibility and empathy. The definition of a 'miracle' expands beyond a simple external intervention to include the internal work of healing and self-acceptance, showing that true change comes from within.
Beatriz and Pete's Shared Path
As Beatriz continues to experience and understand her emotions, she and Pete grow closer. Their connection, initially rooted in her scientific curiosity and his desperate need, develops into a deep love. They find comfort and strength in each other, supporting their individual journeys toward wholeness. Pete's dark saint, once a crushing burden, begins to lighten as he faces his past with Beatriz's help. Their relationship shows that love and connection are powerful forces for self-acceptance and healing, offering a different kind of miracle.
Daniel's Self-Miracle and New Direction
Daniel, having shed the immense pressure of being the sole Saint, finally performs a miracle for himself. This is not a traditional Soria miracle but an internal one, where he accepts his own needs and chooses his own path forward. He finds a new sense of purpose and peace, no longer defined only by his ability to perform miracles for others. He begins to understand that true strength is not in endless sacrifice but in self-awareness and self-care. His journey marks a departure from the old Soria traditions, paving the way for a more balanced and sustainable future for the family.
The Soria Family's Evolution
The Soria family, through the individual and collective journeys of Beatriz, Daniel, and Joaquin, undergoes a deep change. They move away from the rigid, often difficult, traditions of the past, embracing a more nuanced and compassionate understanding of miracles. They realize that true miracles involve self-awareness, empathy, and the willingness to face one's own darkness. The family's legacy is no longer about simply performing external interventions but about fostering internal growth and community healing, creating a new, more hopeful future for Bicho Raro.
Principal Figures
Beatriz Soria
The Protagonist
Beatriz evolves from an emotionally detached observer to a woman capable of experiencing and expressing profound feelings, finding love and a new understanding of herself.
Daniel Soria
The Protagonist
Daniel learns to prioritize his own well-being and seeks a miracle of self-acceptance, redefining his role beyond constant self-sacrifice.
Joaquin Soria
The Protagonist
Joaquin grows from an anxious, secretive broadcaster to a courageous voice of truth, inspiring collective healing through his vulnerability.
Pete
The Supporting
Pete confronts his past, learns to forgive himself, and finds love and peace through his connection with Beatriz and the town's evolving understanding of miracles.
Antonia
The Supporting
Antonia successfully influences the Soria cousins to adopt a more engaged and empathetic approach to their miracles and their own lives.
The Dark Saints
The Mentioned
The understanding of the Dark Saints evolves from being a burden to a catalyst for self-reflection and personal growth, both for the supplicants and the Soria family.
La Madre
The Supporting
La Madre eventually accepts and adapts to the changing understanding of miracles within her family and community.
Themes & Insights
The Nature of Miracles and Healing
The book explores the idea that true miracles are not external events but internal processes of self-awareness, forgiveness, and active participation in one's own healing. The Soria family's traditional miracles offer temporary relief but leave behind 'dark saints,' symbolizing unresolved internal darkness. The story suggests that lasting healing comes from confronting one's own issues, as seen in Pete's journey and the townspeople's eventual collective efforts. This changes 'miracle' from passive reception to active, internal change.
“"A miracle was not a solution. It was a beginning. A miracle was a question, not an answer."”
Family Legacy and Individuality
The Soria cousins deal with the heavy legacy of their family's miraculous abilities and the expectations that come with it. Daniel feels trapped by his role as the Saint, Beatriz struggles with her emotional detachment in a family defined by strong feelings, and Joaquin seeks his own voice through his radio show. The story examines the tension between inherited identity and the desire for personal freedom, ultimately showing how each cousin finds a way to honor their heritage while making their own unique path, redefining what it means to be a Soria.
“"Being a Soria was not a gift. It was a responsibility. And sometimes, a curse."”
Emotion vs. Logic
Beatriz's character shows the conflict between pure logic and the need for emotion. Her lack of feelings initially gives her a unique, detached view of the world and miracles. However, her journey, especially through her connection with Pete, shows that emotions are not just obstacles to objective analysis but essential parts of human understanding, connection, and even true healing. The book argues for combining both logic and emotion for a complete experience of life and self.
“"Feelings were not a flaw. They were data. Complicated, messy, often inconvenient data, but data nonetheless."”
The Burden of Secrets and the Power of Truth
Many characters in Bicho Raro, including Pete and Joaquin, carry secrets and unacknowledged burdens that appear as 'dark saints' or internal worries. The town itself has a history of hidden truths. The story highlights how these unspoken burdens prevent true healing and connection. Joaquin's radio show, especially his public confession, becomes a powerful force for others to share their own truths, showing that vulnerability and open communication are important steps towards healing and collective recovery, breaking the cycle of hidden darkness.
“"The only way to get rid of a dark saint was to face the dark truth it represented."”
Love as a Catalyst for Change
The romantic relationship between Beatriz and Pete helps both their individual changes. For Beatriz, her love for Pete unlocks her ability to feel emotions, allowing her to experience the world in a deep new way. For Pete, Beatriz's acceptance and understanding help him face his past and begin to forgive himself, lightening the burden of his dark saint. Their connection shows how love, empathy, and mutual support can be a powerful force for personal growth and healing, offering a unique kind of miracle.
“"Sometimes, the most miraculous thing you could do was simply to be present for someone else's darkness."”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
The Dark Saints
Physical manifestations of unresolved guilt or pain.
The Dark Saints are spectral, visible-to-some entities that appear after a Soria miracle, representing the supplicant's unresolved internal darkness. They are a constant visual reminder that the Soria miracles are not a complete solution, but a temporary alleviation. They serve as a powerful externalization of internal conflict, forcing characters to confront their pasts and highlighting the novel's central theme that true healing requires self-reflection and active participation, rather than passive reception of a miracle.
Diablo Diablo Radio Show
Joaquin's pirate radio station, broadcasting town secrets and personal anxieties.
Joaquin's secret radio show, 'Diablo Diablo,' acts as a narrative device for exposing the hidden lives and eccentricities of Bicho Raro. It allows for the dissemination of information, gossip, and personal confessions, often from an anonymous or slightly detached perspective. The show builds suspense, reveals character motivations, and ultimately becomes a platform for Joaquin's own growth, transforming from a secretive outlet into a powerful tool for community connection and collective catharsis when he uses it to broadcast his own vulnerabilities.
Beatriz's Emotional Void
A congenital inability to feel emotions, allowing for objective observation.
Beatriz's lack of emotions is a key plot device that allows her to observe the Soria miracles and human behavior with a scientific, detached perspective. This provides a unique lens through which the reader understands the town's strange phenomena. Her emotional void also creates her central character arc, as her journey involves the gradual awakening of her feelings, demonstrating the transformative power of connection and love. It serves as a narrative counterpoint to the highly emotional and often irrational nature of the miracles themselves.
The Desert Setting of Bicho Raro
A remote, isolated town that fosters unique traditions and a sense of otherworldliness.
The isolated, desert setting of Bicho Raro is more than just a backdrop; it's a character in itself. Its remoteness contributes to the Soria family's unique traditions remaining intact and largely unquestioned for generations. The harsh, stark landscape mirrors the internal struggles of the characters and the often-difficult nature of their miracles. The desert fosters a sense of otherworldliness and self-containment, creating a crucible where characters are forced to confront themselves and their community without external distractions, making their transformations more profound.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“Most people, if they saw their darkness made manifest, would be afraid. The Sorias were not most people.”
— Describing the Soria family's unusual relationship with their inner demons.
“The hardest part of a miracle was not performing it, but living with it afterward.”
— Daniel Soria contemplating the long-term effects of the miracles.
“The desert was a place where things got lost, and sometimes, if you were lucky, found again.”
— Reflecting on the unique nature of the California desert setting.
“It was impossible to be a saint without being a little bit broken.”
— The inherent flaw and humanity within those who perform miracles.
“Love was not a miracle. It was the reason for them.”
— Beatriz Soria's understanding of the motivation behind the miracles.
“Sometimes the darkness you carried was just a shadow, and sometimes it was a cage.”
— Contemplating the different forms and impacts of one's personal struggles.
“The desert did not forgive. It simply waited.”
— A description of the unforgiving and patient nature of the environment.
“A miracle was a promise, and a promise was a burden.”
— The weight of expectation and responsibility that comes with a Soria miracle.
“Everyone had a darkness. The trick was learning to dance with it, not be consumed by it.”
— The central theme of confronting and integrating one's flaws.
“The road to sainthood was paved with good intentions and terrible mistakes.”
— The paradox of trying to do good while making errors along the way.
“It was not the miracle that changed you, but the trying.”
— The transformative power of the effort and journey, rather than just the outcome.
“Some stories started at the beginning, but this one started with a miracle, and then another, and then another.”
— The narrative structure and the prevalence of miracles in the Soria family's history.
“There were many ways to be lost, and many ways to be found.”
— Reflecting on the various journeys of the characters and their search for belonging.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
'All the Crooked Saints' centers on the Soria family in Bicho Raro, Colorado, who possess the unique ability to perform miracles. However, these miracles always come with a dark consequence: a 'dark miracle' that reflects the recipient's inner turmoil, which only lifts when the recipient resolves their internal conflict.
About the author
Biography coming soon.
