Often at the end of chapter or a section, Coyote will close with a foreboding warning. One example occurs at the end of the triumphant Chapter 28. The chapter is full of joy and rejoicing as Salvador at last plays the violin for his mother in a performance hall. Coyote wants the reader to know that the joy will be short lived and remarks, “Of course, it all fell apart. Everything does, if you give it long enough” (210). This type of reference to events that have not yet happened is called foreshadowing or foretelling. Authors often include a symbolic reference to foreshadow events, such as describing a thunderstorm just prior to an extremely conflicted event.

Gemeinhart uses foreshadowing to set the tone for readers. Foreshadowing in the book is almost exclusively used for bad news that is cropping up in the next chapter. Since the challenge facing her is major and there are numerous unexpected setbacks, Coyote uses foreshadowing to prepare the reader. The foreshadowing in the narrative also serves as a lure to draw the reader into the next chapter or section. After several instances of foreshadowing, the reader gets to the point of knowing something untoward is about to happen but also that Coyote will somehow prevail.