Sunday, March 10, 2013

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

IncantationEvery time I sit down and read a book about the Spanish Inquisition, I'm shocked all over again. What pointless and horrid brutality. And though I've read a story with this theme and plot before, it still impacted me.


Terrific writing style and prose, though I have to say the dialogue being all italics instead of in "s is disconcerting.

You have a girl in Spain during these troubled times...she notices little things. Her family crosses themselves differently, doesn't eat pork, has mysterious visitors, etc. She discovers they and her are Jews. The wrong person finds out and you can imagine the rest.

I couldn't help but think the girl was stupid though, because in light of her knowledge, she should have left the boy alone. It's not like she can marry him anyway. She's Jewish and he's not and back then that was not done. So I had an eye rolling moment, but it was a good read.

Though aimed at teen readers, adult will find themselves just as engrossed and on the edge of their seats as jealously tears a family apart.

Four bikes. This book was obtained via a swap program.





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