Book Review
Dec. 19th, 2011 07:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariBy Fire, By Water
by Mitchell James Kaplan
This historical novel was really wonderful to read. It had lovely prose, characters I really cared about, moments of genuine suspense, a sweet love story, and a nice exploration of ideas. By Fire, By Water is set in the 1480s and 1490s in Spain. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are attempting to wrest Granada from Muslim rule, the Spanish Inquisition is gaining momentum, and Columbus is attempting to gain the throne's support for his explorations. In the midst of this is Luis de Santangel, third-generation converso, and chancellor to the king and queen. He is torn between the Catholic religion and society to which he belongs, and the religious and cultural heritage of his Jewish forbears. Luis opposes the Inquisition on grounds both spiritual and political, and supports Columbus' petition to Ferdinand and Isabella, also for reasons both political and spiritual. In the doomed emirate of Granada, Judith Migdal, a Jewish woman, struggles to support herself, her nephew, and her nephew's grandfather, while navigating a Muslim society with its own set of religious and political tensions. Luis must contend with both the Inquisition and the feelings a chance meeting with Judith engender. I loved both of these characters - they take risks and sustain losses with courage, they had to make concessions in order to make their way but didn't sacrifice themselves to those concessions.
Kaplan's novel is complex and thoughtful. He weaves together several historical strands and then effortlessly threads his characters' lives through it, navigating complex events and personalities. Through it all, he manages an understated exploration of the yearning to create a better world and how it can either lead to the pursuit of lofty dreams or be twisted into narrowness and ruthlessness.
by Mitchell James Kaplan
This historical novel was really wonderful to read. It had lovely prose, characters I really cared about, moments of genuine suspense, a sweet love story, and a nice exploration of ideas. By Fire, By Water is set in the 1480s and 1490s in Spain. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are attempting to wrest Granada from Muslim rule, the Spanish Inquisition is gaining momentum, and Columbus is attempting to gain the throne's support for his explorations. In the midst of this is Luis de Santangel, third-generation converso, and chancellor to the king and queen. He is torn between the Catholic religion and society to which he belongs, and the religious and cultural heritage of his Jewish forbears. Luis opposes the Inquisition on grounds both spiritual and political, and supports Columbus' petition to Ferdinand and Isabella, also for reasons both political and spiritual. In the doomed emirate of Granada, Judith Migdal, a Jewish woman, struggles to support herself, her nephew, and her nephew's grandfather, while navigating a Muslim society with its own set of religious and political tensions. Luis must contend with both the Inquisition and the feelings a chance meeting with Judith engender. I loved both of these characters - they take risks and sustain losses with courage, they had to make concessions in order to make their way but didn't sacrifice themselves to those concessions.
Kaplan's novel is complex and thoughtful. He weaves together several historical strands and then effortlessly threads his characters' lives through it, navigating complex events and personalities. Through it all, he manages an understated exploration of the yearning to create a better world and how it can either lead to the pursuit of lofty dreams or be twisted into narrowness and ruthlessness.
