Marcelo's Secret

by George Vergara

It is 1587 in Madrid, Spain, and Marcelo Espinosa is hiding a secret so dangerous that, if it were exposed, it would mean torture and death. Raised as a Catholic by Jewish parents forced to covertly practice their religion, Marcelo has no idea he is about to discover the perils of his true heritage. After his parents are summoned by the Inquisition for heresy, they seek to shield Marcelo from an inevitable death and make secret arrangements for him to enter the monastery. Nineteen-year-old Marcelo is left with no choice. During a stormy night, Marcelo and his guide leave on horseback; it is not long before Marcelo is unwittingly immersed in a life filled with prayer, meditation, plain food, and hard work. But after six months pass, Marcelo receives the horrifying news he has been dreading-his parents have been murdered. Now with his own life in grave danger, Marcelo once again has no choice but to escape. Disguised as a missionary, Marcelo sails to Mexico with two Franciscan priests and the hope that one day he will be free. In this captivating historical tale, Marcelo embarks on a journey through adventure, friendship, love, and danger in a desperate attempt to reconcile with the man he has always wanted to be.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Sherry]

I enjoyed this book and read it quickly -- 24 hours. I had trouble getting into it because the style was a bit stiff and perfunctory and dialogue for all characters had a similar syntax and tone and was overall a bit flowery and formal. However, I was completely captivated by the story of the Spanish inquisition and the people it terrorized. The parents of our hero, Marcelo Espinosa (ancestor of Dr. Vergara), are summoned by the Inquisition. They send him to the new world as a novice priest, to keep him safe. There, he is a part of the exploration of New Mexico and the founding of Sante Fe. The story is heart rending and spotlights the shame of the inquisition, and all who persecute others who do not have the same beliefs or religion. The inquisition is nothing short of serial killing authorized by the church. I was very moved, and inspite of the slight awkwardness of the writing, it is a story that needs to be told and told in this personal way. I give it 4 stars. I received it as a free Kindle download

[Billy Binkley]

The story was compelling and frightening. The characters were likable and adventurous. The period of time (mid to late 1600's) was painted very well. The Spanish Inquisition chased the main characters even to the New World. It was fascinating how this crypto Jew was hidden for so many years from the elders of the Catholic Church.
The middle chapters of Marcelo's Secret were a little long and drawn out... but I suppose they were necessary to really convey the plight of those persecuted during the Inquisition. I absolutely recommend this book for all who know that the Inquisition happened and acknowledge its brutality... the book will educate you as to what the day to day fears and tribulations were for everyone even to the North American Southwest.

[Dan]

After zooming through the first 6 chapters in under half an hour I simply gave up. The writing is breathlessly juvenile like a teen romance novel, it's rife with typos and both cultural and historical inaccuracies, and the characters act like they might in modern day rather than in the late 15th century when the novel is set. I was looking forward to a piece of historical fiction based on the plight of a young man who had recently discovered himself to be a member of a crypto-jewish family and this just didn't deliver.

[Megan]

Interesting premise, but just not great on the execution. Everything just felt a little too forced - the dialogue, the relationships, etc. Not a bad book, just not that good either.

[Mary]

good story -- i learned a lot I didn't know about the Spanish Inquisition
t is 1587 in Madrid, Spain, and Marcelo Espinosa is hiding a secret so dangerous that, if it were exposed, it would mean torture and death. Raised as a Catholic by Jewish parents forced to covertly practice their religion, Marcelo has no idea he is about to discover the perils of his true heritage. After his parents are summoned by the Inquisition for heresy, they seek to shield Marcelo from an inevitable death and make secret arrangements for him to enter the monastery. Nineteen-year-old Marcelo is left with no choice. During a stormy night, Marcelo and his guide leave on horseback; it is not long before Marcelo is unwittingly immersed in a life filled with prayer, meditation, plain food, and hard work.

[Patricia]

A life of hiding secrets--that's the life of Jews, Muslims, and heretics during the Spanish Inquisition. The story tells of three generations of Spaniards
who flee persecution--some are caught and burned at the stake while others go to the New World hoping to be free of the Inquisition, but where the Spanish Catholic Church goes the Inquisition follows. There are brave priests who oppose the Inquisition and hide Jews, there are brave and desperate souls who leave their former life and all that they own to flee, and there are Native Americans in New Spain who help.

Read on Kindle

Some subtle sex scenes
Some violence

[Gene Bodzin]

This book traces the transformation of a Jewish family in Spain at the time of the Inquisition to a Catholic family in Mexico (now New Mexico), through the eyes of a single individual who emigrated with the wave of early 16th century New World settlement. I myself have encountered conversos in the Southwest, so I am know that this tale is neither fanciful nor unique. The religious traditions of these "hidden Jews" remain hidden even today, though they have sometimes learned hints of their distant past. A gripping, sometimes frightening, account.

[Robin]

I downloaded this to my kindle fire. It is a quick read and a fascinating story. It starts with the Spanish Inquisition and follows a young man, son of secret Jews on his journey to the New World to escape persecution. There are interesting glimpses into life in Spain, mexico and New Mexico, both of the settlers and the native Americans. It was hard to put down.

[Sidney]

Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. There was a lot here I learned about the Spanish inquisition.
Really a good read. I'd have scored it higher except for the unnecessary sex scenes.

[John Cristion]

I enjoyed the historical aspects of this book, but it was a slow and dry read.

[Sharon Tzur]

I only read through about the first 40%. Great idea, but I found the writing to be below the level I like. There were a lot of stereotyped people - people tend to be either black or white.

[Therese]

$0.0

[Lucy McCoskey]

historical fiction based on the real life Spanish Inquisition and what it did to the Jews & Muslims in the name of "christianity".. "Jesus wept"

[Jilda Leigh]

An interesting read.