Kūrinys įdomus,bet labai panašus į ,,Avicenos mokinys".

La novela se basa en un hecho histórico: a finales del siglo XVI, los Reyes Católicos de España lideran una expulsión judía del territorio español. En este marco se narra la historia de un personaje que, a pesar de todas las desgracias y desdichas que tiene que soportar, va logrando sobreponerse y sobresalir en la sociedad, ocultando todo el tiempo su condición de judío, pero al mismo tiempo recordando en cada momento de dónde viene.

El libro (y la autora) tiene un estilo muy parecido al de Ken Follet, o por lo menos me lo recordó mucho, una historia enmarcada en un momento histórico determinado que te permite enclavar la historia y aprender mucho de esa etapa histórica, pero viviendo esa etapa desde el punto de vista menos "oficial" históricamente hablando. Tampoco la intención es contar una historia apasionante en la que la trama lo sea todo. Podemos decir que es una escritura sin prisas, cuenta sin apasionamientos la vida y andares del personaje, pero no hay vuelcos de historia, ni momentos clave. La historia es un pretexto para llevarte por una experiencia de vida y para transportarte a un espacio y tiempo que es interesantísimo imaginar.

El libro está bien documentado y, aunque puede haber momentos en los que sientas que te desespera porque pareciera que no pasa nada, te recomiendo que sigas leyendo, el final es gratificante.

As with all Noah Gordon books, I loved this one as well.
I read it while being on holiday in Spain, which makes the novel come even more alive.
You can visit the places, you get a sense of the distances travelled and you get a feel for the culture.
To be honstely, this was the fourth time I started reading the book and the first time I didn't stop at page 20. I do not know, a slow start, it just never drew me in.
But when you do get in, you can not put it away.

Es hat lang gedauert, bis es zu dem Teil des Buches kam, der ihm den Namen gab. Doch der Weg dahin war für den Leser weder unnütz noch langweilig, sondern facettenreich. Und genauso vielfältig ist auch das Leben von Jona Toledano, dem Sohn eines jüdischen Silberschmieds in Spanien, der irgendwann zur zentralen Figur wird und durch den man viele verschiedene Aspekte des "damaligen" Lebens, so wie der Autor es sieht, zu Beginn der spanischen Inquisition und des Antijudaismus in diesem Land.

An entertaining book, nice setting in the Inquisition Spain, but quite predictable, it made me think that I have read too many historical novels and now nothing surprises me (GRRM destroyed our "plot twist" expectancies too).
Actually, I had always wanted to re-read "The Physician" by Noah Gordon, which is probably the book that impacted me the most in my life (I was 12 when I read it). But after reading this, maybe I just decide to keep my memories intact.

This is our bookclub's all time favourite book. The book opens in the Spanish Inquisition, which not surprisingly takes place in Spain. There's a good dose of religion, a good dose of humanitas, geography, history and lastly, some herbal medicine - who wouldn't like it?! Well written, passionate and action-packed - you'll love it. We had to order this from our university bookstore and it was well worth the wait.

This historical fiction novel traces the life of a young Jewish man in Spain during the time of the Inquisition and expulsion of the Jews. Yonah Toledano is forced to abandon his family’s town and to begin a long and dangerous journey to forge a new life within Spain--one which causes him ostensibly to abandon his identity, but which also makes his sense of self and his wish to adhere to his religion grow ever stronger.

I found myself enjoying this book much more than I thought I would have. Noah Gordon is masterful at showing you a different time in history so well you can smell it.

Most Jews think of WWII as being the worst time to be a Jew in history. The Spanish Inquisition was horrific and shown in terrifying detail. And yet this is a hopeful book showing how a man can survive all that can happen.

With a meticulous grasp of the history of a turbulent moment, Noah Gordon, through the fictional life of Yonah Toledano tells us the story of the Inquisition in Spain. Yonah is a young Jew left behind as his family and friends - and the total Jewish population of Spain - are expelled in 1492,. Yonah, disguised under various non-Jewish names, searches over his lifetime for the murderers of his brother, the theft of his family's treasures in the aftermath of one of the cruelest acts of European Christian royalty and to hold on to his faith. These were also the years of Erasmus and Luther, but none of their light shines on these pages. Ironically, in a sense the Church was at a peak of power in the later 1400's, using the sword of the Inquisition. Yet, as often happens for civilizations, that pinnacle of power presaged the inevitable decline. Yonah, though periodically targeted, always escapes to a new profession and new insight on Spanish thought and culture. This device is useful in giving us a panorama of Spanish life, but it detracts from reality. Women love him, men admire him, honors are pushed upon him, but in almost every case, at a critical moment he must make his escape. The read is enjoyable, the history appears impeccable, but is our hero a reflection of historical truth or a fancified version thereof? You will not be disappointed in your effort to find out as you read this account of a time when religious absolutism reigned.

The Spanish Inquisition is the era in which this story takes place, setting in motion an adventure that takes the main character through many parts of Spain. I thought there was a "Les Miserable" feeling to story by how Yonah, the main character, feels pursued, has to flee and hide his identity, and find love. I think the author's writing immerses the reader in details of the period as he moves the story along. I did not find any boring or slow parts in the writing. The impact of the Inquisition is well presented. This is a good historical novel for an understanding of the origins and practices of Conversos.

I learned so much about the history of Spain, the regions, and the turmoil and change of religions. Following the main character through his journeys introduced me to Toledo and has me itching to visit! I highly reccomend this to anyone who enjoys historical fictions and who has traveled or lived in Spain.

De lo peor que he leido.

Tiene un comienzo prometedor que se agota en poco capitulos y cuya trama se resuelve como disuelta y sin mayor relevancia a lo largo de sus páginas. Pasan años en la vida del protagonista en tan sólo un par de páginas y pretenden sorprenderte al final del libro con la reaparición de personajes cuyo nombre ha salido una o dos veces al comienzo sin darles mayor importancia. Todo está tocado muy por encima, los personajes, la trama...

Una decepción de libro.