Patrick O'Toole

Patrick O'Toole is a scout for the American wagons trains coming into Mexico and a business associate of Felipe Romero.

Personality and Facts

Patrick O'Toole is a young white American man (or americano) from Missouri; he has blue eyes and a friendly smile. He serves as a scout who rides ahead for the wagon trains into Mexico that travel both along the Santa Fe Trail and the Camino Real. Due to his job, he must be ready to leave places at a moment's notice. His father, Mr. O'Toole, sends Patrick in his place to speak to Felipe about trades in Santa Fe as he is in Mexico conducting business. He is an honest person, though initially those like Clara and Maria Herrera (and Andres, when he thinks he has been dishonest) are wary of him as a white man. He thinks on his feet, finding a way to convey information to the Montoyas when he cannot stay in town to finish the deals they made. He can play the violin skillfully and enjoys music.

Patrick is conversational in Spanish due to being taught by his father, but initially does not know the New Mexican way of conducting business by having friendly conversations beforehand rather than going straight to business talk (which Josefina surreptitiously lets him know before he makes a faux pas).

In the Books

Josefina Saves The Day: A Summer Story

Josefina is the first of her family to meet Patrick; she is out on the hills when she hears him whistling and sounding like a bird, and then sees him, a stranger. She immediately bows to him deferentially as she's been taught to do, but notices his American style boots, as her grandfather got a set like them last summer. He introduces himself to Josefina in Spanish (which is accented) and apologizes for surprising her, as he thought she was a bird as well. When Josefina doesn't speak back--as not only is he a white stranger but she has been taught not to ask grownups questions--he takes out his violin and begins to play, using the same notes she had played on her bird flute to make a tune. He then gives her his name and, once he has hers, says he's glad to have met her and is looking for the home of Felipe Romero, which Josefina points out and can lead him to. She then leads him to her grandfather's house.

Trivia

• Illustrator Jean-Paul Tibbles based the images of Patrick on himself as suggested by art director Jane Varda.