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South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain
FINALIST, FOREWORD INDIES 2024 BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
Fleeing death by the Spanish Inquisition, a Jewish doctor makes an impossible choice between home and faith, then struggles to lead his family on a journey for a new life.
GRANADA, SPAIN, 1492. Vidal ha-Rofeh is a Jewish physician devoted to his faith, his family, and his patients. When Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand conquer Granada they sign the Alhambra Decree, an edict ordering all Jews convert to Catholicism or depart Spain in three months' time under penalty of death.
Against his wife's belief that converting is safer than exile, Vidal insists they flee. Unwillingly leaving behind their oldest daughter with her Catholic husband, Vidal's family joins a caravan of 200 Jews journeying to start their lives anew across the sea in Fez. On the caravan, Vidal struggles to balance his physician duties of caring for the sick while struggling to mend strained relationships with his family. At the same time, his daughter back home finds herself exposed to the Spanish Inquisition living as a converso in a Christian empire.
Presenting readers with a painful but important part of Jewish history, South of Sepharad is a heroic, heart-breaking story of a father who holds tightly to his faith, his family, and his integrity all while confronting the grief of the past and the harsh realities of forced exile.
Fleeing death by the Spanish Inquisition, a Jewish doctor makes an impossible choice between home and faith, then struggles to lead his family on a journey for a new life.
GRANADA, SPAIN, 1492. Vidal ha-Rofeh is a Jewish physician devoted to his faith, his family, and his patients. When Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand conquer Granada they sign the Alhambra Decree, an edict ordering all Jews convert to Catholicism or depart Spain in three months' time under penalty of death.
Against his wife's belief that converting is safer than exile, Vidal insists they flee. Unwillingly leaving behind their oldest daughter with her Catholic husband, Vidal's family joins a caravan of 200 Jews journeying to start their lives anew across the sea in Fez. On the caravan, Vidal struggles to balance his physician duties of caring for the sick while struggling to mend strained relationships with his family. At the same time, his daughter back home finds herself exposed to the Spanish Inquisition living as a converso in a Christian empire.
Presenting readers with a painful but important part of Jewish history, South of Sepharad is a heroic, heart-breaking story of a father who holds tightly to his faith, his family, and his integrity all while confronting the grief of the past and the harsh realities of forced exile.
334 pages, Hardcover
Published February 20, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 27, 2023
I love to support debut authors and I love to read about a topic I know little about. When I saw this debut novel with an eye-catching cover and noticed it centered around an important part of Jewish history, I knew I needed to read and learn.
Weintraub’s protagonist, Vidal ha-Rofeh, is a Jewish physician living in Granada, Spain during the early days of the Spanish Inquisition. The story is told through his family’s eyes. When Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand issue the Alhambra Decree, Vidal has a difficult decision to make. Under this new law, all Jews in the kingdom must convert to Catholicism or face expulsion. Does he join the others fleeing to Morocco or does he stay with Catalina, his married daughter? How can they face this as a broken family? Doesn't united mean stronger? How can he just up and leave everything?
Weintraub was able to place me in the action and tap into my emotions as he shared the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Not only did I learn a little about this tragic event, but I also got a clearer understanding of the Sephardic Diaspora that continues. My heart was broken reading about the mass migration, the refugees, anti-Semitism, forced separation, and xenophobia. It certainly felt like a contemporary story despite being set in 1492. I felt Vidal’s inner turmoil, his tight hold on his faith, his desperate struggle to understand his daughter’s choice, what it meant for his family, and if it ensured her safety. I felt the emptiness of selling all and moving on into the unknown, as well as the hunger and the struggle Vidal felt when he felt his hands were tied and couldn’t share his gift of healing.
This story about a Jewish family struggling to maintain its identity and remain as a unit in the midst of upheaval was engaging and enlightening
Weintraub’s protagonist, Vidal ha-Rofeh, is a Jewish physician living in Granada, Spain during the early days of the Spanish Inquisition. The story is told through his family’s eyes. When Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand issue the Alhambra Decree, Vidal has a difficult decision to make. Under this new law, all Jews in the kingdom must convert to Catholicism or face expulsion. Does he join the others fleeing to Morocco or does he stay with Catalina, his married daughter? How can they face this as a broken family? Doesn't united mean stronger? How can he just up and leave everything?
Weintraub was able to place me in the action and tap into my emotions as he shared the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Not only did I learn a little about this tragic event, but I also got a clearer understanding of the Sephardic Diaspora that continues. My heart was broken reading about the mass migration, the refugees, anti-Semitism, forced separation, and xenophobia. It certainly felt like a contemporary story despite being set in 1492. I felt Vidal’s inner turmoil, his tight hold on his faith, his desperate struggle to understand his daughter’s choice, what it meant for his family, and if it ensured her safety. I felt the emptiness of selling all and moving on into the unknown, as well as the hunger and the struggle Vidal felt when he felt his hands were tied and couldn’t share his gift of healing.
This story about a Jewish family struggling to maintain its identity and remain as a unit in the midst of upheaval was engaging and enlightening
April 15, 2024
A strong debut from author Eric Weintraub, who did intensive research on the 1492 expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. While there have been some fiction books on the theme, this one is more immersive in terms of history and culture and landscape. Beautiful prose and well-executed descriptions of place make the reader feel they are there, at each point of the journey, from city to caravan to beach to Africa. Weintraub cares deeply for his characters, and it shows. Emotionally charged and tragic, but with a message of hope. An important contribution to Sephardic history.
Trigger warnings: some graphic medical scenes (the main character is a doctor) and one brief torture scene, but easy to skim over these
Trigger warnings: some graphic medical scenes (the main character is a doctor) and one brief torture scene, but easy to skim over these
January 26, 2024
I love books that immerse me in another time and place, tell a riveting story about characters with deep souls, and challenge me to look at current-day events more expansively. South of Sephard by Eric Z. Weintraub. Check. Check. And Check.
This historical novel is set in Spain in 1492, the year that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ordered Jews to convert to Catholicism or leave the country. The story follows Vidal ha-Rofeh, a Jewish physician who chooses to flee with his family rather than convert. Vidal joins the Rabbi-led caravan of 200 Jews making the arduous journey to Fez, Morocco. Throughout the journey their faith, relationships, and decisions are put to the test by life-threatening situations and moral dilemmas.
Weintraub captures the intricate details of Jewish life and culture, from the rituals of Shabbat to the study of Torah. Readers will learn how Alhambra Decree (or Edict of Expulsion) was enacted, communicated, and enforced. He also gives the reader a very strong sense of place. Weintraub describes the fragrance of lemon trees, the lushness of olive groves, the majesty of the mountains and architecture, and the food they eat throughout. Readers will feel as if they are walking alongside Vidal and his family throughout their exile with unrestricted access to his inner turmoil as he navigates the many difficult decisions.
Weintraub also offers a unique perspective on the fate of Jews who converted. Following the story of Vidal’s daughter, who had married a Catholic and converted three years prior, the readers get a sense of the level of persecution, suspicion, and distrust pervasive throughout the Spanish Inquisition.
I am obsessed with this book. I can’t stop thinking about the story, the characters (loved Vidal’s wife, Bonadonna!), and the painful relevancy of it all.
Enthusiastic five star rating.
I am grateful to History Through Fiction for providing me with an ARC of South of Sephard in exchange for an honest review. Pre-order today, to have in your hands on its February 20, 2024 pub date.
This historical novel is set in Spain in 1492, the year that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ordered Jews to convert to Catholicism or leave the country. The story follows Vidal ha-Rofeh, a Jewish physician who chooses to flee with his family rather than convert. Vidal joins the Rabbi-led caravan of 200 Jews making the arduous journey to Fez, Morocco. Throughout the journey their faith, relationships, and decisions are put to the test by life-threatening situations and moral dilemmas.
Weintraub captures the intricate details of Jewish life and culture, from the rituals of Shabbat to the study of Torah. Readers will learn how Alhambra Decree (or Edict of Expulsion) was enacted, communicated, and enforced. He also gives the reader a very strong sense of place. Weintraub describes the fragrance of lemon trees, the lushness of olive groves, the majesty of the mountains and architecture, and the food they eat throughout. Readers will feel as if they are walking alongside Vidal and his family throughout their exile with unrestricted access to his inner turmoil as he navigates the many difficult decisions.
Weintraub also offers a unique perspective on the fate of Jews who converted. Following the story of Vidal’s daughter, who had married a Catholic and converted three years prior, the readers get a sense of the level of persecution, suspicion, and distrust pervasive throughout the Spanish Inquisition.
I am obsessed with this book. I can’t stop thinking about the story, the characters (loved Vidal’s wife, Bonadonna!), and the painful relevancy of it all.
Enthusiastic five star rating.
I am grateful to History Through Fiction for providing me with an ARC of South of Sephard in exchange for an honest review. Pre-order today, to have in your hands on its February 20, 2024 pub date.
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June 23, 2024In the end, despite the odd word choices (that didn't stop, btw), this was a fascinating read. It'd be great for book clubs.
The section with Catalina was handled beautifully. There was a lot going on there and she was at times infuriating, but I also understood her and where she was coming from. That doesn't mean it was easy to watch happen; I just wanted to reach out and stop it all.
Vidal is an interesting main character. He's flawed, very much so, and that both makes him infuriating and endearing. And at times, like how he handles his eldest son, he's wise.
There was a bit too much navel-gazing at the end for me; I'm not sure I bought into Vidal's choices, but the actions of Gabriel, when you think of what all was involved, were really kinda mind-blowing. Bittersweet, too.
This was a sleeper, that's for sure. I wish it had been given better attention at the micro level. No one strings an arrow.
The section with Catalina was handled beautifully. There was a lot going on there and she was at times infuriating, but I also understood her and where she was coming from. That doesn't mean it was easy to watch happen; I just wanted to reach out and stop it all.
Vidal is an interesting main character. He's flawed, very much so, and that both makes him infuriating and endearing. And at times, like how he handles his eldest son, he's wise.
There was a bit too much navel-gazing at the end for me; I'm not sure I bought into Vidal's choices, but the actions of Gabriel, when you think of what all was involved, were really kinda mind-blowing. Bittersweet, too.
This was a sleeper, that's for sure. I wish it had been given better attention at the micro level. No one strings an arrow.
January 19, 2024
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Now that I’ve had a little time to sit with this book, I think I can give a full review. I don’t normally read historical fiction - it’s just not my jam - but when I saw a book about the Jewish experience during the Inquisition, I knew I needed to pick it up.
Vidal is a doctor in Granada; he also happens to be Jewish. This doesn’t matter much during the time of the emir, but as soon as the Catholic monarchs conquer Granada during their “reconquista” things begin to take a turn. South of Sepharad follows his family: his son Eliezer, his wife Bonadonna, younger children Asher and Iamila, and his daughter Goya (now called Catalina) who converted to Catholicism a few years before to marry the love of her life. Through this family we see the fates of Jewish adherents and conversos alike and how no one is safe under the Catholic crown.
When I tell you this book felt like a continual gut punch to this poor family, I mean it. I had to sit with it for a few days before I could really let myself handle the emotions, particularly the ending - a miraculous feeling of hope, and exactly what it means to be Jewish throughout history, because every day is a blessing and all life is precious.
Now that I’ve had a little time to sit with this book, I think I can give a full review. I don’t normally read historical fiction - it’s just not my jam - but when I saw a book about the Jewish experience during the Inquisition, I knew I needed to pick it up.
Vidal is a doctor in Granada; he also happens to be Jewish. This doesn’t matter much during the time of the emir, but as soon as the Catholic monarchs conquer Granada during their “reconquista” things begin to take a turn. South of Sepharad follows his family: his son Eliezer, his wife Bonadonna, younger children Asher and Iamila, and his daughter Goya (now called Catalina) who converted to Catholicism a few years before to marry the love of her life. Through this family we see the fates of Jewish adherents and conversos alike and how no one is safe under the Catholic crown.
When I tell you this book felt like a continual gut punch to this poor family, I mean it. I had to sit with it for a few days before I could really let myself handle the emotions, particularly the ending - a miraculous feeling of hope, and exactly what it means to be Jewish throughout history, because every day is a blessing and all life is precious.
January 26, 2024
This book was an incredible and timely historical fiction that reminds us all that in order to not repeat the past we need to learn about it!
The story was a detailed journey of a family and their experience during the expulsion of Jews from Granada
The characters were extremely well developed, and the well placed references to the past made it clear that you were immersed in the 1490’s yet the characters were so believable and relatable that sometimes you forgot the timeframe in the midst of the family and community interactions!
Extremely well done and it should be a must read for those exploring history, especially those who are interested in the story of the Jewish people across time
This book kept me captivated throughout and was a true learning experience - it also greatly resonated with the times we are living in now!
The story was a detailed journey of a family and their experience during the expulsion of Jews from Granada
The characters were extremely well developed, and the well placed references to the past made it clear that you were immersed in the 1490’s yet the characters were so believable and relatable that sometimes you forgot the timeframe in the midst of the family and community interactions!
Extremely well done and it should be a must read for those exploring history, especially those who are interested in the story of the Jewish people across time
This book kept me captivated throughout and was a true learning experience - it also greatly resonated with the times we are living in now!
April 5, 2024
“Do you believe God is so cruel?” “What else am I supposed to think?” “We’re supposed to love our God, not fear Him. That’s what the Catholics do.” “But we were never truly meant to understand Him. That’s why we devote our lives to the Torah. To try to comprehend why He has put us here.”
January 10, 2024
South of Sharad, The 1492 Jewish Expulsion From Spain, A Novel, Eric Z. Weintraub, author
The author could not have known how pertinent this book would become when he sat down and began the research that would lead to its publication. It is a book about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, and specifically Granada, during the reign of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, after they defeated the Moors in 1492. He could not have known that today, the Jews would once again face the likes of the Inquisitors of the Catholic Church, the Inquisitors who were cruel taskmasters that inflicted barbaric methods of torture upon their victims. He could not have known that these radical believers would be morphed into their enemies again, only they would come in a different costume and from a different religious and philosophical background. He could not have known that about five hundred and thirty years later, on the Israeli/Gaza border, on October 7th, 2023, as Jews and Muslims seemed to be trying to work toward coexisting somewhat peacefully, their very own neighbors would be massing against them. He could not have intuited that the Jews had grown complacent, once again, trusting those very enemies, and were targets anew. They would have to go to war to protect their very existence, threatened again by those who hated, feared or were jealous of them. He could not have known about the heinous surprise attack.
So, I cannot say that I enjoyed reading this book, because it was a hard book to read in light of the current events of today, in light of the barbaric murder, rape, and torture of Jews that began on October 7th, and of the hostage situation that still continues today, and in light of a war that seems to have no end, but to keep expanding. However, I am glad that I read it, even though it was a constant reminder of the jeopardy that Jewish people face as they fight to simply be allowed to live in peace.
I am Jewish, and I feel their plight viscerally. As I read this book, I shuddered with the thought that I am not even safe in the United States any longer, because here there are people marching in support of barbaric behavior and marching in support of those who are calling for the elimination and the expulsion of Jews from Israel, and everywhere else, as they support erasing the Jewish people and all infidels, from history and life, as they support even my own murder. No one thought there could be another Holocaust, yet, there has been one, and because of politics and the need for the support of certain voters, the victims are being maligned and called the aggressors committing genocide, though they are merely fighting back against those who did actually commit the genocide against them. The Jewish people of Israel, the very Jews who sought peace with their enemies, because they love life, are being maligned once more.
The author described the travails and trauma of the Jewish people during 1492, first their disbelief, and then the realization that they were being forced to leave the only home their ancestors had known for the last 1500 years, the home they had moved to after another expulsion and had peacefully shared with the Moors; he also described other difficult choices they had to face, like whether or not to convert and stay, for there would always be the question of their true devotion. He described their fears about whether or not they would be truly accepted and be safe, or would whether or not they would be constantly tested and found lacking. If they fled, where would they go? What would they sell and what would they keep? How would they move forward and still believe in their own faith after so much loss of life and possessions. He describes how some Jews behaved righteously and some did not. He describes how one must compromise to survive, even if it means you have to break the rules on occasion.
Although I found some conflicting ideas in the book, about the death of Christ and the belief in Judeo Christian values, I still thought it was an excellent, easy to read description of the past and an inciteful exploration of what motivated Jews then, and probably even into the here and now in the current war. It was intuitive in the way that it handled the choices that had to be made in Granada, even their mundane everyday decisions, like marriage, bar mitzvah, earning a living, education, and getting along with those who were different than they, in both looks, religious beliefs, stature, and lifestyle. He put me in the thick of things, so that I, too, felt as if I was experiencing their pain, fear and confusion. He, nor I, could have known or imagined that the once reviled antisemitism, would be revered again by so many in the modern age. None of us know what the future will hold for the Jews, as we watch their enemies scream from the river to the sea, which means their annihilation. We can’t know if someday someone will write a book about the atrocities committed on October 7th, or if the behavior of those mobs that called for the death of innocent people and were not maligned but praised by those in charge, will someday be condemned. Will the Jews being accused of genocide as they simply defend themselves and fight for their survival be exonerated? They are simply fighting for their very survival against those who attacked them. They are at war with an enemy! Think, could you live with the threat of your own annihilation constantly hanging over your head; then decide who is on the right side of history. The Jewish people are the victims, not the victimizers. In this book, the author highlights how the Jews fought to survive; he highlighted their courage and fortitude in their fight to continue to live. I hope we will outlast our enemies.
The author could not have known how pertinent this book would become when he sat down and began the research that would lead to its publication. It is a book about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, and specifically Granada, during the reign of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, after they defeated the Moors in 1492. He could not have known that today, the Jews would once again face the likes of the Inquisitors of the Catholic Church, the Inquisitors who were cruel taskmasters that inflicted barbaric methods of torture upon their victims. He could not have known that these radical believers would be morphed into their enemies again, only they would come in a different costume and from a different religious and philosophical background. He could not have known that about five hundred and thirty years later, on the Israeli/Gaza border, on October 7th, 2023, as Jews and Muslims seemed to be trying to work toward coexisting somewhat peacefully, their very own neighbors would be massing against them. He could not have intuited that the Jews had grown complacent, once again, trusting those very enemies, and were targets anew. They would have to go to war to protect their very existence, threatened again by those who hated, feared or were jealous of them. He could not have known about the heinous surprise attack.
So, I cannot say that I enjoyed reading this book, because it was a hard book to read in light of the current events of today, in light of the barbaric murder, rape, and torture of Jews that began on October 7th, and of the hostage situation that still continues today, and in light of a war that seems to have no end, but to keep expanding. However, I am glad that I read it, even though it was a constant reminder of the jeopardy that Jewish people face as they fight to simply be allowed to live in peace.
I am Jewish, and I feel their plight viscerally. As I read this book, I shuddered with the thought that I am not even safe in the United States any longer, because here there are people marching in support of barbaric behavior and marching in support of those who are calling for the elimination and the expulsion of Jews from Israel, and everywhere else, as they support erasing the Jewish people and all infidels, from history and life, as they support even my own murder. No one thought there could be another Holocaust, yet, there has been one, and because of politics and the need for the support of certain voters, the victims are being maligned and called the aggressors committing genocide, though they are merely fighting back against those who did actually commit the genocide against them. The Jewish people of Israel, the very Jews who sought peace with their enemies, because they love life, are being maligned once more.
The author described the travails and trauma of the Jewish people during 1492, first their disbelief, and then the realization that they were being forced to leave the only home their ancestors had known for the last 1500 years, the home they had moved to after another expulsion and had peacefully shared with the Moors; he also described other difficult choices they had to face, like whether or not to convert and stay, for there would always be the question of their true devotion. He described their fears about whether or not they would be truly accepted and be safe, or would whether or not they would be constantly tested and found lacking. If they fled, where would they go? What would they sell and what would they keep? How would they move forward and still believe in their own faith after so much loss of life and possessions. He describes how some Jews behaved righteously and some did not. He describes how one must compromise to survive, even if it means you have to break the rules on occasion.
Although I found some conflicting ideas in the book, about the death of Christ and the belief in Judeo Christian values, I still thought it was an excellent, easy to read description of the past and an inciteful exploration of what motivated Jews then, and probably even into the here and now in the current war. It was intuitive in the way that it handled the choices that had to be made in Granada, even their mundane everyday decisions, like marriage, bar mitzvah, earning a living, education, and getting along with those who were different than they, in both looks, religious beliefs, stature, and lifestyle. He put me in the thick of things, so that I, too, felt as if I was experiencing their pain, fear and confusion. He, nor I, could have known or imagined that the once reviled antisemitism, would be revered again by so many in the modern age. None of us know what the future will hold for the Jews, as we watch their enemies scream from the river to the sea, which means their annihilation. We can’t know if someday someone will write a book about the atrocities committed on October 7th, or if the behavior of those mobs that called for the death of innocent people and were not maligned but praised by those in charge, will someday be condemned. Will the Jews being accused of genocide as they simply defend themselves and fight for their survival be exonerated? They are simply fighting for their very survival against those who attacked them. They are at war with an enemy! Think, could you live with the threat of your own annihilation constantly hanging over your head; then decide who is on the right side of history. The Jewish people are the victims, not the victimizers. In this book, the author highlights how the Jews fought to survive; he highlighted their courage and fortitude in their fight to continue to live. I hope we will outlast our enemies.
March 30, 2024
Imagine your family having roots in one town for 1500 years, where Christians, Jews and Muslims peacefully coexist. Now picture being told that there’s a new government, and that you have three months to either flee your homeland, convert to Catholicism, or be crucified.
This is exactly what happened to the Jewish community living in Spain in 1492, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella signed the Alhambra Declaration. This book is exceptionally well-written, shedding light on the Spanish Inquisition, a particularly brutal period of persecution of Jews and Muslims that did not end for more than 350 years…
The story unfolds as one Jewish community’s doctor must decide whether to help their rabbi lead a caravan of families fleeing to North Africa, or to convert so he does not have to abandon his homeland, where he has ties both living and long gone. Every choice presents ethical and/or religious dilemmas, making this story both a journey of survival, as well as a journey of conscience.
This is exactly what happened to the Jewish community living in Spain in 1492, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella signed the Alhambra Declaration. This book is exceptionally well-written, shedding light on the Spanish Inquisition, a particularly brutal period of persecution of Jews and Muslims that did not end for more than 350 years…
The story unfolds as one Jewish community’s doctor must decide whether to help their rabbi lead a caravan of families fleeing to North Africa, or to convert so he does not have to abandon his homeland, where he has ties both living and long gone. Every choice presents ethical and/or religious dilemmas, making this story both a journey of survival, as well as a journey of conscience.
July 13, 2025
what a wonderful read. The author so clearly puts you in 1492 Spain as a Jew that it is a bit disturbing, yet the main characters as they talk about their faith and choices feel very real. The expulsion links into what is happening now. Highly recommend, especially to Jews who know little of this history.
February 26, 2024
Big disappointment! Boring, boring, boring.
August 18, 2023
January 2, 1492. The parade was majestic, with people dancing in the streets. After nine years of war, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand's army captured Granada, the last Muslim stronghold. "Spain was finally united under one sovereign and one religion...and the Jews were no longer needed to help fight." On March 31, 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella signed the Edict of Expulsion (The Alhambra Decree). The Jewish community was faced with two options: conversion to Christianity or leave Spain, never to return.
Vidal ha-Rofeh was a Jewish physician who ministered to Jews, Moors and Catholics. Suddenly, his services were no longer required by Moorish or Catholic patients. Prior fees owed would remain unpaid. Vidal, a man of strong faith, was presented with the unthinkable choice of becoming a converso and continuing to practice medicine in Granada, or exit Spain in three months time, by July 1492.
Catalina, Vidal's eldest child, had served as his nurse until she married into a Catholic family, the de Zaniceras. As a converso having been baptized, would her conversion be considered legitimate by the Spanish Inquisitors? Vidal tried to convince Catalina to accompany the family joining the caravan totaling two hundred Jews. They would journey by land to the port of Malaga, then secure ferry passage across the Mediterranean Sea to start new lives in Fez. Catalina chose to stay with her husband and her in-laws.
A strict curfew was mandated by the monarchs. Vidal found it difficult, under these guidelines, to "practice the work he was put on this earth to do...work to save lives...". Vidal's son, seventeen year old Eliezer, was Vidal's apprentice and becoming an expert in diagnosing symptoms and recommending treatments. After an arranged betrothal went awry, a wall of silence was erected between father and son. In addition, thirteen year old Asher was disrespectful and repeatedly challenged Vidal's authority. Vidal's wife Bonadonna, thought that by conversion, the family would be allowed to keep their home. "People will do anything in an act of self-preservation."
To Vidal, to give up his faith would be the equivalent of turning his back on all the fortunes blessed upon him. As head of the household, he made the difficult decision to leave. "They sold off their finest robes and tunics for a tenth of the price...and could afford to purchase nothing more than bread and carrots for dinner...when everything is for sale, even the most precious belongings are worthless." A family home for five generations might be exchanged for a horse and cart. The exiles was ready. Seventy carts in all, often traveled single file over inhospitable land. Hunger and thirst prevailed. Vidal's devotion to the sick and injured often came at the cost of his own family's needs.
What was the likelihood that these families, many penniless, would reach Fez? What of Catalina? Did conversion provide her with a safety net from scrutiny by the Spanish Inquisition? "Our community, our families, our religion-we've held together since the beginning of time...this will not be the moment that breaks us...Keep moving forward...There's nothing else you can do."
"South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain" by Eric Z. Weintraub is a historical fiction read that ironically takes place at the same time Christopher Columbus was embarking upon his voyage of discovery for Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. The rigors of the journey of the expelled Jewish community was portrayed realistically by author Weintraub. He masterfully conveyed the inner struggles of Vidal ha-Rofeh. How does one doctor minister to two hundred travelers while trying not to neglect necessary family tasks needed for family unity and cohesiveness? Sounds almost impossible. Vidal was strong willed and determined. His unshakeable faith would often be tested. I highly recommend this excellent, thought provoking read of a dark chapter in 15th Century Jewish history.
Thank you Eric Z. Weintraub, Colin Mustful and History Through Fiction for a print ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Vidal ha-Rofeh was a Jewish physician who ministered to Jews, Moors and Catholics. Suddenly, his services were no longer required by Moorish or Catholic patients. Prior fees owed would remain unpaid. Vidal, a man of strong faith, was presented with the unthinkable choice of becoming a converso and continuing to practice medicine in Granada, or exit Spain in three months time, by July 1492.
Catalina, Vidal's eldest child, had served as his nurse until she married into a Catholic family, the de Zaniceras. As a converso having been baptized, would her conversion be considered legitimate by the Spanish Inquisitors? Vidal tried to convince Catalina to accompany the family joining the caravan totaling two hundred Jews. They would journey by land to the port of Malaga, then secure ferry passage across the Mediterranean Sea to start new lives in Fez. Catalina chose to stay with her husband and her in-laws.
A strict curfew was mandated by the monarchs. Vidal found it difficult, under these guidelines, to "practice the work he was put on this earth to do...work to save lives...". Vidal's son, seventeen year old Eliezer, was Vidal's apprentice and becoming an expert in diagnosing symptoms and recommending treatments. After an arranged betrothal went awry, a wall of silence was erected between father and son. In addition, thirteen year old Asher was disrespectful and repeatedly challenged Vidal's authority. Vidal's wife Bonadonna, thought that by conversion, the family would be allowed to keep their home. "People will do anything in an act of self-preservation."
To Vidal, to give up his faith would be the equivalent of turning his back on all the fortunes blessed upon him. As head of the household, he made the difficult decision to leave. "They sold off their finest robes and tunics for a tenth of the price...and could afford to purchase nothing more than bread and carrots for dinner...when everything is for sale, even the most precious belongings are worthless." A family home for five generations might be exchanged for a horse and cart. The exiles was ready. Seventy carts in all, often traveled single file over inhospitable land. Hunger and thirst prevailed. Vidal's devotion to the sick and injured often came at the cost of his own family's needs.
What was the likelihood that these families, many penniless, would reach Fez? What of Catalina? Did conversion provide her with a safety net from scrutiny by the Spanish Inquisition? "Our community, our families, our religion-we've held together since the beginning of time...this will not be the moment that breaks us...Keep moving forward...There's nothing else you can do."
"South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain" by Eric Z. Weintraub is a historical fiction read that ironically takes place at the same time Christopher Columbus was embarking upon his voyage of discovery for Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. The rigors of the journey of the expelled Jewish community was portrayed realistically by author Weintraub. He masterfully conveyed the inner struggles of Vidal ha-Rofeh. How does one doctor minister to two hundred travelers while trying not to neglect necessary family tasks needed for family unity and cohesiveness? Sounds almost impossible. Vidal was strong willed and determined. His unshakeable faith would often be tested. I highly recommend this excellent, thought provoking read of a dark chapter in 15th Century Jewish history.
Thank you Eric Z. Weintraub, Colin Mustful and History Through Fiction for a print ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2023
Thank you to History through Fiction for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
When most of us initially think of 1492 and Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, we think of Christopher Columbus and his journey to the new world (which is a whole other problematic tale). We might also think about their daughter Katherine of Aragon who married two Tudor princes. What we might not think about is the edict this king and queen sent out in 1492 to require all the Jewish citizens of Spain to leave the country or convert to Catholicism. Under penalty of death.
The story of Vidal and his family, South of Sepharad, by Eric Z. Weintraub, takes us past these better known happenings affecting Spain in 1492 to something sinister and evil. The expulsion of a whole population of people from the country of Spain.
I had heard of the horror of the Inquisition, of course, and seen films and read other books about it. This story from Mr. Weintraub was so well-written and had characters so vividly drawn that the absolutely horrific events were brought home in a way that, while hard to read, made the journey of these Jewish people who had to leave with what few possession they could haul on a wagon really hit hard. They didn’t do anything wrong to warrant expulsion except practice their religion.
I’ve always been shocked and saddened at the number of deaths and amount of torture inflicted on others in the name of God. And this story didn’t shy away from the Inquisition and what those so-called holy men were capable of. If they wanted you dead, they would plant words in the mouths of the person they were interrogating. They would also twist what the person said to match their own agenda.
This book hit all the harrowing parts of the journey out of Spain for the Jewish people. From having to sell homes that had been in their families for generations, and selling their possessions and heirlooms, to leaving people behind, and the way their feet hurt and boots became full of holes on that journey. It also covered the food shortages and lack of water. I felt as if I was on the journey with them.
Even the few who stayed behind and converted to Catholicism weren’t really safe as they were always suspected of converting for purposes that weren’t sincere. And it was a forced conversion so how sincere could it have been? To betray the religion of your people must have been very difficult to decide to do. In short, these poor people were in a no win situation.
This book is an important one for us to read in these times. This horror of disliking or even hating people of other religions seems to have never gone away, but it seems to be coming back to the forefront of being acceptable to treat those who do not share certain beliefs as less than human.
The story in this book is obviously fiction and it’s well told. The author has a beautiful way with prose. Even though it’s hard to read in places, it’s an important and captivating tale (with moments of heartbreak) of one family’s life and the changes they are forced to make by a king and queen who were absolutely vile human beings.
The author did meticulous research and immersed us in the world of Spain in 1492. He gives some excellent resources at the end as well. The cover is so vivid and attractive too.
I give this one five stars
When most of us initially think of 1492 and Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, we think of Christopher Columbus and his journey to the new world (which is a whole other problematic tale). We might also think about their daughter Katherine of Aragon who married two Tudor princes. What we might not think about is the edict this king and queen sent out in 1492 to require all the Jewish citizens of Spain to leave the country or convert to Catholicism. Under penalty of death.
The story of Vidal and his family, South of Sepharad, by Eric Z. Weintraub, takes us past these better known happenings affecting Spain in 1492 to something sinister and evil. The expulsion of a whole population of people from the country of Spain.
I had heard of the horror of the Inquisition, of course, and seen films and read other books about it. This story from Mr. Weintraub was so well-written and had characters so vividly drawn that the absolutely horrific events were brought home in a way that, while hard to read, made the journey of these Jewish people who had to leave with what few possession they could haul on a wagon really hit hard. They didn’t do anything wrong to warrant expulsion except practice their religion.
I’ve always been shocked and saddened at the number of deaths and amount of torture inflicted on others in the name of God. And this story didn’t shy away from the Inquisition and what those so-called holy men were capable of. If they wanted you dead, they would plant words in the mouths of the person they were interrogating. They would also twist what the person said to match their own agenda.
This book hit all the harrowing parts of the journey out of Spain for the Jewish people. From having to sell homes that had been in their families for generations, and selling their possessions and heirlooms, to leaving people behind, and the way their feet hurt and boots became full of holes on that journey. It also covered the food shortages and lack of water. I felt as if I was on the journey with them.
Even the few who stayed behind and converted to Catholicism weren’t really safe as they were always suspected of converting for purposes that weren’t sincere. And it was a forced conversion so how sincere could it have been? To betray the religion of your people must have been very difficult to decide to do. In short, these poor people were in a no win situation.
This book is an important one for us to read in these times. This horror of disliking or even hating people of other religions seems to have never gone away, but it seems to be coming back to the forefront of being acceptable to treat those who do not share certain beliefs as less than human.
The story in this book is obviously fiction and it’s well told. The author has a beautiful way with prose. Even though it’s hard to read in places, it’s an important and captivating tale (with moments of heartbreak) of one family’s life and the changes they are forced to make by a king and queen who were absolutely vile human beings.
The author did meticulous research and immersed us in the world of Spain in 1492. He gives some excellent resources at the end as well. The cover is so vivid and attractive too.
I give this one five stars
January 1, 2024
1492 a year that many of us know a lot about. For instance that's the year that Lorenzo de Medici died in Florence. It's also the year that Columbus sailed the ocean blue to quote discover and quote America. It was the year that Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella consolidated their conquest of Spain by overrunning Granada which led to the expulsion of the Moors. But few of us know that it was also in 1492 that those same rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella, expelled the Jews from Spain, a location where they had lived for over 1500 years. It's that expulsion, as well as the ensuing difficulties, that first time author eric Weintraub features in historical fiction novel, South of Sepharad. Weintraub captures the shock, horror and dismay of the Jewish community as seen through the eyes of physician Vidal ha-Rofeh, and his family. It is through their eyes that we see the results of the expulsion, as the Jewish population was given three months a free passage to leave the country, and that failure to leave or convert to Catholicism would result in death. Vidal realizes that his future is tied to that of his faith and refuses to convert to Catholicism, even though his oldest daughter has already converted to Catholicism years previously when she married a Catholic gentleman. The family is split, should they stay in Granada or should they leave with the rabbi who is taking them to the coast of Spain to eventually make their way to fez which is in Morocco. Vidal will beg his daughter, Catalina, to come with them but she refuses and stays with her husband especially since she is now pregnant with their child. This is a journey that the members of the Jewish community must take from Granada to Malaga Spain where they will hopefully find transport to North Africa. Eventually a caravan of about 200 people set out across the dry and parched area and the caravan is beset by all sorts of mishaps the least of which is they've run out of water. Forced to sell all their possessions while in Granada, for pennies on the dollar, the caravan struggles to make it to the coast and when it does the struggles continue. Meanwhile Catalina gives birth to a baby boy but also has the legitimacy of her conversion questioned by the priests in the inquisition. It was a bad time for anyone who used to be a Jew living in Spain and we get to see all the difficulties that Vidal and his family suffered through as they attempt to make it to the sea and hopefully define freedom to live, work and worship in fez. This is a very fine first time novel which has well drafted characters, a plot that comes directly from history and expands our knowledge as to the horrors that anyone who was not a Catholic would face if they lived in Spain once Ferdinand and Isabella consolidated their power. This book is not so much about religion as it is about suffering and attempting to overcome adversity. I highly recommend this book to fans of fiction, historical fiction, and history and makes me eagerly await the next novel from this gifted writer.
February 7, 2024
South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain vividly brings to life a pivotal moment in Jewish history through the eyes of fictional protagonist Dr. Vidal ha-Rofeh. Set during the infamous 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain, author Eric Z. Weintraub skillfully weaves fact and fiction to transport readers back to 15th century Granada.
The novel opens in 1492 Granada, introducing Dr. Vidal ha-Rofeh, a respected Jewish physician caring for patients of all faiths. As history unfurls around him with the Christian conquest of Granada, Vidal grapples with the increasing restrictions placed on Jews and the heartbreaking choice of whether to flee or convert. Vidal’s experiences echo the biblical Exodus story, casting the expulsion as another chapter in Jews’ long history of persecution.
Vidal anchors the narrative with his devotion to his family, faith, and community. His relationships grow more complex amidst tragic circumstances, driving him to question even his steadfast beliefs. When given the chance to escape with his family, Vidal faces an agonizing choice to aid strangers at the risk of his family’s safety.
Weintraub’s novel shines in developing an array of authentic characters. The Catholic monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand appear, as does the infamous Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada, depicting the ruthlessness beneath their pious veneers. Supporting characters like Vidal's headstrong children and unreliable friend Shelomo Levin reveal the diverse responses within the Jewish community. Through empathetic portraits, Weintraub resists stereotyping this charged historical episode.
Without sugarcoating Christian persecution, Weintraub paints a nuanced picture of medieval interfaith relations. Christian, Muslim and Jewish characters coexist in vivid detail, showcasing the vibrant diversity of Spanish society before intolerance prevails. The symbolic loss as cherished architecture and libraries are claimed and converted permeates the narrative.
South of Sepharad succeeds in bringing alive the tragedy of the 1492 expulsion without reducing Jews to pure victims. Vidal’s wrenching inner turmoil and the painful choices of his community reveal people clinging to identity and faith against the ravages of antisemitism. As Vidal flees with his family to Morocco, Weintraub pointedly connects the past to themes still resonant today - the plight of refugees seeking safety from hatred and oppression. Well-researched and powerfully told, South of Sepharad shares an essential story of the Jewish experience whose echoes continue to profoundly shape our present.
The novel opens in 1492 Granada, introducing Dr. Vidal ha-Rofeh, a respected Jewish physician caring for patients of all faiths. As history unfurls around him with the Christian conquest of Granada, Vidal grapples with the increasing restrictions placed on Jews and the heartbreaking choice of whether to flee or convert. Vidal’s experiences echo the biblical Exodus story, casting the expulsion as another chapter in Jews’ long history of persecution.
Vidal anchors the narrative with his devotion to his family, faith, and community. His relationships grow more complex amidst tragic circumstances, driving him to question even his steadfast beliefs. When given the chance to escape with his family, Vidal faces an agonizing choice to aid strangers at the risk of his family’s safety.
Weintraub’s novel shines in developing an array of authentic characters. The Catholic monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand appear, as does the infamous Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada, depicting the ruthlessness beneath their pious veneers. Supporting characters like Vidal's headstrong children and unreliable friend Shelomo Levin reveal the diverse responses within the Jewish community. Through empathetic portraits, Weintraub resists stereotyping this charged historical episode.
Without sugarcoating Christian persecution, Weintraub paints a nuanced picture of medieval interfaith relations. Christian, Muslim and Jewish characters coexist in vivid detail, showcasing the vibrant diversity of Spanish society before intolerance prevails. The symbolic loss as cherished architecture and libraries are claimed and converted permeates the narrative.
South of Sepharad succeeds in bringing alive the tragedy of the 1492 expulsion without reducing Jews to pure victims. Vidal’s wrenching inner turmoil and the painful choices of his community reveal people clinging to identity and faith against the ravages of antisemitism. As Vidal flees with his family to Morocco, Weintraub pointedly connects the past to themes still resonant today - the plight of refugees seeking safety from hatred and oppression. Well-researched and powerfully told, South of Sepharad shares an essential story of the Jewish experience whose echoes continue to profoundly shape our present.
February 19, 2024
I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.
I took a vacation to Spain last November and during a couple of walking tours, the history of how Jews were treated in Spain was touched upon. I don’t know much about Jewish history beyond the Holocaust, so hearing about the violence and oppression that dated back to the Middle Ages was eye opening. When I saw this book, I was immediately interested.
This is a straightforward story. There are no larger than life characters, no complicated plot, no magical realism or grand metaphors but it becomes quite gripping. The author conducted a lot of research to write this book, and what it results in is a simple and graceful story about a Jewish man, Vidal ha-Rofeh, who has lived his entire life in Granada, Spain. When the story begins in 1492, he is a middle aged doctor who treats Jews, Catholics, and Moors throughout the city. He provides a good life for his family: his wife, and two sons and a daughter who remain at home. When the Alhambra Decree is handed down by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella he is in shock and disbelief that he, as a Jew, is being ordered from the only place he has known as home. He has barely been outside the walls of the city. Traveling through the countryside to the coast, boarding a ship for an unknown land is a frightening and unbelievable prospect for him and his family. But it is that or death or becoming “converso”, as his oldest daughter did when she fell in love with a Catholic man.
As he and his family grapple with impossible choices, we see the routines of his life–his practice, his religious traditions, his family, his neighborhood–as he takes notice of all that he has taken for granted. The book is highly readable because of the believable tensions among the family members and because of the unknown outcomes as the family embarks on their journey by wagon caravan.
In the middle of the book we also spend some time with his eldest, married daughter while she navigates the city as all traces of Jewish life are erased and the Inquisition becomes an unavoidable presence.
The author succeeded with his goals in writing this book.
Taylor Swift Reading Challenge #73/Holy Ground: A historical fiction novel.
Ultimate Book Riot Reading Challenge #4: A book published by an indie press. (2015)
I took a vacation to Spain last November and during a couple of walking tours, the history of how Jews were treated in Spain was touched upon. I don’t know much about Jewish history beyond the Holocaust, so hearing about the violence and oppression that dated back to the Middle Ages was eye opening. When I saw this book, I was immediately interested.
This is a straightforward story. There are no larger than life characters, no complicated plot, no magical realism or grand metaphors but it becomes quite gripping. The author conducted a lot of research to write this book, and what it results in is a simple and graceful story about a Jewish man, Vidal ha-Rofeh, who has lived his entire life in Granada, Spain. When the story begins in 1492, he is a middle aged doctor who treats Jews, Catholics, and Moors throughout the city. He provides a good life for his family: his wife, and two sons and a daughter who remain at home. When the Alhambra Decree is handed down by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella he is in shock and disbelief that he, as a Jew, is being ordered from the only place he has known as home. He has barely been outside the walls of the city. Traveling through the countryside to the coast, boarding a ship for an unknown land is a frightening and unbelievable prospect for him and his family. But it is that or death or becoming “converso”, as his oldest daughter did when she fell in love with a Catholic man.
As he and his family grapple with impossible choices, we see the routines of his life–his practice, his religious traditions, his family, his neighborhood–as he takes notice of all that he has taken for granted. The book is highly readable because of the believable tensions among the family members and because of the unknown outcomes as the family embarks on their journey by wagon caravan.
In the middle of the book we also spend some time with his eldest, married daughter while she navigates the city as all traces of Jewish life are erased and the Inquisition becomes an unavoidable presence.
The author succeeded with his goals in writing this book.
Taylor Swift Reading Challenge #73/Holy Ground: A historical fiction novel.
Ultimate Book Riot Reading Challenge #4: A book published by an indie press. (2015)
January 18, 2024
For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain by Eric Z. Wientraub is a historical fiction story about a Jewish family being forced to leave Granda after the conquest of Ferdinand and Isabella. Mr. Wientraub is an award-winning writer, this is his first novel.
Vidal ha-Rofeh, a Jewish doctor, finds himself and his family without a home or land after Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand conquered Granda. Not wanting to convert to Catholicism, Vidal and 200 other Jews start a caravan to Fez, across the sea. Along the way, Vidal struggles with his family relationships, as well as worries about his daughter, who converted to Catholicism and stayed behind.
I enjoyed this book, following the protagonist and his family through the voyage, which I’m sure they didn’t. I thought the book captured well the struggles of both the Jews being expelled, as well as those of the conversos (Jews who chose to convert to Christianity) who were always looked on with suspicion and never accepted.
The characters are well written, three-dimensional with their own internal and external struggles. South of Sepharad by Eric Z. Wientraub places the reader in the middle of the 1492 explosion, and much of what it entailed. Mass migration, refugees, and anti-Semitism are all addressed to give the reader a sense of what is happening.
The book also captures Jewish life and culture in Spain. These Jews were living in the area for generations before the Edict of Expulsion (Alhambra Decree) uprooted their lives and families. This is something that happened to Jews for generations before, and generations after, and can still happen today.
This is an easy read, the concepts explored and the history are easy to understand. Ironically, as the Jews were expelled, the royal couple ushered in Spain’s golden age with the Reconquista, Columbus’ voyages, and the Inquisition. All of which are addressed, or at least mentioned, in the book.
I thought this book was very well researched, the author stayed within the rigid historical timeline while telling a fictional story. He managed to put a lot in a relatively short book and somehow got away with it.
South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain by Eric Z. Wientraub is a historical fiction story about a Jewish family being forced to leave Granda after the conquest of Ferdinand and Isabella. Mr. Wientraub is an award-winning writer, this is his first novel.
Vidal ha-Rofeh, a Jewish doctor, finds himself and his family without a home or land after Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand conquered Granda. Not wanting to convert to Catholicism, Vidal and 200 other Jews start a caravan to Fez, across the sea. Along the way, Vidal struggles with his family relationships, as well as worries about his daughter, who converted to Catholicism and stayed behind.
I enjoyed this book, following the protagonist and his family through the voyage, which I’m sure they didn’t. I thought the book captured well the struggles of both the Jews being expelled, as well as those of the conversos (Jews who chose to convert to Christianity) who were always looked on with suspicion and never accepted.
The characters are well written, three-dimensional with their own internal and external struggles. South of Sepharad by Eric Z. Wientraub places the reader in the middle of the 1492 explosion, and much of what it entailed. Mass migration, refugees, and anti-Semitism are all addressed to give the reader a sense of what is happening.
The book also captures Jewish life and culture in Spain. These Jews were living in the area for generations before the Edict of Expulsion (Alhambra Decree) uprooted their lives and families. This is something that happened to Jews for generations before, and generations after, and can still happen today.
This is an easy read, the concepts explored and the history are easy to understand. Ironically, as the Jews were expelled, the royal couple ushered in Spain’s golden age with the Reconquista, Columbus’ voyages, and the Inquisition. All of which are addressed, or at least mentioned, in the book.
I thought this book was very well researched, the author stayed within the rigid historical timeline while telling a fictional story. He managed to put a lot in a relatively short book and somehow got away with it.
October 10, 2023
"South of Sepharad" is a poignant journey through the tumultuous period of 1492 in Granada, Spain. The narrative follows the gripping tale of a Jewish physician, capturing the essence of a family's struggle for survival in the face of the relentless Spanish Inquisition.
One of the novel's strengths lies in its historical accuracy, drawing inspiration from the true events of the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain. The author deftly navigates the intricacies of this harrowing chapter of history, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and emotions of a community torn apart by religious persecution.
The narrative unfolds with a careful balance of tension and tenderness as the family attempts to escape the clutches of the Inquisition.
The characters come alive on the pages, particularly the protagonist, the Jewish physician, whose resilience and determination to protect his family add a personal touch to the broader historical canvas. The novel not only serves as a gripping tale of survival but also sheds light on the enduring legacy of the Sephardic Diaspora, a significant chapter in world history.
Moreover, "South of Sepharad" delves into the complexities of identity, faith, and the enduring human spirit. Through its engaging prose and well-crafted plot, the novel prompts readers to reflect on the timeless themes of resilience and the impact of historical events on individual lives.
Mr. Weintraub wrote, "I do not believe a book can cure the many ailments of today's world. However, I believe that if we all know a little more about history, we may be less inclined to continue to repeat it."
The idea of people from different religions or cultures coexisting peacefully is a noble and important goal. Achieving peace on Earth requires understanding, tolerance, and respect for diversity.
https://www.historythroughfiction.com/
One of the novel's strengths lies in its historical accuracy, drawing inspiration from the true events of the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain. The author deftly navigates the intricacies of this harrowing chapter of history, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and emotions of a community torn apart by religious persecution.
The narrative unfolds with a careful balance of tension and tenderness as the family attempts to escape the clutches of the Inquisition.
The characters come alive on the pages, particularly the protagonist, the Jewish physician, whose resilience and determination to protect his family add a personal touch to the broader historical canvas. The novel not only serves as a gripping tale of survival but also sheds light on the enduring legacy of the Sephardic Diaspora, a significant chapter in world history.
Moreover, "South of Sepharad" delves into the complexities of identity, faith, and the enduring human spirit. Through its engaging prose and well-crafted plot, the novel prompts readers to reflect on the timeless themes of resilience and the impact of historical events on individual lives.
Mr. Weintraub wrote, "I do not believe a book can cure the many ailments of today's world. However, I believe that if we all know a little more about history, we may be less inclined to continue to repeat it."
The idea of people from different religions or cultures coexisting peacefully is a noble and important goal. Achieving peace on Earth requires understanding, tolerance, and respect for diversity.
https://www.historythroughfiction.com/
January 6, 2024
I really liked this book. I'm from Asturias, in the North of Spain, not the South/Andalucía/Al Andalus/Andalusia. My (first) last name on my father's side of the family is Cué, and according to a cousin that investigated it, it comes from Cohen, and few names are more jewish than Cohen. I think the jews in this little community were left alone when others had to exile/migrate because even now (it's beginning slowly to change) Asturias is a bit isolated (imagine then!), and so they were in a way "forgotten". The ones in Castilla or Andalucía were not so lucky. Of course this all happened centuries ago and i was raised as catholic even if now are more of an agnostic.
They say if you shake a Spaniard's family tree there will always be Jews, Moors and whatnot, and it's true, even if a bit less in the North.
I won't give spoilers, but sadly there is no right or wrong choice, only heartbreak and "what ifs". Even so you understand all and everyone of the characters, their loss, their pain and grief and sacrifices... I think they all did the best they knew and could, given the circumstances.
All are very believable, from the parents Vidal and Bonadonna (Bonita) to the eldest daughter Goyo/Catalina to the 16-17 and 12-13 year-old sons and younger daughter.
And you feel for them and hope that in the long run all will be well for them and their famili(es) at least for a long, long time. But it will never be easy. It still isn't.
Also, a Jewish doctor as main character is not an original thing maybe, but this is different and at the same time as interesting as Noah Gordon's the Physician, but less known.
All in all the author investigated very well, and even if I knew about the Jewish expulsion exile of 1492 I still learned quite a few things. It's not perfect but even Spanish investigators had written very little about it.
They say if you shake a Spaniard's family tree there will always be Jews, Moors and whatnot, and it's true, even if a bit less in the North.
I won't give spoilers, but sadly there is no right or wrong choice, only heartbreak and "what ifs". Even so you understand all and everyone of the characters, their loss, their pain and grief and sacrifices... I think they all did the best they knew and could, given the circumstances.
All are very believable, from the parents Vidal and Bonadonna (Bonita) to the eldest daughter Goyo/Catalina to the 16-17 and 12-13 year-old sons and younger daughter.
And you feel for them and hope that in the long run all will be well for them and their famili(es) at least for a long, long time. But it will never be easy. It still isn't.
Also, a Jewish doctor as main character is not an original thing maybe, but this is different and at the same time as interesting as Noah Gordon's the Physician, but less known.
All in all the author investigated very well, and even if I knew about the Jewish expulsion exile of 1492 I still learned quite a few things. It's not perfect but even Spanish investigators had written very little about it.
February 10, 2024
A Moving Tapestry of Resilience
Eric Weintraub’s “South of Sepharad” is a captivating historical fiction novel that transports readers to Granada, Spain, during the tumultuous period of the 1492 Jewish Expulsion. With vivid prose and deeply realized characters, Weintraub paints a powerful and poignant portrait of a family grappling with loss, displacement, and the struggle to preserve their identity in the face of unimaginable hardship.
The novel offers a captivating window into a pivotal moment in Spanish and Jewish history, providing a profound understanding of the political and religious tensions that led to the Expulsion, and the devastating impact it had on individuals and communities.
The Vidal family at the heart of the story is beautifully drawn. Each member grapples with the Expulsion in their own way, navigating internal conflicts and difficult choices with honesty and depth. Their struggles and triumphs resonate deeply with the reader, creating a powerful emotional connection.
Weintraub skillfully weaves in themes of faith, cultural identity, exile, and resilience. The novel prompts readers to contemplate the meaning of family, the cost of assimilation, and the enduring human spirit in the face of adversity.
“South of Sepharad” is a powerful and moving novel that is both historically insightful and emotionally resonant. It is a testament to the human capacity for resilience and the enduring power of family bonds.
Eric Weintraub’s “South of Sepharad” is a captivating historical fiction novel that transports readers to Granada, Spain, during the tumultuous period of the 1492 Jewish Expulsion. With vivid prose and deeply realized characters, Weintraub paints a powerful and poignant portrait of a family grappling with loss, displacement, and the struggle to preserve their identity in the face of unimaginable hardship.
The novel offers a captivating window into a pivotal moment in Spanish and Jewish history, providing a profound understanding of the political and religious tensions that led to the Expulsion, and the devastating impact it had on individuals and communities.
The Vidal family at the heart of the story is beautifully drawn. Each member grapples with the Expulsion in their own way, navigating internal conflicts and difficult choices with honesty and depth. Their struggles and triumphs resonate deeply with the reader, creating a powerful emotional connection.
Weintraub skillfully weaves in themes of faith, cultural identity, exile, and resilience. The novel prompts readers to contemplate the meaning of family, the cost of assimilation, and the enduring human spirit in the face of adversity.
“South of Sepharad” is a powerful and moving novel that is both historically insightful and emotionally resonant. It is a testament to the human capacity for resilience and the enduring power of family bonds.
December 10, 2023
I knew very little about this piece of history before I started this book. Now, I feel my perspective colored by what I’ve learned.
Vidal and Bonadonna are a married couple living with their family in Granada, Spain, where Vidal is a doctor. I’ve not given much thought to 15th century medicine, and that part of this book really interested me. Their entire Jewish community is told to leave, and inquisitors come in to assure Jews are no longer living in Granada.
Vidal is complex. A religious man told that his religion will displace his family, a doctor who must choose between caring for the sick or his family, a father whose children beg him to make impossible decisions.
His children and wife leave with him, save one. Goya, the converso known as Catalina, who, like her father, questions every decision. Her decisions are heart pounding for the reader. Her story is unforgettable. The history behind it is devastating.
This novel offers a lot of things: religious history, but also the questions of if God will allow his faithful followers to feel immense pain, relationships of all kinds, defining the meaning of community when not all can come together for many reasons, and ultimately, the decisions a father and husband will make to save those he loves.
PS: the surgery scene left my heart pounding and palms sweating. It will live in my mind forever.
Highly recommended.
Vidal and Bonadonna are a married couple living with their family in Granada, Spain, where Vidal is a doctor. I’ve not given much thought to 15th century medicine, and that part of this book really interested me. Their entire Jewish community is told to leave, and inquisitors come in to assure Jews are no longer living in Granada.
Vidal is complex. A religious man told that his religion will displace his family, a doctor who must choose between caring for the sick or his family, a father whose children beg him to make impossible decisions.
His children and wife leave with him, save one. Goya, the converso known as Catalina, who, like her father, questions every decision. Her decisions are heart pounding for the reader. Her story is unforgettable. The history behind it is devastating.
This novel offers a lot of things: religious history, but also the questions of if God will allow his faithful followers to feel immense pain, relationships of all kinds, defining the meaning of community when not all can come together for many reasons, and ultimately, the decisions a father and husband will make to save those he loves.
PS: the surgery scene left my heart pounding and palms sweating. It will live in my mind forever.
Highly recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2023
Many thanks to HistoryThroughFiction for providing me with an early copy. It tells, heartbreakingly, about a family in Granada, forced to leave Spain after the accension of Ferdinand and Isabella. An edict forced all Jews to either convert to Catholicism or depart the country.
Vidal is a physician, a husband to Bonadonna and father of four children. (His youngest, Sarah, has died and is buried at the beginning of the book. The eldest, Catlina, has already converted to marry a Catholic, and is pregnant with her first child.
The family refuses to convert and leaves Granada with horses and wagons and all the provisions they can afford and departs for Fez. It is arduous trip with setbacks, deprivations and accidents. On the journey, Vidal's two sons learn more about the practice of medicine.
The rating reflects my opinion about the writing. The novel is mostly well researched, but not very well written. Another minus: Vidal looks into the eyes of an elder and sees the clouding of glaucoma there. Were he really a physician, he would know that it is cataracts that cloud the eyes of its sufferers, not glaucoma which affects the optic nerve and has no outward signs.
So I'm torn. The story is worth telling and worth reading, but might benefit from skilled editing.
Vidal is a physician, a husband to Bonadonna and father of four children. (His youngest, Sarah, has died and is buried at the beginning of the book. The eldest, Catlina, has already converted to marry a Catholic, and is pregnant with her first child.
The family refuses to convert and leaves Granada with horses and wagons and all the provisions they can afford and departs for Fez. It is arduous trip with setbacks, deprivations and accidents. On the journey, Vidal's two sons learn more about the practice of medicine.
The rating reflects my opinion about the writing. The novel is mostly well researched, but not very well written. Another minus: Vidal looks into the eyes of an elder and sees the clouding of glaucoma there. Were he really a physician, he would know that it is cataracts that cloud the eyes of its sufferers, not glaucoma which affects the optic nerve and has no outward signs.
So I'm torn. The story is worth telling and worth reading, but might benefit from skilled editing.
February 11, 2024
This story centers around the patriarch of a Jewish family in Granda, Spain, where the Jewish community is expulsed, (unless they convert to Catholicism, or face death). I had to look up “Sepharad”, which per wiki is “the Hebrew-language name for the Iberian Peninsula, consisting of both modern-time Western Europe's Spain and Portugal, especially in reference to the local Jews before their forced expulsion from 1492 onwards.” In the book, we follow some of Granada’s Jewish community as they travel by caravan “South of Sepharad” to Morocco. It is a tragic story, but I didn’t really get sucked into it. It was a little slow to start, and then I found myself skimming a lot towards the end. The characters were a little 2-dimensional, and I had a hard time picturing anything described.
On the plus side, the author sets up the mood well, such that the story has an Old World feel to it, (like Yentil or Fiddler on the Roof). Reading a personalized, fictional account of an event is an easy and interesting way to learn about history, which I appreciated. The knowledge will enhance a trip for those aiming to travel to this area.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.
On the plus side, the author sets up the mood well, such that the story has an Old World feel to it, (like Yentil or Fiddler on the Roof). Reading a personalized, fictional account of an event is an easy and interesting way to learn about history, which I appreciated. The knowledge will enhance a trip for those aiming to travel to this area.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.
March 5, 2024
This was a really heartbreaking read that shone a light on the 1492 expulsion of the Jews from Spain. As a UK reader, I’m only just starting to learn about this hugely significant and difficult period of Spanish history, and this book tackles it in an engaging, informative and readable way.
By focusing on the life of Vidal, a doctor, and how he has to make difficult decisions to save his family’s lives, whilst trying to stay true to his religion, Weintraub creates an incredibly emotive story. Then there is also the story of Catelina, who stays behind. Her story shows how deep the trauma and violence of the Spanish Inquisition reached and how terrible it was for those who thought they were safe.
The story is beautifully crafted, and shows humanity at its best and worst.The level of historical detail and research is also evident, plunging modern readers into a believable historical setting and culture. The description of 15th century Spain is authentic and enlightening, and is really brought to life.
This was a read that left a mark on me; for the way in which it tells a compelling story of humanity, fatherhood and determination, and for the way it shines a light on a historical event that is still very relevant and deeply unsettling.
By focusing on the life of Vidal, a doctor, and how he has to make difficult decisions to save his family’s lives, whilst trying to stay true to his religion, Weintraub creates an incredibly emotive story. Then there is also the story of Catelina, who stays behind. Her story shows how deep the trauma and violence of the Spanish Inquisition reached and how terrible it was for those who thought they were safe.
The story is beautifully crafted, and shows humanity at its best and worst.The level of historical detail and research is also evident, plunging modern readers into a believable historical setting and culture. The description of 15th century Spain is authentic and enlightening, and is really brought to life.
This was a read that left a mark on me; for the way in which it tells a compelling story of humanity, fatherhood and determination, and for the way it shines a light on a historical event that is still very relevant and deeply unsettling.
December 5, 2023
South of Sepharad is a wonderful book that I believe perfectly reflects a great many Jews and the complex situations they found themselves in and needing to deal with when the Spanish Monarchs issued the edict for their [the Jews'] expulsion in 1492.
We find the ha-Rofeh family, in Grenada, a Jewish yet average family, with all but one child still at home - the oldest daughter, who converted to Christianity, was,married and lived with her husband and his family. On a Sabbath, the ha-Rofehs and then the rest of the Jewish community hears of the edict of expulsion. Its from this point that the story evolves and branches off, and re-emerges. The details, the diction make it all a poignant story that both Jews and non-Jews will love!
Personally, I loved the story and it flowed so well, that I unintentionally finished the book in less than a 24 hour period! I cannot say that about many books!
We find the ha-Rofeh family, in Grenada, a Jewish yet average family, with all but one child still at home - the oldest daughter, who converted to Christianity, was,married and lived with her husband and his family. On a Sabbath, the ha-Rofehs and then the rest of the Jewish community hears of the edict of expulsion. Its from this point that the story evolves and branches off, and re-emerges. The details, the diction make it all a poignant story that both Jews and non-Jews will love!
Personally, I loved the story and it flowed so well, that I unintentionally finished the book in less than a 24 hour period! I cannot say that about many books!
December 4, 2023
Very engrossing book through the story of a Jewish doctor and his family who made the trek and sea voyage across the Mediterranean with their community in Spain when they were exiled from that country to Fez in Arab North Africa. It recounts the fate of his converso [Christian convert] daughter married to a Catholic, who remained in Spain. Their characters were so well-drawn and sympathetic, I felt as though I could have known them. I liked the details of the characters' Jewish customs. I only regret the lack of a map tracing their route and also a glossary explaining the Hebrew terms for any Gentiles like me reading the book, of which I feel there will be many. Some terms I did know but others I had to guess their meanings. I could tell the book was well researched. The author warmed to his subject. I thank LibraryThing for sending me a copy.
January 3, 2024
So far, I’m really enjoying this book! There’s not a lot of books about this particular point in Jewish history, but I think this book does a good job of showing what the time may have been like. It’s a really cool book because not only is it entertaining, but it also teaches us about history and the time period that this takes place in.
Also, the characters are likable, they feel authentic, and they’re really interesting. The whole time I’m rooting for them to make the right choices because the author has done a fantastic job of putting them in a dilemma related to an event that was occurring at the time and making the characters respond accordingly to it.
Overall, so far, I’m impressed and I’m really enjoying this read. I’ll have to give another update when I’m fully through it, but this may end up being my first five star read of 2024.
Also, the characters are likable, they feel authentic, and they’re really interesting. The whole time I’m rooting for them to make the right choices because the author has done a fantastic job of putting them in a dilemma related to an event that was occurring at the time and making the characters respond accordingly to it.
Overall, so far, I’m impressed and I’m really enjoying this read. I’ll have to give another update when I’m fully through it, but this may end up being my first five star read of 2024.
July 21, 2024
Thanks to History Through Fiction and Netgalley for this advanced copy!
From the Introduction on, Weintraub has done something I'd never seen before: given voices to the Jews who fled Spain in 1492 during the expulsion. I had never thought about how there were no primary sources from the time, but I loved how Weintraub uses secondary sources to create this fictional tale of love and loss, identity and survival. Vidal and his family are central to the story, but at the heart of it all is the ever-present understanding that home is not just where you are, but where you are safe to be you. I thought this was a fascinating novel and I greatly appreciated how Weintraub didn't romanticize the expulsion or make sure everyone was safe. Instead we get a story that feels plausible and realistic, as well as harrowing and important.
From the Introduction on, Weintraub has done something I'd never seen before: given voices to the Jews who fled Spain in 1492 during the expulsion. I had never thought about how there were no primary sources from the time, but I loved how Weintraub uses secondary sources to create this fictional tale of love and loss, identity and survival. Vidal and his family are central to the story, but at the heart of it all is the ever-present understanding that home is not just where you are, but where you are safe to be you. I thought this was a fascinating novel and I greatly appreciated how Weintraub didn't romanticize the expulsion or make sure everyone was safe. Instead we get a story that feels plausible and realistic, as well as harrowing and important.
January 11, 2024
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.
This is a very powerful work of historical fiction. The reader is brought to Spain in 1492 when Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand decreed that all Jews must leave Spain or convert to Catholicism.
This was not an easy decision for anyone. Jews had lived in Granada for generations and had homes, jobs, and extended families. They wanted to remain, but they also needed to freely observe their religious beliefs and practices. The coming of the Inquisition, with its spies and tortures, endangered the lives of those who chose to convert, as well.
The strength of this novel is not only in its graphic description of a shameful historical period, but also its reflection of current events.
This is a very powerful work of historical fiction. The reader is brought to Spain in 1492 when Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand decreed that all Jews must leave Spain or convert to Catholicism.
This was not an easy decision for anyone. Jews had lived in Granada for generations and had homes, jobs, and extended families. They wanted to remain, but they also needed to freely observe their religious beliefs and practices. The coming of the Inquisition, with its spies and tortures, endangered the lives of those who chose to convert, as well.
The strength of this novel is not only in its graphic description of a shameful historical period, but also its reflection of current events.
June 24, 2024
This novel is a compelling read about the expelling Jews from Spain during the times of Spanish Inquisition. Vidal's family is not so simple, everyone, even kids, have own individual opinions what their life has to be, but they all are very tolerant to each other. Even when their daughter converts into catholic their personal relationship doesn't change. Generally reading the book I loved feeling the author's position that common human values are more important than being religious person. Full of sorrows one family story teaches us that we always have choices, even when none of them looks good, Making decisions the best advisor is your conscience. Being honest to yourself it's easier to take whatever life gives you and to believe that the future is brighter.
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