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alex_wordweaver's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence and Antisemitism
sarahs_shelf_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I listened to this one on audio book as preparation for my libraries Mock Newberry discussion. I really enjoyed the book for the most part. I found the story really interesting, especially since it is something I don't know anything about--it's set in the 15th C during the expulsion of Jews from Spain. The main character Loma loves her family dearly and spends most of the story traveling around Spain with her grandfather as they plea to the monarchs to let the Jewish community remain in Spain. She struggles with anxiety and finds that counting helps her manage her worries about the safety of her family and her community. She desperately wants to get married and have children of her own, but she is also a dutiful granddaughter, so she agrees to travel and support her Belo. Along the way she learns about the danger that Jews are in. Her family is looked on kindly by the monarchs, but that is mostly because they have money and influence and the monarchs hope they can one day be convinced to covert.
I think the thing I had the hardest time with was the cast of characters. There were a lot of people to keep track of, and some characters names changed when they were forced to convert to Christianity. I'm not sure if that was mostly because I listened to the book, but it was definitely something that affected how I felt about the story.
Overall I really enjoyed Loma's voice and her kindness to those around her. I thought the book did a good job reflecting the complexities of such a time through Loma's story.
I think the thing I had the hardest time with was the cast of characters. There were a lot of people to keep track of, and some characters names changed when they were forced to convert to Christianity. I'm not sure if that was mostly because I listened to the book, but it was definitely something that affected how I felt about the story.
Overall I really enjoyed Loma's voice and her kindness to those around her. I thought the book did a good job reflecting the complexities of such a time through Loma's story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Violence
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