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by: Alice Hoffman  Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackEAN: 9780316154284 ISBN: 0316154288 Label: Little, Brown Young Readers Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 192 Publication Date: October 01, 2007 Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers Reading Level: Young Adult Studio: Little, Brown Young Readers Related Items: Alternate Versions: Click to Display Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Product Description: Estrella is a Marrano: During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, she is one of a community of Spanish Jews living double lives as Catholics. And she is living in a house of secrets, raised by a family who practices underground the ancient and mysterious way of wisdom known as kabbalah. When Estrella discovers her family's true identity--and her family's secrets are made public--she confronts a world she's never imagined, where new love burns and where friendship ends in flame and ash, where trust is all but vanquished and betrayal has tragic and bitter consequences. Infused with the rich context of history and faith, in her most profoundly moving work to date, Alice Hoffman's first historical novel is a transcendent journey of discovery and loss, rebirth and remembrance. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Emotional story with haunting writingYou gotta love Alice Hoffman. She picks subjects all across the board... and now tackles something as severe and brutal as the Spanish Inquisition, one of the darker spots in humanity's history. In her quiet, lyrical prose, Hoffman tells the story of Estrella, a girl who discovers that her family are actually secret Jews hiding from the Inquisition. Subsequent events are heartbreaking in only the way Hoffman can tell. Rating:  - Not a balanced view of the InquisitionA scholarly study published in 2004 found that, during the Inquisition, "Torture was rare and only about 1 percent of those brought before the Spanish Inquisition were actually executed." There may have been situations like the burning of 50 citizens in the town square, but they will have been rare. While I am a fan of Alice Hoffman's magical realism, this is not a book that I would recommend for an impressionable teen. It portrays every Christian in the story, except for the heroine's ... Read More Rating:  - A Quiet JewelWhat happens when a young woman (16) learns that her entire life has been a lie? This is what happens to Estrella di Madrigal in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. She watches as those around her are arrested, tortured, and put to death because they are Conversos (Jews who have converted to Christianity). She feels for them but is happy that she and her family attend the Christian church headed by Friar DeLeon and that her brother is a seminarian. Estrella's best friend ... Read More Rating: - AmazingWhen I first picked up the audio book from the library, I was nervous that it was only three CDs. When I found out it was for young adults, I grew more nervous. Then I started listening and fell in love with it. It's an amazing story. The writing is simple yet powerful. The narration is amazing. The entire story is heartfelt and deeply moving. I loved it. Rating: - AmazingThis book is one of the most amazing books that I have read. I could not put it down from the time I started reading it. It is both easy to understand and follow. The story is an incredible story of love and betrayal. 
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