A review by spaghettisaurusrex
Blood Secret by Kathryn Lasky

emotional informative mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This book blew me away. I don't know what I was expecting, but the deeply moving tale of a family constantly threatened by the violence of the Spanish Inquisition and imperialism, stretching back centuries through assorted keepsakes, woven together like the lace that is a recurring theme, wasn't it at all. But it's exactly what I needed.

Jewish history, Hispanic/Latino history, and indigenous history weave together in ways that, even as a history student, I'd never before thought about.

There's something poetic about the journey of protagonist Jerry, something that's hard to describe without getting into spoiler territory, and this story is best discovered for oneself.

The only real complaint I have is the sometimes lackluster editing, especially early on. There are several typos and formatting issues that interrupt the flow of an otherwise breathtaking story.

Blood Secret is magical realism at its finest.