amlagunas's review against another edition
4.0
Really liked this one! Unique settings and stories, built up well to the very satisfying ending, but would have liked to have spent a little more time on some characters.
doucey's review against another edition
2.0
I could not completely get absorbed in this book. The premise intrigued me (love historical dramas that span time!) but i found it difficult to really connect with any of the characters. It had little dialogue, which for some reason bothered me! I can’t say I would recommend it. Sorry.
ladyofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
After much thought and research I'm going to say that the author tried but failed to capture my attention. Though the premise of Jews not knowing they were Jews fascinated me, the execution was bad and the writing felt stilted at times. I also wasn't quite sure how I felt about this book. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I feel rather neutral about the whole thing really. Therefore, I'm giving this 2.5 ⭐ rounded up.
dybbuk's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Genocide, Antisemitism, and Torture
booksnbrains's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
thain's review
5.0
A modern-day Hispanic community in New Mexico who unknowingly practice Jewish traditions trace their roots to a family of conversos who fled the Inquisition and settled in the New World. The parallel storylines are woven seamlessly together down to the last detail of a family recipe. Both stories are equally compelling with a varied cast of characters, including a teenage amateur astronomer at the heart of it all.
ranchel's review
2.0
The premise behind Gateway to the Moon really intrigued me. The idea that there are people who follow Jewish tradition without openly considering themselves Jewish was totally new to me and I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, I feel that the writing and narrative in general were choppy, which made the story very difficult to follow. There were a lot of characters mentioned, particularly in the flashbacks, so I struggled to keep track of everyone. I finally figured out towards the end of the book that the majority of the characters were related. The weird tangents about sex did not fit with the tone of story; parts of the book actually read like historical erotic fiction.
Overall, I don't think this book delivered. I read an ARC, so hopefully the final version has been edited and will be less disjointed. Gateway to the Moon is definitely not the worst book I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't very good and I would not recommend this book to anyone I know.
Overall, I don't think this book delivered. I read an ARC, so hopefully the final version has been edited and will be less disjointed. Gateway to the Moon is definitely not the worst book I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't very good and I would not recommend this book to anyone I know.
anjreading's review
4.0
This novel combines a present-day narrative of a small New Mexico community that has a hidden religious and political history with historical vignettes that tell the story of the community’s ancestors. Miguel is a teenager in Entrada de la Luna who dreams of studying the stars and takes a job babysitting for a wealthy Jewish family who are new to the area. He is a wonderfully written character and I was quickly invested in his story. The historical sections are engrossing, starting in 15th-century Spain with a Jewish man escaping the Inquisition by joining Columbus’s expedition, and then following various ancestors of his throughout their lives as “crypto-Jews,” forced to practice their faith in secret by the ruthless force of the Inquisition.
libkatem's review
5.0
This was a gorgeous tale of a family and its mysteries. I adored the echos of celestial navigation - the stars are place holders in this book, and they only tell stories if you know what the constellations are.
Fantastic, haunting storytelling.
Fantastic, haunting storytelling.
msjoanna's review
4.0
My bookclub picked this and I'm really sad I wasn't able to go to the meeting where it was discussed. I'm sure it led to an interesting discussion. This author has published lots of books, but I'd never heard of her.
The book tells the story of some crypto-Jews who ended up in New Mexico after fleeing Portugal and/or Spain during the Inquisition. The community in New Mexico maintains certain Jewish history without believing or consciously knowing of its Jewish roots--circumcision, no pork, candles on Fridays, etc. The town is Catholic, but somehow the traditions held.
Intertwined with the early 1990s story of the New Mexico community are the historical stories starting in the late 1490s with a Jewish explorer who travels with Columbus to the New World. The Inquisition comes alive in gory detail in these parts of the book. Often when books have this flip-flop structure, there's a part that I'm more interested in, but here, I was engaged with both storylines, so didn't mind switching between them.
I enjoyed the exploration of the ways in which history is passed from generation to generation. The striving of the residents of Entrada de Luna for a better life also felt real and powerful.
The book tells the story of some crypto-Jews who ended up in New Mexico after fleeing Portugal and/or Spain during the Inquisition. The community in New Mexico maintains certain Jewish history without believing or consciously knowing of its Jewish roots--circumcision, no pork, candles on Fridays, etc. The town is Catholic, but somehow the traditions held.
Intertwined with the early 1990s story of the New Mexico community are the historical stories starting in the late 1490s with a Jewish explorer who travels with Columbus to the New World. The Inquisition comes alive in gory detail in these parts of the book. Often when books have this flip-flop structure, there's a part that I'm more interested in, but here, I was engaged with both storylines, so didn't mind switching between them.
I enjoyed the exploration of the ways in which history is passed from generation to generation. The striving of the residents of Entrada de Luna for a better life also felt real and powerful.