What do you think?
Rate this book
A través de los mares
El deseo de pertenecer a algún lugar y el amor por la vida unen a las cuatro protagonistas de la nueva novela de Ruth Behar, autora ganadora del Premio Pura Belpré
ESPAÑA, 1492: La familia de Benvenida huye de la Inquisición. Todos están en peligro si no renuncian a sus creencias religiosas.
TURQUÍA, 1923: Después de la Guerra de Independencia, Reina confía en que tendrá más libertad. Pero su padre la castiga, exiliándola a Cuba.
CUBA, 1961: Alegra, la hija de Reina, se ilusiona con el triunfo de la Revolución. No sospecha que sus días en la isla están contados.
MIAMI, 2003: A Paloma, la hija de Alegra, le fascinan esas historias familiares que, después de siglos, lograron llevarla a un lugar seguro. Viaja a España, junto a sus padres y a su abuela Reina para comprender mejor su pasado, pero no se imaginan lo que descubrirán en su viaje.
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
Spanning over 500 years, Pura Belpré Award-winner, Ruth Behar’s, epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life.
In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, Benvenida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish, and must flee the country or be killed. They journey by foot and by sea, eventually settling in Istanbul. Over four centuries later, in 1923, shortly after the Turkish war of independence, Reina’s father disowns her for a small act of disobedience. He ships her away to live with an aunt in Cuba, to be wed in an arranged marriage when she turns fifteen.
In 1961, Reina’s daughter, Alegra, is proud to be a brigadista, teaching literacy in the countryside for Fidel Castro. But soon Castro’s crackdowns force her to flee to Miami all alone, leaving her parents behind.
Finally, in 2003, Alegra’s daughter, Paloma, is excited to travel from her home in Miami to visit Spain with her parents and Grandma Reina. In a museum there, she sees a note preserved from the Middle Ages that, unbeknownst to her, was written by her ancestor Benvenida just before she fled the country. Though many years and many seas separate these girls, they are united by their desire to learn and their longing for a home where they will be welcome.
ESPAÑA, 1492: La familia de Benvenida huye de la Inquisición. Todos están en peligro si no renuncian a sus creencias religiosas.
TURQUÍA, 1923: Después de la Guerra de Independencia, Reina confía en que tendrá más libertad. Pero su padre la castiga, exiliándola a Cuba.
CUBA, 1961: Alegra, la hija de Reina, se ilusiona con el triunfo de la Revolución. No sospecha que sus días en la isla están contados.
MIAMI, 2003: A Paloma, la hija de Alegra, le fascinan esas historias familiares que, después de siglos, lograron llevarla a un lugar seguro. Viaja a España, junto a sus padres y a su abuela Reina para comprender mejor su pasado, pero no se imaginan lo que descubrirán en su viaje.
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
Spanning over 500 years, Pura Belpré Award-winner, Ruth Behar’s, epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life.
In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, Benvenida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish, and must flee the country or be killed. They journey by foot and by sea, eventually settling in Istanbul. Over four centuries later, in 1923, shortly after the Turkish war of independence, Reina’s father disowns her for a small act of disobedience. He ships her away to live with an aunt in Cuba, to be wed in an arranged marriage when she turns fifteen.
In 1961, Reina’s daughter, Alegra, is proud to be a brigadista, teaching literacy in the countryside for Fidel Castro. But soon Castro’s crackdowns force her to flee to Miami all alone, leaving her parents behind.
Finally, in 2003, Alegra’s daughter, Paloma, is excited to travel from her home in Miami to visit Spain with her parents and Grandma Reina. In a museum there, she sees a note preserved from the Middle Ages that, unbeknownst to her, was written by her ancestor Benvenida just before she fled the country. Though many years and many seas separate these girls, they are united by their desire to learn and their longing for a home where they will be welcome.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2024
129 people are currently reading
4357 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 365 reviews
April 10, 2024
As one of my favorite authors, Ruth Behar never ceases to amaze me. Spanning across centuries and told through four different perspectives, Across So Many Seas captures the experiences, cultural/ religious practices, and displacement of Sephardic Jews beginning with the Spanish Inquisition. Perfect for those who love historical fiction, Behar captures some of the most pivotal moments of history and how they ultimately impact this family of women. She perfectly designs the distinct personalities and voices of each character as readers are transported through time thereby permitting each reader to better understand how time and history has shaped us and our ancestors. Although I am a frequent reader of historical fiction, Behar (one again) captured tidbits of history that I've never come across in other middle grade novels. Laced with themes of new beginnings, renewal, growth, pain, fear, and love, this is a new release that I highly recommend checking out.
Read
January 30, 2024"The past is a lost country. You can only imagine it like a dream."
This was such a beautiful historical novel spanning 500 years telling stories of 4 girls from different generations of a Jewish family. It's a story of faith, exile, immigration, family and unity. A gorgeous middle grade novel inside and out. Thanks to much to PRH Audio for my advanced audiobook!
This was such a beautiful historical novel spanning 500 years telling stories of 4 girls from different generations of a Jewish family. It's a story of faith, exile, immigration, family and unity. A gorgeous middle grade novel inside and out. Thanks to much to PRH Audio for my advanced audiobook!
March 10, 2024
I feel confident saying this will be on my list of the top three #MGlit historical novels of 2024. It’s received several starred reviews and is told from the perspective of four girls from the same Jewish family. Connected by their Spanish heritage, Benvenida (1492), Reina (1923) and Alegra (1961) each travel by sea to a new country to escape oppressive circumstances and start new lives. Paloma is the final link in the chain; her trip to Spain to learn about her family’s history further demonstrates the connections between the women and their stories. The book is only 272 pages but feels much longer (in a good way), and the history of the four different time periods is quite interesting. There is a joint love of music and poetry, and though the women’s circumstances are each unique, I love how the author weaves them together and makes them relatable for a modern audience.
February 3, 2024
A brilliant exploration of Jewish displacement across history through the stories of four young girls connected by blood, love, and art. This title deserves every possible award.
June 16, 2025
5/5
Beautiful story about three extraordinary girls/women over a span of 500 years. This story is perfect for all ages.
Beautiful story about three extraordinary girls/women over a span of 500 years. This story is perfect for all ages.
January 31, 2024
Four twelve-year-old girls experience the difficulties of migration while sharing a common bond of family, poetry, and heritage. First Benvenida and her family have to flee Spain because they are Jewish during the Spanish Inquisition in 1492. Hundreds of years later in 1923, Reina is sent from Istanbul to live with her aunt in Cuba and later be in an arranged marriage. Reina's daughter, Alegra, becomes a brigadista teaching literacy for Fidel Castro until she has to flee to Miami without her parents. Finally, Alegra's daughter, Paloma, goes on a trip to Spain that will tie her family stories together.
I loved the concept of this book. I love the concepts of heritage and finding the things that you love that have also been important to your ancestors. I love books that talk about groups of people who are marginalized, banished, or otherwise suffer poor treatment and how they manage to keep the things important to them in spite of tragedy and pain. I also love books about Jewish people that aren't centered around the Holocaust because there is so much more to the rich cultural and religious Jewish heritage than that.
I very much appreciated the research and details that went into each of the times of the girls. My favorite part was actually the afterward with resources to learn more about the time periods in the book. I love that these stories are inspired by the writer's own family, and it's clear that this book was written with a lot of love for those elements.
I also appreciate how hopeful the book is in spite of the terrible things that each girl is going for, especially considering how dark the world can seem today. I imagine that this book will be a breath of fresh air and a ray of hope for many readers. The book covers topics like antisemitism, misogyny, death, exile, and arranged marriages but the tone overall is still hopeful, mostly due to the continuing generations of girls finding comfort in songs and heritage.
Unfortunately, although I loved so many aspects of the book's concept, I didn't enjoy reading the book as much as I hoped. There were two reasons for this. First, because we spend such a short time with each girl and the book emphasizes what they have in common, they all seem the same. I couldn't remember their names or how they were different even in the middle of reading the book. The writing style is also, understandably, the same for each girl, which makes it even harder to tell them apart. Because the writing style is somewhat unique and sounds like an individual voice, when it's the same voice for four girls, it made the girls seem less developed to me.
I'm very much a character reader. If I'm not feeling connected to the characters, it's harder for me to engage in a book. Because of the switch in perspectives and the relatively short length of the book, I was losing interest and started skimming through sections toward the end of the book.
However, I do think this is an incredibly important book. With the rise of public and private antisemitism, more parents are trying to find ways to talk to their kids about antisemitism. This book is an age-appropriate and historical look at how anti-semitism has affected generations. It also shows how Jewish people have been able to hold on to their religion and even language and cultural elements like poetry and music in spite of that hate.
I also love that this book covers Latino Sephardic Jewish heritage, something you rarely see in literature but especially literature for young people. Along the way, it also shows these girls developing close ties to people of other races and religious traditions, making the book diverse and inclusive.
Although I didn't love this book personally because of the writing style and the difficulty relating to the multiple POV characters, there is certainly a lot to love about it. I would happily recommend it to young (and older!) readers who want to read about migration from the perspective of young people or people who are interested in family and cultural ties. The hope and connection of these girls through time is a wonderful concept especially when things today can be so uncertain and alarming.
I didn't love this book, but I am certain that many people will. More importantly, this is the kind of book and the kind of stories that help make the world better by showing the things that tie us together across generations, religions, cultures, countries, and races.
I loved the concept of this book. I love the concepts of heritage and finding the things that you love that have also been important to your ancestors. I love books that talk about groups of people who are marginalized, banished, or otherwise suffer poor treatment and how they manage to keep the things important to them in spite of tragedy and pain. I also love books about Jewish people that aren't centered around the Holocaust because there is so much more to the rich cultural and religious Jewish heritage than that.
I very much appreciated the research and details that went into each of the times of the girls. My favorite part was actually the afterward with resources to learn more about the time periods in the book. I love that these stories are inspired by the writer's own family, and it's clear that this book was written with a lot of love for those elements.
I also appreciate how hopeful the book is in spite of the terrible things that each girl is going for, especially considering how dark the world can seem today. I imagine that this book will be a breath of fresh air and a ray of hope for many readers. The book covers topics like antisemitism, misogyny, death, exile, and arranged marriages but the tone overall is still hopeful, mostly due to the continuing generations of girls finding comfort in songs and heritage.
Unfortunately, although I loved so many aspects of the book's concept, I didn't enjoy reading the book as much as I hoped. There were two reasons for this. First, because we spend such a short time with each girl and the book emphasizes what they have in common, they all seem the same. I couldn't remember their names or how they were different even in the middle of reading the book. The writing style is also, understandably, the same for each girl, which makes it even harder to tell them apart. Because the writing style is somewhat unique and sounds like an individual voice, when it's the same voice for four girls, it made the girls seem less developed to me.
I'm very much a character reader. If I'm not feeling connected to the characters, it's harder for me to engage in a book. Because of the switch in perspectives and the relatively short length of the book, I was losing interest and started skimming through sections toward the end of the book.
However, I do think this is an incredibly important book. With the rise of public and private antisemitism, more parents are trying to find ways to talk to their kids about antisemitism. This book is an age-appropriate and historical look at how anti-semitism has affected generations. It also shows how Jewish people have been able to hold on to their religion and even language and cultural elements like poetry and music in spite of that hate.
I also love that this book covers Latino Sephardic Jewish heritage, something you rarely see in literature but especially literature for young people. Along the way, it also shows these girls developing close ties to people of other races and religious traditions, making the book diverse and inclusive.
Although I didn't love this book personally because of the writing style and the difficulty relating to the multiple POV characters, there is certainly a lot to love about it. I would happily recommend it to young (and older!) readers who want to read about migration from the perspective of young people or people who are interested in family and cultural ties. The hope and connection of these girls through time is a wonderful concept especially when things today can be so uncertain and alarming.
I didn't love this book, but I am certain that many people will. More importantly, this is the kind of book and the kind of stories that help make the world better by showing the things that tie us together across generations, religions, cultures, countries, and races.
April 23, 2024
At times the fluidity was interrupted by insertions of necessary historical information for the reader’s benefit. But definitely worth reading to learn the history of Sephardic Jews over more than five centuries.
June 29, 2024
A 5-star concept written by someone who seems to be an emerging writer. I gritted my teeth through the subpar prose.
March 13, 2025
“Seas” first centers on Benvenida, a young Jewish girl growing up in 1491 Spain during the Spanish Inquisition when the Jewish were chosen to convert to Christianity or they would face death or forced to leave their home. Her family makes the decision to leave Spain and flee to Turkey and this is when it’s only the beginning of the story. Centuries later, we follow a descendant of her’s named Reina who faces her own harsh story during the Turkish War of Independence in 1923 that will unexpectedly grow in the coming decades when she too is forced to leave her home.
It’s an incredibly intertwined immigration story that focuses on family, empowerment, social norms and cultures. The first two stories have a pretty serious and harsh tone that centers on looking away from the past and leaving home, while the last two stories definitely have a more hopeful and touching tone. A surprising twist is that the story is inspired from Behar’s own family history. In the end, it’s a very compelling and courageous read that’s about looking at the past, present and future no matter where you are and what your heritage is. A (100%/Outstanding)
It’s an incredibly intertwined immigration story that focuses on family, empowerment, social norms and cultures. The first two stories have a pretty serious and harsh tone that centers on looking away from the past and leaving home, while the last two stories definitely have a more hopeful and touching tone. A surprising twist is that the story is inspired from Behar’s own family history. In the end, it’s a very compelling and courageous read that’s about looking at the past, present and future no matter where you are and what your heritage is. A (100%/Outstanding)
December 24, 2023
This is a lovely middle grade historical fiction following four Jewish 12-year-old girls in the same family across the centuries. It begins with a young girl's expulsion from Spain in 1492, then to Turkey where the family finds refuge, then to Cuba, and finally to Miami. It's really moving to read about how each journey is filled with terror and grief for lost homes and family but then each new country becomes home and becomes loved and becomes integrated into the family's culture only for them to be rejected from the country once more for being Jewish.
My adult self wishes we could've stayed with each girl longer. I wanted to see their entire lives, not just a single year. But that wouldn't have been a middle grade novel!
My adult self wishes we could've stayed with each girl longer. I wanted to see their entire lives, not just a single year. But that wouldn't have been a middle grade novel!
January 8, 2024
Four generation stories about four Jewish girls, dating from 1942 through 2003. Ruth Behar shares the stories of Benevida, Reina, Alegra and Paloma, each separated by time but each connected with music, learning and a love of family.
As Ruth Behar writes about each girl, she carefully weaves in clues that ultimately connect them all together in the end. Ruth’s diligent research of the different historical times, the Jewish culture and religion and her deep personal connection make this an especially compelling story.
As Ruth Behar writes about each girl, she carefully weaves in clues that ultimately connect them all together in the end. Ruth’s diligent research of the different historical times, the Jewish culture and religion and her deep personal connection make this an especially compelling story.
January 15, 2025
3.5
I learned a lot from this well-researched book. Through four different girls in four different time periods and countries, we follow the journey of one Jewish family. It was fascinating to me that by the time we meet the fourth girl, Paloma, living in Miami in 2003, her family is descended from Spain, Turkey, Cuba, and Africa. The author showed the family having brushes with the horrific events that caused them to flee many countries, so we felt the urgency of their journey without descriptions of the atrocities that took place during the Inquistion and the Cuban Revolution. She also showed, without judgment, how families could be divided during such dangerous times, with some family members deciding to convert to Catholicism during the Inquisition, and, during Castro's regime, one of the characters becoming a brigadista, serving the revolution by teaching farmers how to read while her father railed against the dictator.
I learned a lot from this well-researched book. Through four different girls in four different time periods and countries, we follow the journey of one Jewish family. It was fascinating to me that by the time we meet the fourth girl, Paloma, living in Miami in 2003, her family is descended from Spain, Turkey, Cuba, and Africa. The author showed the family having brushes with the horrific events that caused them to flee many countries, so we felt the urgency of their journey without descriptions of the atrocities that took place during the Inquistion and the Cuban Revolution. She also showed, without judgment, how families could be divided during such dangerous times, with some family members deciding to convert to Catholicism during the Inquisition, and, during Castro's regime, one of the characters becoming a brigadista, serving the revolution by teaching farmers how to read while her father railed against the dictator.
January 2, 2025
An epic multi-generational story told across four separate stories across countries and historical events. I don't think I will soon forget this one.
September 27, 2025
Didn’t realize this was for kids until after I started but it was good! 🤣
February 28, 2024
Loved this portrayal of a Jewish family spanning centuries, from their exile from Spain in 1492 to Turkey, Cuba, and Miami, all while maintaining parts of their culture and language. Each girl in the family was sympathetic and in an interesting time period and situation. I would like to hear the music that is used, as well. Maybe if there is an audiobook? Loved how it all culminated at the end as well as the extensive back matter. Another great story drawing from her own family history by Ruth Behar!
February 12, 2024
Beautifully written story of the experiences of four 12-year-old Sephardic Jewish girls in different time periods and different countries.
In 1492, Benvenida and her family are expelled from Spain during the Inquisition; they thought they would find safety in Naples, but they were forced to flee again, finally settling in Istanbul. Through Benvenida's story, we learn learn different ways Sephardic Jews tried to survive persecution and hang on to their beliefs and culture.
More than 400 years later in 1923, Reina, a Sephardic girl living in Istanbul, is accused of shaming her father, who banishes her from her home. He sends her, virtually alone, to Cuba, where she is to marry a much older man whom she's never met. Through Reina's story, we learn how girls were supposed to behave and how little personal freedom they had.
In 1961, Reina's daughter Alegra lives through the Cuban revolution, where once again Jews are among the targets of hate. She is eventually sent alone to Miami via a HIAS program, where she is to live with strangers and learn to speak a new language. Through Alegra's story, we learn a little bit about life under Castro and what Sephardic families did to protect their children.
In 2003, Alegra's daughter Paloma is an American girl who wants to know more about her Sephardic heritage. When her parents take her and her grandmother Reina to Spain to tour the old Jewish quarter of Toledo, the they come full circle and connect to their cultural and religious past in surprising ways. Through Paloma's story we learn the importance of tolerance and holding fast to one's traditions.
This novel brings us many important issues for thought and discussion: women's freedom (or lack thereof), women's education, family, marriage, mother-daughter relationships, forced dislocations, hate, traditions, language, music, perseverance, and friendship. Music and poetry are strong threads throughout the novel--especially as ways to preserve traditions, celebrate religious ceremonies and holidays, and connect women through time and space.
The story is important because there are very few accessible books that focus on Sephardic Judaism and that are about ordinary girls who have been forced to deal with the consequences of being different.
Readers will have a difficult decision if they want to read this novel in only one medium. The print/digital book includes sources and additional information, allowing readers further understanding and ways to learn more. The audiobook allows readers to hear the songs being sung and to learn the correct pronunciation of places and names. I was fortunate to have been granted review copies in both formats.
The audiobook is narrated by Allison Stron, Victoria Villarreal, Sol Madariaga, and Frankie Corzo, who each read one of the girls' stories. Their performances were excellent, from accents to singing, and each seemed to capture the spirit and circumstances of the girl they portrayed. Ruth Behar reads her own author's note.
In 1492, Benvenida and her family are expelled from Spain during the Inquisition; they thought they would find safety in Naples, but they were forced to flee again, finally settling in Istanbul. Through Benvenida's story, we learn learn different ways Sephardic Jews tried to survive persecution and hang on to their beliefs and culture.
More than 400 years later in 1923, Reina, a Sephardic girl living in Istanbul, is accused of shaming her father, who banishes her from her home. He sends her, virtually alone, to Cuba, where she is to marry a much older man whom she's never met. Through Reina's story, we learn how girls were supposed to behave and how little personal freedom they had.
In 1961, Reina's daughter Alegra lives through the Cuban revolution, where once again Jews are among the targets of hate. She is eventually sent alone to Miami via a HIAS program, where she is to live with strangers and learn to speak a new language. Through Alegra's story, we learn a little bit about life under Castro and what Sephardic families did to protect their children.
In 2003, Alegra's daughter Paloma is an American girl who wants to know more about her Sephardic heritage. When her parents take her and her grandmother Reina to Spain to tour the old Jewish quarter of Toledo, the they come full circle and connect to their cultural and religious past in surprising ways. Through Paloma's story we learn the importance of tolerance and holding fast to one's traditions.
This novel brings us many important issues for thought and discussion: women's freedom (or lack thereof), women's education, family, marriage, mother-daughter relationships, forced dislocations, hate, traditions, language, music, perseverance, and friendship. Music and poetry are strong threads throughout the novel--especially as ways to preserve traditions, celebrate religious ceremonies and holidays, and connect women through time and space.
The story is important because there are very few accessible books that focus on Sephardic Judaism and that are about ordinary girls who have been forced to deal with the consequences of being different.
Readers will have a difficult decision if they want to read this novel in only one medium. The print/digital book includes sources and additional information, allowing readers further understanding and ways to learn more. The audiobook allows readers to hear the songs being sung and to learn the correct pronunciation of places and names. I was fortunate to have been granted review copies in both formats.
The audiobook is narrated by Allison Stron, Victoria Villarreal, Sol Madariaga, and Frankie Corzo, who each read one of the girls' stories. Their performances were excellent, from accents to singing, and each seemed to capture the spirit and circumstances of the girl they portrayed. Ruth Behar reads her own author's note.
February 9, 2025
The way all the stories are woven together at the end is memorable. Great setting and character descriptions. This is the only 2025 Newbery honor titles that I think was worthy of the award. I had major issues with the other three 2025 Newbery honor titles and thought that they were very disappointing selections. I’m glad the only one that I had not read was worthy of the honor.
March 9, 2025
While the writing itself is a little clunky, the story is awesome! The different pieces of history are woven together very well and the four narrators are terrifically real. This is precisely the kind of YA novel that promotes the inclusivity we need right now!
February 7, 2024
Spanning 500 years, this MG historical novel by @ruthbeharauthor shares the story of four Jewish girls throughout generations struggling with leaving their home country.
🚢
1492: Benevida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish and end up in Istanbul, scared they’ll never see their Spanish friends and family again.
1923: Reina is disowned for an act of disobedience and sent to live with her aunt in Cuba to be wed in an arranged marriage when she turns fifteen.
1961: Reina’s daughter, Alegra, teaches literacy for Fidel Castro, but his crackdowns force her to flee to Miami, leaving her family behind.
2003: Alegra’s daughter, Paloma, is a keeper of memories and begins studying the journies her ancestors took, whether by force or by choice. She goes with her family on a trip to Spain and discovers something important while there.
🚢
This was definitely a full circle book perfect for fans of Alan Gratz and Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo. I think this would be a great class read aloud where they could study the different part of the world. You could collaborate with your social studies and music/choir teachers too!
CW: war, antisemitism, misogyny
I was bored through a lot of it, but that's probably because historical fiction isn't my favorite genre.
🚢
1492: Benevida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish and end up in Istanbul, scared they’ll never see their Spanish friends and family again.
1923: Reina is disowned for an act of disobedience and sent to live with her aunt in Cuba to be wed in an arranged marriage when she turns fifteen.
1961: Reina’s daughter, Alegra, teaches literacy for Fidel Castro, but his crackdowns force her to flee to Miami, leaving her family behind.
2003: Alegra’s daughter, Paloma, is a keeper of memories and begins studying the journies her ancestors took, whether by force or by choice. She goes with her family on a trip to Spain and discovers something important while there.
🚢
This was definitely a full circle book perfect for fans of Alan Gratz and Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo. I think this would be a great class read aloud where they could study the different part of the world. You could collaborate with your social studies and music/choir teachers too!
CW: war, antisemitism, misogyny
I was bored through a lot of it, but that's probably because historical fiction isn't my favorite genre.
May 17, 2025
An intriguing premise based on historical facts that I likely would have enjoyed more had I not listened to it. As this story was a middle grade novel with a lot of young people, I had to listen to adults speaking as children, something I always find incredibly annoying - and the very cheesy dialogue did not help. I also find it odd when authors focus so much on songs for a book. Had I been reading the story, I would have skipped over the lyrics after seeing them the first time. Apart from the reader, cheesy dialogue, and songs, the story itself was beautifully crafted across time, and I loved learning about historical events surrounding the Jews that I had not known about before. The ending was surprisingly emotional; it made the listen worth it.
May 15, 2025
2025 Newbery Honor Book and 2025 Sydney Taylor Honor Book
Powerful and poignant. I had a hard time connecting emotionally to the characters, at first, and the jump through time of 400+ years kind of threw me off, but having finished the book, it all makes sense. I want to read it again, slowly. I learned so much! And I want to learn more. Thank you, Ruth Behar, for bringing this forgotten part of history back to life. Stories -- everyone's stories -- matter and can help open our eyes to see that we are all united on this planet earth. I'm also grateful to the award committees for recognizing this book and making sure it received attention.
Powerful and poignant. I had a hard time connecting emotionally to the characters, at first, and the jump through time of 400+ years kind of threw me off, but having finished the book, it all makes sense. I want to read it again, slowly. I learned so much! And I want to learn more. Thank you, Ruth Behar, for bringing this forgotten part of history back to life. Stories -- everyone's stories -- matter and can help open our eyes to see that we are all united on this planet earth. I'm also grateful to the award committees for recognizing this book and making sure it received attention.
October 6, 2025
beautiful story about 4 generations of Sephardic girls, wish I had this book as a kid but very happy to have read it now
April 10, 2024
I have enjoyed Ruth Behar's books and this story had history unfamiliar to me so I found it particularly interesting. I loved connecting the different time periods through the characters. This is a great book to provide discussions with kids about how the Spanish Inquisition, the Turkish War, and Fidel Castro's rule all affected families and their futures. The documentation at the back is detailed and the author's note provides great information for how Ruth approached her writing.
March 26, 2025
2.5 stars. Good concept, but the writing was clunky.
August 31, 2025
The book was a good idea, but the execution was very poor.
I was surprised by the opening comment about the rareness of the first main character’s female literacy in 1492 Toledo, Spain. I did a little research and it seems Jewish literacy for women varied widely by time, place, opportunity, class, and relationship to learned men.
While the opening section’s young female lead character couldn’t sing in front of the congregation in her synagogue like her hazzan father, was she truly prohibited from singing in the women’s section? I am concerned that the author didn’t do research on Jewish customs for this historical novel. The author does include very clunky dialogue to quickly update the reader on recent Spanish imperial history. But she wrote amusingly incorrectly about how gowns were made (you made it to measure to each person, you definitely didn’t make it first and then have someone try it on to see if it fit). She also makes no attempt to adopt a semblance of the language at the time, instead putting phrases in 15th century mouths like “[the city was] totally breathtaking.”
I was also disappointed that the author mentions Shabbat candles and a Haggadah for Pesach, but she never actually shows our Jewish main characters celebrating any Jewish holidays. She is very sympathetic to why some Jews converted and stayed in Spain, but doesn’t explain why most Jews honored their faith. Let people see why Jews loved Judaism and were willing to die for it! Don’t just show us how being Jewish makes one a target for persecution, let people see what a beautiful life Judaism gives, with gratitude rituals and ethical practices throughout the day, and plenty of meaningful and fun holidays.
I listened to the audiobook, and I can’t recommend it. The second narrator was clearly holding back tears most of the time, while I felt nothing. The third narrator had a terrible, exaggerated babyish style that was super obnoxious and grating.
It didn’t help that the author puts so many unbelievable lines in the twelve-year-old-girls’ mouths. These children have lived in Cuba their whole lives, yet she has them exclaiming as if they’re seeing palm trees for the first time: “they’re so majestic, no wonder they’re named royal palms!” And other such inanities that should have been edited out or turned into description. It doesn’t work to have characters say out loud everything that you want to include. Use description mainly rather than speech, and also use thoughts. I thought it was fairly basic fiction writing knowledge that most of a book is description, not speech? It’s sounds so fake to have the characters spout these lines. She could instead have just described the beautiful countryside they saw from the bus window.
At other times the writing was so bad, clumsy, and simple that I wondered if this book was dashed off in one draft and never fixed up.
The ending was preposterous in its unbelievable connecting of the modern characters to the characters and artifacts from previous chapters. I also didn’t believe that the modern visitors didn’t feel any discomfort about being in a place from which their ancestors were expelled on point of death, but were only happy to be there and welcomed by everyone they met (half of Spain according to polls years ago held antisemitic views and I bet it’s worse now).
I was surprised to learn from her Author’s Notes/Acknowledgement that there are non-Jewish Spanish people who have embraced celebrating Shabbat and try to educate themselves on Jewish traditions lost to Spain. I’d definitely like to hear more about that and why they engage with Jewish rituals.
I was surprised by the opening comment about the rareness of the first main character’s female literacy in 1492 Toledo, Spain. I did a little research and it seems Jewish literacy for women varied widely by time, place, opportunity, class, and relationship to learned men.
While the opening section’s young female lead character couldn’t sing in front of the congregation in her synagogue like her hazzan father, was she truly prohibited from singing in the women’s section? I am concerned that the author didn’t do research on Jewish customs for this historical novel. The author does include very clunky dialogue to quickly update the reader on recent Spanish imperial history. But she wrote amusingly incorrectly about how gowns were made (you made it to measure to each person, you definitely didn’t make it first and then have someone try it on to see if it fit). She also makes no attempt to adopt a semblance of the language at the time, instead putting phrases in 15th century mouths like “[the city was] totally breathtaking.”
I was also disappointed that the author mentions Shabbat candles and a Haggadah for Pesach, but she never actually shows our Jewish main characters celebrating any Jewish holidays. She is very sympathetic to why some Jews converted and stayed in Spain, but doesn’t explain why most Jews honored their faith. Let people see why Jews loved Judaism and were willing to die for it! Don’t just show us how being Jewish makes one a target for persecution, let people see what a beautiful life Judaism gives, with gratitude rituals and ethical practices throughout the day, and plenty of meaningful and fun holidays.
I listened to the audiobook, and I can’t recommend it. The second narrator was clearly holding back tears most of the time, while I felt nothing. The third narrator had a terrible, exaggerated babyish style that was super obnoxious and grating.
It didn’t help that the author puts so many unbelievable lines in the twelve-year-old-girls’ mouths. These children have lived in Cuba their whole lives, yet she has them exclaiming as if they’re seeing palm trees for the first time: “they’re so majestic, no wonder they’re named royal palms!” And other such inanities that should have been edited out or turned into description. It doesn’t work to have characters say out loud everything that you want to include. Use description mainly rather than speech, and also use thoughts. I thought it was fairly basic fiction writing knowledge that most of a book is description, not speech? It’s sounds so fake to have the characters spout these lines. She could instead have just described the beautiful countryside they saw from the bus window.
At other times the writing was so bad, clumsy, and simple that I wondered if this book was dashed off in one draft and never fixed up.
The ending was preposterous in its unbelievable connecting of the modern characters to the characters and artifacts from previous chapters. I also didn’t believe that the modern visitors didn’t feel any discomfort about being in a place from which their ancestors were expelled on point of death, but were only happy to be there and welcomed by everyone they met (half of Spain according to polls years ago held antisemitic views and I bet it’s worse now).
I was surprised to learn from her Author’s Notes/Acknowledgement that there are non-Jewish Spanish people who have embraced celebrating Shabbat and try to educate themselves on Jewish traditions lost to Spain. I’d definitely like to hear more about that and why they engage with Jewish rituals.
November 23, 2025
2025-26 Middle School Battle of the Books list
Well-written work about four generations of girls and the struggles they've faced. I understand why the author included the first story, and I will admit that I didn't know about the Spanish Inquisition forcing people to choose their faith - which often meant fleeing to another country - or conversion to Catholicism. I do wonder about the generations that came between Benvenida's tale and when we next see the lineage in Turkey, as just over 400 years have passed. Were those centuries peaceful ones in Turkey? It seems they might have been, but again, I would have liked to know more about those missing years.
The other three tales do well tying everything together. But it's still difficult for me, as someone who lives in the "modern" world, to read about young girls who have no real say in their lives, who must obey their fathers without question, and who are punished/shamed for what seem like innocent behavior. I also found it jarring that the marriages were almost all between a husband some 20 or more years older than the wife, which left me thinking most of the wives were still girls themselves when they were married off.
Well-written work about four generations of girls and the struggles they've faced. I understand why the author included the first story, and I will admit that I didn't know about the Spanish Inquisition forcing people to choose their faith - which often meant fleeing to another country - or conversion to Catholicism. I do wonder about the generations that came between Benvenida's tale and when we next see the lineage in Turkey, as just over 400 years have passed. Were those centuries peaceful ones in Turkey? It seems they might have been, but again, I would have liked to know more about those missing years.
The other three tales do well tying everything together. But it's still difficult for me, as someone who lives in the "modern" world, to read about young girls who have no real say in their lives, who must obey their fathers without question, and who are punished/shamed for what seem like innocent behavior. I also found it jarring that the marriages were almost all between a husband some 20 or more years older than the wife, which left me thinking most of the wives were still girls themselves when they were married off.
July 2, 2025
Spanning centuries, this book follows four Jewish twelve-year-old girls as they cross the seas: first to escape the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, then to enter an arranged marriage in Cuba, then to escape Fidel Castro's nationalist reforms.
As a reader, I loved learning about the rich heritage of Sephardic Jews -- Jews who once lived in Spain and speak Ladino (a medieval Spanish that has lilting elements of Hebrew woven into the language). I loved the descriptions of the songs, customs, and food, and I learned so much about people and places I rarely see represented in literature (I can't think of a book I've read that takes place in medieval Spain, 1920s Turkey, or twentieth-century Cuba; this had all three!). This was beautiful on audio, and I loved that there were Ladino phrases interwoven into the text (I could often get the gist with my high school Spanish literacy, but the author made sure to translate the ideas, too).
The downside of this book is that we never really get to spend much time with any of the main characters, and their storylines -- still, this book was delightful! Definitely worth the Newbery Honor Award.
As a reader, I loved learning about the rich heritage of Sephardic Jews -- Jews who once lived in Spain and speak Ladino (a medieval Spanish that has lilting elements of Hebrew woven into the language). I loved the descriptions of the songs, customs, and food, and I learned so much about people and places I rarely see represented in literature (I can't think of a book I've read that takes place in medieval Spain, 1920s Turkey, or twentieth-century Cuba; this had all three!). This was beautiful on audio, and I loved that there were Ladino phrases interwoven into the text (I could often get the gist with my high school Spanish literacy, but the author made sure to translate the ideas, too).
The downside of this book is that we never really get to spend much time with any of the main characters, and their storylines -- still, this book was delightful! Definitely worth the Newbery Honor Award.
July 28, 2024
Ruth Behar has such a beautiful way of inviting readers in, reminding them what is most important and then sending them off with appreciation and hope for whatever is ahead. I’ve loved all of Ruth’s books and am adding Across So Many Seas to my collection of books that have my heart. In it, we meet multiple generations of strong women and young girls enduring hardships and fleeing for a better life. Page by page, we learn of each story, each land, each situation and ultimately, see how they are connected over time. Every time I read one of Ruth’s books, I’m struck by the events of the past, touched at the incredible stories, reminded of the little things that make a country, a faith and a family feel like home and feel enveloped in love.
February 6, 2025
Some books are 5 star reads because they make me FEEL things very strongly. Some books are 5 stars because they are just the right book at the right time and give me exactly what I need in that moment. And then there are books like this that are 5 stars because they succeed in putting me in someone else's shoes so well that they change me in a core way. I feel like I learned something entirely new reading this...about people...a whole culture...that I knew nothing about before I picked this up and I KNOW it will change the way I see things in the future...like I have a new lens that I'll be viewing the world through. And...it's amazing to me that books can still do that for me. I didn't want to stop reading this. Highly recommend.
March 16, 2025
Across So Many Seas tells of four fictional 12-year-old Jewish girls during four different times in history, starting with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 during the Spanish Inquisition. From 1492 Spain, the novel jumps to the 20th century where it follows some of the descendants of those expelled Jews: in 1923 Turkey; 1961 Cuba; 2003 Miami; and a visit back to Spain. It records some of the Sephardic culture and traditions that have been handed down through the years. The Author's note explains how she has imagined her Abuela, her paternal grandmother's story based on the few known details of her Abuela's journey from Turkey to Cuba to Miami. The author includes a list of the sources she researched to ensure her novel (though mostly fictional) is based in fact. A fascinating glimpse at Sephardic Jewry's history, perfect for young adult readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 365 reviews