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| Original Title: | The Last Jew |
| ISBN: | 0312300530 (ISBN13: 9780312300531) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Spain |
Noah Gordon
Paperback | Pages: 352 pages Rating: 4.1 | 6686 Users | 338 Reviews
Mention Out Of Books The Last Jew
| Title | : | The Last Jew |
| Author | : | Noah Gordon |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 352 pages |
| Published | : | August 15th 2000 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published 1999) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Cultural. Spain. Literature. Jewish |
Relation To Books The Last Jew
In the year 1492, the Inquisition has all of Spain in its grip. After centuries of pogrom-like riots encouraged by the Church, the Jews - who have been an important part of Spanish life since the days of the Romans - are expelled from the country by royal edict. Many who wish to remain are intimidated by Church and Crown and become Catholics, but several hundred thousand choose to retain their religion and depart; given little time to flee, some perish even before they can escape from Spain. Yonah Toledano, the 15-year-old son of a celebrated Spanish silversmith, has seen his father and brother die during these terrible days - victims whose murders go almost unnoticed in a time of mass upheaval. Trapped in Spain by circumstances, he is determined to honor the memory of his family by remaining a Jew. On a donkey named Moise, Yonah begins a meandering journey, a young fugitive zigzagging across the vastness of Spain. Toiling at manual labor, he desperately tries to cling to his memories of a vanished culture. As a lonely shepherd on a mountaintop he hurls snatches of almost forgotten Hebrew at the stars, as an apprentice armorer he learns to fight like a Christian knight. Finally, as a man living in a time and land where danger from the Inquisition is everywhere, he deals with the questions that mark his past. How he discovers the answers, how he finds his way to a singular and strong Marrano woman, how he achieves a life with the outer persona of a respected Old Christian physician and the inner life of a secret Jew, is the fabric of this novel. The Last Jew is a glimpse of the past, an authentic tale of high adventure, and a tender and unforgettable love story. In it, Noah Gordon utilizes his greatest strengths, and the result is remarkable and moving.Rating Out Of Books The Last Jew
Ratings: 4.1 From 6686 Users | 338 ReviewsPiece Out Of Books The Last Jew
If you're like me and don't know a lot about late-15th-century Spain, this novel is a nice accessible little history lesson. I learned a lot about beliefs and customs at the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Ferdinand and Isabella issued a royal edict expelling all Jews from Spain. Fifteen-year-old Yonah Toledano is a Jewish boy whose family members have all fled or been slain. He stays in Spain, keeping his Jewishness a secret and using a Christian name. He travels far and wide on his trustyThere seem to be more historical novels crossing my path these days. I read this shortly after finishing another one set just 30 years later, in Germany. They're somewhat similar in that both involve paroxysms of the Church of the day. The story opens with the point of view of a doctor living in Toledo, who is summoned to view the body of a young man who'd been robbed and murdered while trying to deliver a silver reliquary his father had fashioned for the local monastery. The victim had been a
Gordon's scathing denunciation of prejudice and its effects, couched in a moving narrative. Yonah, a young Jew in 15th century Spain, is forced to flee his home of Toledo after a younger brother and father, a talented silversmith, are killed in what we'd call a pogrom which followed Ferdinand and Isabella's infamous Order of Expulsion of Jews from Spain. Yes, THOSE monarchs! Yonah, throughout his life, holds on to his religion and stays one step ahead of the horrible Inquisition. He represents
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 familys 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.
(Actual rating = 3.75 stars) The Last Jew is the tale of Yonah Toledano, a young man who is forced into hiding by the Inquisition. He travels over great swaths of Spain, growing into a man, trying not to forget his Jewish roots. This book was beautifully researched and written. Your heart breaks as Yonah finds his place in a country that doesn't want him. The book reminded me a little of the Slovakian movie "Broken Promises," in which the protagonist (also in hiding) feels as though he's the
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
Excellent telling of attitude of Spanish during Jewish diaspora. Dialogue nicely depicts language phrasing of 15th century
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