Blood Secret

by Kathryn Lasky

The minute she had opened the trunk, she knew there wasn't anything like hope in it. Just awful musty things, but each one with a kind of terrible dark halo around it. She picked up that piece of old lace. She saw that stain -- pale, brownish in color. She knew it was blood. Somebody's blood. There was violence in that trunk, and dark secrets, and she did not want to know them. Curious about the old homestead where she now lives, Jerry finds an ancient trunk in the basement that contains, among other things, an old piece of bloodstained lace, some letters, and a battered doll. The objects in the trunk have stories to tell -- stories about the Spanish Inquisition spanning nearly five hundred years and stories of secrets locked deep in the bloodlines of Jerry's ancestors.

Kathryn Lasky's powerhouse novel is a dramatic historical saga that brings the reader face-to-face with some of the worst atrocities ever committed against humankind in the name of God. But above all, it is an unforgettable coming-of-age story about a girl who, in connecting with her own past and faith, is at last able to face her own demons and liberate not only herself but also future generations of her family from the long chain of suffering and silence.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Religion, Jewish, Novels

256 pages, Library Binding

First published July 27, 2004

About the author

Kathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the age of five, Jerry learned to swallow her words. By the age of eight, she stopped speaking totally when her hippie mother disappeared. The Catholic Charities homes Jerry has been shuttled off to think she'll have closure if she believes her mother is dead. She just has to pray for her mother's soul. Jerry isn't so sure. At 14, Jerry has not healed or found closure. She is sent to live with her great-great aunt Constanza, a 94-year-old New Mexico native who bakes the most delicious bread. Aunt Constanza has some unusual superstitions and customs, Jerry, who has been Catholic her whole life like Aunt Costanza, has never seen before. When sent on an errand to the basement, Jerry finds an old trunk with family artifacts, including a bit of blood-stained lace. When she picks up the lace, she finds herself in a strange dream-like world, learning long-hidden family secrets. The silence has been stretched out for generations and it's up to Jerry whether she will have the courage to speak.

This book didn't quite meet my expectations. I thought at first it would be a dual narrative with most of the story set during the Spanish Inquisition. Most of the book is about Jerry with brief stories about people from the past over generations-people who were affected by the Spanish Inquisition and the silence that came from that. I found it incredibly hard to believe that in all Constanza's 94 years she never once met a Jew or learned anything about the Jewish religion and religious practices. Certain things she did definitely would have been a dead giveaway for anyone familiar with Judaism. Even without the blurb on the dust jacket, I would have known there was some Jewish influence somewhere. I also felt a little annoyed by Costanza's uncomfortableness with Jerry's revelations. She's a very old woman who was raised a certain way but over 94 years you would think she would have a)looked in the trunk before and b)have more of an open mind. Granted, I am not sure I would want to know either.

I couldn't relate to Jerry or any of the other characters. It was hard to get to know her ancestors because they didn't appear on page for very long, probably because this is a YA novel so it's short. The subject would probably work better as an adult novel giving readers more time to spend with each of the characters, learning about them and their families. It's not hard to feel sorry for them or react to what happens, I just didn't really relate to any of them. The ancestor I liked best was Zayana. Her strength and wisdom were amazing in the face of adversity. She was brave, daring and incredibly strong. I could see her influence on later generations.

The one thing that kept me reading way longer than I should have is the subject of Jerry's mother. What happened to her? Will Jerry ever see her mother again? When Jerry's secret is revealed, it was a bit of a let down. I was expecting more about what happened. I don't really get a sense of closure from the brief glimpse into Jerry's memory. It seems Jerry's mother comes from a long line of "crazy" women, but in at least one case, "crazy" stemmed from post-traumatic stress. Why was Jeraldine crazy? What happened after 1910? Why was her daughter crazy and what really went on in Millie's mind?

This book is written for teen readers and is pretty graphic. The author doesn't spare words in her description of the Inquisition. I knew a little bit about it but wasn't quite prepared for just how horrific it was. Luis's story is the most disturbing of them all. I just don't even understand how that much evil and hatred can exist in this world.

I think this book is probably geared towards school curriculum. It certainly warrants discussion and comparisons with the Holocaust and even what is happening now. I think adults who want to know about the Inquisition would be better off finding another book to read.

There isn't a romance in this story but there is a hint of a sex scene (between adults) in the first chapter. It's shown through 5-year-old Jerry's eyes and she doesn't understand what she's seeing or why her mother jokingly refers to her as a peeping Tom. It was obvious to me, as an adult, what was going on and especially later when Jerry remembers her mom had a "thing" about men.

[Desirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The beginning was kind of hard to get into because I felt like it was going to be another Great Gilly Hopkins but then it took a historical turn and I was enthralled. Strong, woman oriented book full of history about the Spanish Inquisition and generations of Jews persecuted for their faith. The book ended abruptly and skipped several generations that could have had stories too. I wanted Jerry to have a deeper secret and an explanation to her being able to see her ancestors stories. I never really understood the selective mute aspect. The historical element is what really got my attention and held it. I loved the character of Aunt Constanza and felt like she had a more developed character than Jerry.

Warnings: Graphic deaths of Jerry's ancestors.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story didn't fit my expectations after reading the blurb on the back cover.

The book is about the Spanish Inquisition, the Auto-da-fes, and the persecution of Jews for 500 years.

I was expecting the story to be about the main character's journey from abandonment by her mother to the recovery of her voice and the solving of the mystery of where her mother disappeared to and why.

This mystery was never answered. In fact, it was almost incidental to the historical aspects of the story. Having finished the book, I do not understand what both stories - the abandonment and the family history - had in common or how one story enriched the other.

On a more positive note, the fact that Lasky found a way to tell the history down through the ages is a great achievement.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written historical fiction book for young adults. It details the Spanish Inquisition and the Inquisition in South America. The ending felt a little rushed to me. I need to put this on a list to recommend to kids for historical fiction.

[Nix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Blood Secret

Author: Kathryn Lasky

Summary: Jerry's mom has disappeared and left her at the mercy of the church. Jerry can't speak anymore. She goes to live with a relative of hers, Constanza, and discovers an old trunk in the root cellar. When she touches each object, she has a hallucination of sorts and is transported back into her ancestors' times, during the Spanish Inquisition. She has lots of these visions and is able to piece together the story of what happened during the Spanish Inquisition.

Stars: 5

Violence: 4, because the book discussed people being burnt at the stake. One woman's neck was broken, and it was seen as "merciful."

Romance: 4 because of when, in the first chapter, Jerry sees her mother's bare rear end.

Language: 5, for though some bad words were sprinkled around, there were not as many as in Avatar. :-)

Appropriate for: Young adults.

Other: There were no really gross grammar or spelling errors, as in The Last Girls of Pompeii, which was also by Lasky. I liked the way that Lasky brought Jerry back in time and had her meet her ancestors. It was hard to understand who was who. There were so many generations, and you had to kind of sort things out. With so many names, you couldn't know who was who without much riffling through names. There were so many generations to sort out. Also, when a Jew named Miriam was baptized, she became Maria. Then in old age she wanted to be called Miriam. So it was quite confusing. Fortunately, the author provides a family tree (of sorts) at the end of the book. (I wish I'd discovered it before I'd finished the book.)
If you liked this book, I'd recommend King of Shadows and Victory, both by Susan Cooper. They involve hallucinations into the past. But King of Shadows has the main character, Nat, actually influence the past instead of just seeing it.

[Aubrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

"When Jerry Moon is sent to live with her great–great–aunt, she discovers a trunk in the basement that reveals dark mysteries about her family's ancestry. Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky brings a dramatic and rarely–portrayed period of history to life in this powerful coming–of–age tale that weaves together the Spanish Inquisition, Jewish belief, and a girl learning to understand her past."

The idea behind this book is extremely interesting to me; however I found the "present" parts annoying and dull in contrast with the "past" entries. I found it a little hard to follow at times. I also really didn't like the ending... too many loose ends. The whole thing is just frustrating!

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, I had forgotten just how gruesome and dark the atrocities of the Spanish Inquisition are in this book, especially up close and personal in the lives of this girl's ancestors. But I have never forgotten the tantalizing mystery that deepens with each trip into the basement to the mysterious antique trunk, or how the artifacts within reveal snapshots of traumatic yet defining moments of the past until they weave together a complete picture of her heritage.

[Sarit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It started out a little weird and I almost put it down, but I'm really glad I didn't. I learned a lot about the Spanish Inquisition while getting caught up in a myriad of characters' lives. The book fluctuates between current day New Mexico and the period of the Spanish Inquisition (which spanned hundreds of years...) and is a real page turner.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The historical information about the Spanish Inquisition and the Jews who practiced their religion in secret was very interesting. It was the mechanism used to tell the story that I didn't really enjoy.

[RyLee Cadenhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was assigned to read this book for a class on children's literature, so let me preface by saying i understand i am not the correct audience for this. though overall, i did have a good time reading this book.

my immediate thoughts were that this felt like two separate books, and it was hard to really be intrigued by the connection between the spanish inquisition storyline and jerry's pov. now, i would have loved to learn more about jerry's life or the spanish inquisition, but i feel as if the two storylines together did not make sense (except for the obvious connection of ancestry).

i felt as if several questions were left unanswered. i wanted to learn more about jerry being mute. i understand it showed up in her ancestry a bit, but it did not feel fully fleshed out. did she become empowered to speak more due to understanding more about her family's history, or was it just due to convenience? also, what happened to her mom? i was expecting that to be revealed as a family secret.

though i had trouble with some parts of this novel, lasky's writing is very descriptive, and blood secret would fit well within a classroom setting to help students be more engaged in the history of as well as what it felt like to be in the spanish inquisition. although, there are most definitely more educational books directly on the spanish inquisition specifically.

[Madison Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a girl whose mother disappeared at a very young age. She is sent to an orphanage, but ever since that night she hasn’t spoken a word. They tried everything to get her to speak, but everything failed. They finally sent her to her aunt’s house in hope of progress. While she is there she finds a chest in the basement. In order to discover her history, and hopefully her mother’s disappearance, she must unlock the secrets of the chest.
I liked the fact that the setting contributed to the story. I also like the fact that the mother’s disappearance adds suspense to the chest in the basement. I love the arrangement of the characters. I also loved the style and accents of the story because they really contributed to the timeline of it. The history, chest, and characters all contribute to this story and that is important to the story.
This book almost reminds me of the notebook because it has the timeline and history, but in between it shows the current events that are happening. It keeps switching between the history of the chest and the events that are happening to the characters and it has a similar setting too. It also reminds me of the titanic because it again switches from the history and story to the current events that are happing at the moment. In a way it almost reminds me of my scrapbooks because like the chest I use them to look back in time. In a way the chest is like a scrapbook.
I liked this book. It wasn’t one of my favorites, but I liked it. If I had to recommend this book then I would recommend it to mystery fans. I liked the plot and the climax. I thought that the story really dragged and the solution wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Over all it was ok, but not a favorite.

[Lyndee]

Jerry hasn't spoken since her mother left her so long ago. It's not that she can't she just chooses not to. Why should she? The nuns tell her that the priests are praying for her mother, but she doubts that she will ever see her mother again. Her mom was just that type of woman, the wandering type. Jerry has to go somewhere though, so she goes to her great aunt Costanza's house. Here, Jerry works to find her voice, her identity, and her past and she finds in the most interesting of places.

I really loved this book. I'm actually taking a Hispanic Civilizations class right now and we are studying the Spanish Inquisition and Cortez and that era, so this book has been extremely interesting to me. The book is much more that the first few chapters let on. I really liked it and I would recommend it to anyone who loves history.

[Celia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was somewhat interesting, from an adult standpoint, but I don't think many young people will get in to the story. It is a story of the Inquisition, beginning in Spain, and actually coming to the new world. But, it is also a time-travel story, because the main character, a young girl named Jerry, is able to go back in time to witness her family's persecution.
I learned something new, though, that Jewish people from Spain were early settlers in the southwest. I never knew that.
Truthfully, I think this storyline is too complicated for many young people to follow.

I love historical fiction, but this book is not on my fave list.

[Jamie Wyatt Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was, surprisingly an interesting book. There wasn't a bunch of facts that made it read like a history book, which is what I thought it would be like. There was a lot of fiction and feelings and storytelling mixed in with the facts and the harsh realities of the Spanish Inquisition. Jerry is a very interesting character and it's portrayed as a dumb fourteen year old which is what a lot of young adult books do. It shows her as smart, strong and interested in her families past. Very easy read. Sucked me in big time.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of boring. Jerry goes to live with her old aunt, Constanza. She discovers an old trunk in the basement containing family artifacts. Jerry goes into some kind of mind trance / back in time kind of thing where the artifacts show her family's past and she discovers that her ancestors were actually Jewish, not Catholic.
The story sounds more interesting than the actual book.

[Charisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

more of a 3.5 but I decided to round it up instead of down. The story wasn't exactly a roller coaster, the highlight was more of historical backtracking. It really stuck to me though, after finishing the book, my internet passwords at that time were all related to it. It's not the best, it's not an event-y and excite-ful read, but it's a good read.

[Ericka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read only because it's for younger readers, but it's on an incredibly heavy topic-the Inquisition. I found the story brilliant and fascinating and wanted to keep reading and reading. The last book I read that spanned centuries of a Jewish family like this was "The Books of Rachel" and it wasn't anywhere near as spellbinding.

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. A mixed series of horrific stories appear to a young girl to believe at any time her mother again may reappear. It is warm and shameful. This diabolical story is certainly a surprise for any avid reader with a journey.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was brilliantly written. I was impressed with how the author covered the history, the passage of time through the generations of this family, bringing everything to the present, as the last living descendant discovers the truth about the "blood secret."

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting. not what i was hoping for in a book right now, but i learned more about hte world history of jewish travels and travails. i never thought that there was a jewish community in New Mexico, and certainly never thought people would harass them that far! geez, get a tolerance, already!

[Jessica J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows a family through centuries of persecution against Jewish Europeans and Mexicans. As this Mexican-European discovers her family's history, she comes to see how important the past is.

[Corrissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was certainly not what I expected, but it was marvelous! Seriously, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who knows how to respect flashbacks into the past as well as a couple rather confusing times in which it's a little hard to decipher the time frame.

[Renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really an interesting read...since YA fiction about the Spanish Inquisition is not exactly common. I liked the scope of the narrative and how it followed the descendants of one family from Spain to the new world.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd give this book a 2.5

I had no idea that the book would be switching up between the present and the past. While it was interesting the first time.. The next few "flashbacks" made this book hard to read. It was sort of interesting and hey, I did learn a few things so there's a plus.

[Beckie · Rating 3 out of 5]

my daughter recommended this to me because she new of my interest in the crypto-jews. Lasky does her usual job of making both the characters and the situation understandable and believable for modern readers. I enjoyed this

[Lacey D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book- the plot was great. However, the way it's written is hard to follow. Characters jump around a lot, and I found a hard time keeping up. That aside, I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone who loves fiction history :)

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teenage girl discovers that her ancestors were Conversos and suffered for their faith during the Spanish Inquisition.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story, but it seemed to build and build and never climax.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had an interesting premise, but it didn't turn out that interesting. Sure, I learned a lot about the Spanish Inquisition, which was informative... but that was pretty much it.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anneke enjoyed the owl series by this author so I thought it may be good to read this one. Teen read. About a girl who hsa chosen not to speak for a long time.