Hello and welcome to my stop on the Poetry of Secrets Blog Tour, presented by Terminal Tours!
About the Book
Perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys and Elizabeth Wein, this lyrical portrait of hidden identities and forbidden love is set against the harrowing backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition.
Isabel Perez carries secrets with her every day.
As a young woman in 1481, Trujillo, Spain, Isabel should be overjoyed that the alguacil of the city wants to marry her. She is supposed to be flattered especially because she and her family are conversos, Jews forced to convert to Catholicism -- leaving them low in the hierarchy of the new Spanish order. But, although she can't tell anyone, she only has eyes for Diego Altamirano, a young nobleman whose family would never let him court Isabel.
So for now she sneaks out to attend poetry readings, for she longs to one day be a famous poet...another secret wish that may never come true.
But Isabel's most dangerous secret is this: Though the Perezes claim to be New Christians, they still practice Judaism in the refuge of their own home. When the Spanish Inquisition reaches Trujillo determined to punish such judaizers, Isabel finds herself in more danger than she ever could have imagined. Amidst the bloodshed and intolerance, she and Diego will have to fight for their lives in a quest to truly be free.
My Review
The Poetry of Secrets is a gorgeously written story about forbidden romance and the dangers of a young girl living in Spain in the 1480's. Isabel's arranged marriage to an old man adds to the turmoil of her falling in love with a young nobleman who her family does not approve of. Amidst this, her family secretly practices Jewish traditions at the risk of imprisonment and even death.
I loved the split POV between Isabel and Diego. We get into their heads, we learn their dreams, their fear, and get a better understanding of the culture that divides them. I felt the danger that lurked on every corner for the both of them. I was there for their sadness and their losses.
This is a slower built book, but it's worth it. I recommend this book for fans of historical stories, and teachers who wish to supplement their classrooms with books on the Spanish InquisitionThe . ,
The Poetry of Secrets is out on February 2nd 2021
Buy Links
CAMBRIA GORDON is the coauthor of the award-winning The Down-to
Earth Guide to Global Warming, winner of the National Green Earth
Book Award. She has written for Los Angeles Times Magazine, Boys'
Life, Parent Guide News, and The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles. She
splits her time between Los Angeles and Madrid with her husband and
youngest son—and as close as possible to her two adult children,
without annoying them.
Comments