Beyond the Ghetto Gates

by Michelle Cameron

When French troops occupy the Italian port city of Ancona, freeing the city’s Jews from their repressive ghetto, it unleashes a whirlwind of progressivism and brutal backlash as two very different cultures collide. Mirelle, a young Jewish maiden, must choose between her duty―an arranged marriage to a wealthy Jewish merchant―and her love for a dashing French Catholic soldier. Meanwhile, Francesca, a devout Catholic, must decide if she will honor her marriage vows to an abusive and murderous husband when he enmeshes their family in the theft of a miracle portrait of the Madonna.

Set during the turbulent days of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Italian campaign (1796–97), Beyond the Ghetto Gates is both a cautionary tale for our present moment, with its rising tide of anti-Semitism, and a story of hope―a reminder of a time in history when men and women of conflicting faiths were able to reconcile their prejudices in the face of a rapidly changing world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Italy, Fiction, Romance, Jewish, Historical, Adult

256 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2020

About the author

Michelle Cameron’s Babylon: a novel of Jewish Captivity (Wicked Son, 2023), is the epic saga of a Judean family exiled to Babylon. Beyond the Ghetto Gates, which was awarded a Silver Medal in Historical Fiction by the Independent Book Publishers, won First Place/Best of Category in the Chanticleer Goethe Awards and was a Foreword Indies finalist (She Writes Press, 2020), describes the effect on the lives of Italian Jews and Catholics when Napoleon demolishes Italy’s ghetto gates. The Fruit of Her Hands: the story of Shira of Ashkenaz, (Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books, 2009), is based on the author’s 13th-century rabbi ancestor. Michelle’s novel-in-verse, In the Shadow of the Globe (Lit Pot Press, 2003), a fictionalized account of William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, was named Shakespeare Theatre of NJ’s 2003-4 Winter Book Selection and performed at the Stella Adler Studio’s Shakespeare Benefit.

A director of The Writers Circle, Michelle teaches creative writing to children, teens, and adults in NJ and virtually. Residing with her husband in Chatham, NJ, Michelle has two grown sons of whom she is inordinately proud.

Reviews

[The Lit Bitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Recently I binge read the Sebastian St Cyr mystery series and while I was reading that series, this publishing house contacted me and said if I loved books set in the Napoleonic Wars, then this might be a book that I would be interested in.

I confess, I was intrigued. I don’t in fact know much about the Napoleonic as it isn’t my speciality, but while reading the Sebastian St Cyr novels, I found that there was a lot of this era that sounded ripe for reading and researching. So when I was approached about reading this one, it most certainly caught my eye.

I love when publishing houses take some time to find out what I have been reading lately and why so when I was asked to read this one, the publisher pointed out that I had mentioned that I wanted to know more about this time period and that I was Catholic and this would be a very interesting book for me, so I let myself be sold on it.

The author was right, this was a book that I became enveloped in, though admittedly not at first, but as the story went on, it grew on me. The first couple of chapters I was lost to research. There is a lot that I didn’t know about the Napoleonic Wars as I have mentioned, so I went down the blackhole of research for this location and time period. This book also follows a few different characters so it took me a little bit to get acclimated to the characters and some of the Jewish terminology but after a while it began to flow better and I was right at home.

Though there are a few characters in this book and the chapters skip around a bit, the central character is Mirelle who I thought was a worthy heroine and easy to sympathize with. Her situation was sad and while she was often thought of a headstrong and stubborn by her family, she had this gentleness about her. I fell in love with her when she helped the woman who was being blackmailed by a guard. The guard had taken all the woman’s money and Mirelle used her quick wit to be able to provide some money to the woman once the guard had gone. She is quick thinking and kind and I knew right then that I wanted to know more about her—-stubborn or otherwise.

This book was a goldmine of richness. The setting and historic elements were fascinating and compelling. I wanted to know everything about this setting and time period that I could get my hands on. There was a richness in both the Jewish faith tradition and the Catholic faith tradition and the author blended them both together so well. Once I got going on this one, I had a hard time putting it down. It was a great read that I am so thankful the publisher approached me to read. I am looking forward to more books by this author in the future.

See my full review here

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

With so many people watching the Netflix series UNORTHODOX, this is the perfect time to read the story of a Jewish girl trying to escape from her own ghetto gates in Italy early 19th century. The need for women to find their own love and work and meaning outside of the rules of a religious community goes back very far.

So I devoured this engrossing, passionate story who wants only to work with her beloved father in his workshop. But even after Napoleon invades Italy, liberates her city, and breaks down the ghetto gates, customs still enclose Mirelle both as a Jew and a woman. And outside the gates are waiting the riots of anti-Semitism, tragic loss, and a difficult love. These pages are splashed with brilliant colors between the dark corners of this lost world where ghetto buildings are built so close and high that people cannot see the stars. You will live and breathe this young woman’s struggles to have what she wants and still honor her family until the unexpected last paragraphs―and then for a long time after.

[Donna Baier-Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story set during a historical event I knew nothing about: Napoleon's opening of the gates in the Jewish ghetto of Ancona, Italy. There's a love story that brings to clear light important issues in religious beliefs and differences. I especially liked learning about the ketubahs, Jewish marriage certificates, made in Ancona and shipped to couples around the world. Highly recommend.

[Rebecca D’Harlingue · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this beautifully told story, Cameron recreates for us a historical period and place that are unfamiliar to many readers. She meticulously takes us to the town of Ancora, Italy during the time of the French conquest and occupation under Napoleon's command. The plot centers around Mirelle, a young Jewish woman who faces restrictions both from within and from outside her community. The story of her challenges and how she meets them unfolds within a context of well-developed and believable characters. Cameron's novel informs, entertains, and additionally inspires reflection on how prejudice can shape and distort who we are.

[Erika Dreifus]

I've been waiting for this one since the author told me it was in the works, and I'm grateful for the advance review copy that came my way. My background in French history and literature aside, I don't believe I've ever before encountered a novel set within Napoleon's Italian campaign, much less one centered around Jewish characters. Fascinating glimpse into history, with a hefty dose of romance.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michelle Cameron’s Beyond the Ghetto Gates is a novel I’ve been looking forward to for some time; I’ve been following along with its publication process via social media. The author’s debut, The Fruit of Her Hands , focusing on the wife of rabbi Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg in the 13th century, illuminated a historical era previously untouched in historical fiction. Her new novel does the same for another untapped period: Napoleon’s Italian campaign in the 1790s, as experienced by both Jewish and Catholic characters.

Mirelle is the daughter of Simone d’Ancona, proprietor of a prestigious ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) workshop in their Italian seaport town. Their handiwork is renowned across Europe. She quietly balances the accounts while her father, younger brother, and other craftsmen focus on their designs. With a realistic blend of tradition and rebelliousness in her character makeup, Mirelle is a respectable Jewish daughter who yearns to use her mathematical gifts with her father’s business, but the local rabbi forbids her from involvement in men’s holy work, and her mother complaints that her willfulness will repel marriage prospects.

The beautiful ketubot produced by Mirelle’s family sits in contrast to the narrow, overcrowded streets of the quarter where Ancona’s Jewish population lives, and whose gates are locked at night. Outside the ghetto resides Francesca Marotti, a young Catholic mother married to an abusive bully. The women meet only briefly at the market (where Mirelle receives scornful looks from those viewing the yellow kerchief and armband denoting her religion), but events entangle and complicate their lives going forward: the city’s occupation by French troops during France’s war against the Austrians and their allies, and the sight of a miraculous weeping portrait of the Madonna. Cameron also dramatizes how the French forces’ removal of Ancona’s ghetto gates enables Jews to move more freely, while hardly erasing the city’s longstanding religious divisions.

The setting isn’t one that’s generally familiar, and I appreciate how Cameron expands the canvas beyond Ancona to provide views of military maneuvers and a detailed political backdrop to the characters’ actions and choices. Daniel, a Jewish man from France, and his Catholic friend Christophe are soldiers marching with General Bonaparte’s troops, and they first meet Mirelle at a masked ball in Venice that she’s attending with her wealthy friend, Dolce Morpurgo, and her widowed father David (a historical character). All are atypical guests at this gathering, and the relationships that form there – especially the attraction between Christophe and Mirelle – set the stage for more drama to come.

Beyond the Ghetto Gates is a solidly told story combining intercultural conflict, religious violence, and a thread of unpredictable romance, all with a young woman at its center who’s finding her own path between traditions and personal freedom.

(First reviewed at Reading the Past)

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For her entire life Mirelle has known life behind the Ghetto gates.  Every Jew in Ancona, Italy must live within the gated area.  Her father runs a renowned Ketubah workshop and Mirelle relishes in the artistry, she also has a talent for keeping her father's accounting books in check.  However, as Mirelle becomes a marriageable age, it becomes improper for her to work in the shop. Mirelle's parents also have a very wealthy suitor in mind for her.  As these changes come into Mirelle's life, Napoleon's French Troops arrive in Ancona. With the troops arrives Christopher, a French soldier who makes Mirelle question her faith, her morals and her family.

Beyond the Ghetto Gates is a transformative coming of age story as well as a deeply historical account of Napoleon's influence on Jewish communities during his Italian Campaign in 1796.  I didn't know anything about Napoleon's time in Italy and was amazed by the changes he created as well as his infatuation with a miracle portrait of a Madonna. The writing changes between the points of view of Mirelle, Daniel and Christopher in Napoleon's troops and a Catholic family, Emilio and Francesca. All of these points of view are important to the story, however, it takes a little while to set everything up and the story didn't completely capture my interest until everyone's story lines came together.  Mirelle's character was very well written.  From the beginning I was amazed by her intelligence, steadfastness, caring nature and maturity.  Mirelle's journey to find her purpose in life is a difficult one, filled with missteps, challenges and self realization.  I appreciated that while romance was a part of the story, it was not what Mirelle fell back on in order to improve herself.  Through Daniel and Christopher we see the impact of Napoleon's campaign through the eyes of both a Jewish and Catholic soldiers and their interactions with the citizens of Ancona.  They see the effects of injustice as well as the positive and negative effects of faith on people and what that can drive them to do.  I didn't know anything about Napoleon's Italian campaign or even the original Italian Ghettos before reading this and was glad to open my eyes to this part of history.  The writing created vivid imagery of Ancona, the Ketubah workshop and the dazzling homes.  Beyond the Ghetto Gates is an amazing story of courage, hope and doing what's right. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Viviane Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ghetto isn’t any nicer in the late 19th century than it was later on. This is the time when Napoleon’s French troops have invaded the Italian city of Ancona. They’ve taken down the wall that separates Jews from Christian, but that’s about it. Mirelle is the heroine of this novel and she’s got to make a decision that will have life changing ramifications. She’s a talented woman who is gifted in her father’s business. But now she is told that she should not be working there because she’s a woman. Should she marry the older man who can give her everything or marry the Christian soldier who has made such a dashing appearance.

There’s a picture of Mary that’s become everything to Italians. It has been seen to be weeping, smiling, and when its gazing at Napoleon scowling. Francesco, the wife of a man who is murdered for his hatred of Jews, is determined to steal the statue and blame them. What does it mean, vowing to stand by the theft of this picture?

Mirelle is a normal human being who loves being outside, who is happy being outside where she can smell the sea nearby. But all of that changes when her father dies. Her home is no longer hers but her aunt who hates her and her work. How will she move past this barrier and both marry for love and keep her passion for business?

Beyond The Ghetto Gates is a book for women. It raises this problem about woman in an age when things were mired in tradition. Read it and celebrate!
This is historical fiction that is memorable and life-changing! It’s about the love that goes beyond words to bring change that is meaningful!

[Clifford Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (it was so interesting that I think I set a new record for pages read in a short time). It was an incredible window into history, and the characters were vivid and compelling. The author uses language in a very original and impactful way, with many fresh and evocative turns of phrase. I also very much appreciated the book’s ending: it was realistic, satisfying, and hopeful—anything but trite. This was an engaging read that I strongly recommend for anyone who enjoys traveling back in time to experience events and human drama that can provide a lens through which to view the present day.

[Courtney Halverson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciated the historical aspect of this book as I was unfamiliar with it. It is about a period in Italy when Napoleon overtakes parts of the country. It focuses specifically on Jews and how they were treated and made to live in gated ghettos within the city because they were looked down upon. I learned a lot about Ketubah's which I had no familiarity with. The actual story and the characters I had a harder time with. I just felt like I was not able to connect with the characters and the story felt long and drug out.

[C.P. Lesley]

The intense interest in the horrors of World War II that has characterized the last few years has tended to overshadow other aspects of the long history of Jewish populations in Europe and the antisemitism that often—although not invariably—complicated that history. Michelle Cameron’s new novel, Beyond the Ghetto Gates, explores one little-known episode of that past: the effect of Napoleon’s invasion of 1796–97 on the Italian port city of Ancona.

The campaign of French revolutionary troops to conquer the still-disunited land of Italy has unexpected consequences when they free the Jews of Ancona from the ghetto that has confined them at night for as long as Mirelle d’Ancona, the young and mathematically gifted daughter of a local artist who manages a workshop devoted to producing Jewish marriage licenses, can remember. As the troops settle in, liberals who welcome change face off against opponents set on turning back the clock, expressing their fears through brutal attacks.

Amid this increasingly chaotic atmosphere, Mirelle faces a choice between what her family wants for her—an arranged marriage to a wealthy Jewish merchant old enough to be her father—and what she wants for herself, a romance with her cousin’s best friend, a handsome French soldier. Meanwhile, Francesca, a devout Catholic, struggles to reconcile the demands of her marriage and her faith when her abusive husband becomes involved in the spiraling conflict.

At times disturbingly relevant to the increasing polarization of our time, including the reactivation of white supremacy movements and intensifying fear of the “other,” Beyond the Ghetto Gates is also, as the author herself notes, “a story of hope—a reminder of a time in history when men and women of conflicting faiths were able to reconcile their prejudices in the face of a rapidly changing world.”

Interview with the author at New Books in Historical Fiction.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the years 1796-97, this book tells of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Italian campaign and the Jewish struggle for emancipation. It tells of the friction between the Catholic world and the Jewish world. This was a time when the Jews were required to live within ghettos. I was interested in the resistance Napoleon had to deal with. I was unaware that Napoleon was involved with the liberation of Italy’s Jewish ghettos. That was really interesting to me. I was also saddened by the extent of the anti-Semitic violence of the time. The book was highly informative about this time of great changes in Italy’s history.

Reading about the lack of control the women had over their lives made me so thankful I did not live in those times.

The details in the story reflect the depth of research the author did to give us such an engaging story. The descriptions of the ketubot (Jewish marriage certificates) in Mirelle’s father’s shop led me to the internet looking for images of the Ancona ketubot. I was awed by many of them.

I recommend this to those who enjoy reading about the Age of Enlightenment.

[Kevin Riordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical fiction books protagonist is faced with growing up in a time when girls are expected to marry a man who has been chosen for them. Mirelle's duty is to her parents and a marriage to a wealthy suitor would enrich their lives. At the same time Napoleon's army is occupying her hometown and the reader is introduced to life from 200 years ago. You will find the parallels between then & now to still exist today. From a woman's desire to work to the anti-Semitism that still exists. I was drawn into this exquisitely written novel by the author's descriptive words. This book will make you part of the story as you question if it's what you might have done. There are plenty of characters that play a significate role in the story-telling. Immerse yourself in the pages of this book and you'll be more empathic to different points of view from a cultural standpoint.

[Stacey B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book.
A thank you -to the author for allowing me to read it early.

[Sharon Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond the Ghetto Gates, by Michelle Cameron, parts the curtain on life in late 18th century Ancona, Italy’s Jewish ghetto while under the occupation of Napoleon’s troops. Rich in historic detail and well-drawn, characters, this compelling novel breathes life into the conflicts of the times: women’s place in society, religious intolerance, and the expectations of one’s community. If you are a fan of romance, history, and intrigue, you will love Beyond the Ghetto Gates.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Napoleon is best known for his conquest of northern Europe and his incursion into Russia as emperor. Still, many may not be aware that before he seized supreme power, he led a French army in an invasion of Italy and brought emancipation to Italian Jews, who had been confined behind ghetto walls. In Beyond the Ghetto Gates, Michelle Cameron imagines the life of a young Jewish woman, Mirelle d’Ancona, in the port city of Ancona, during this momentous period.

A spirited and intelligent young woman, Mirelle chafes under both restrictions on Jews and those within the Jewish community that forbid her to use her business acumen to run her father’s ketubah workshop. (A ketubah is a Jewish wedding contract, generally elaborately written and decorated.) While the business will go to her brother and, after his murder in an attack on the ghetto, to relatives who care nothing about it except as a way to make money, she is expected to make a suitable marriage to a wealthy friend of her family and live a life of idleness. Meanwhile, Daniel, a young French Jewish soldier, and his Catholic friend Christophe march toward Ancona in Napoleon’s army. The meeting of these three and the tearing down of the ghetto gates will change Mirelle’s life irrevocably, bringing both tragedy and new freedom to her life. Mirelle’s family, community, and members of the surrounding Italian Christian community are also vividly drawn. An afterword from the author details the actual historical events behind the action of the novel.

4.5 stars.

[Meryl Ain · Rating 5 out of 5]

For lovers of Historical Fiction, Beyond The Ghetto Gates by Michelle Cameron, is a must-read! She not only gives us compelling and colorful characters, but a window into a time and place that is not well known. When Napoleon suddenly tears down the gates of the Ancona Ghetto and liberates the Jews in 1796, it unleashes a wave of Anti-Semitism among the Catholic community. Elegantly written and crafted, the author gives us a novel that brings us into a world where the role of women is extremely circumscribed. And yet in Mirelle, she has given us a female character who grapples and fights against the restrictions of religion and society as she seeks fulfillment and happiness. From the vividly drawn descriptions of her father’s ketubah workshop -- in which she is forbidden to work by the town rabbi -- to her love affair with a Christian soldier, this is a book that I could not put down. Michelle Cameron has given us a novel that defines the Historical Fiction genre. It both teaches and touches at the same time that it raises questions that are relevant today.

[Sarah Patt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical novel is a well-paced journey of the events in Anacona, Italy in the late seventeenth century through the protagonist's eyes- an incredibly bright, loving, and strong-willed female. Many themes addressed in the story are still applicable today: antisemitism, feminism, war, interfaith relationships, and fraternization with the enemy. I learned a lot from reading this moving story. I did not know the first Jewish ghettos were erected in Italy and I did not know Napoleon Bonaparte opened them during his invasion of Italy. I also did not know Anacona was famous for being "The Best" Ketubah (Jewish Marriage contract) makers in the world! The very first chapter depicted characters artistically creating one for clients in Savannah, GA! Now I want to visit Anacona and see if this world-renown Ketubah business still exists and if there is a memorial for the Jews who were killed in this ghetto by antisemitic Catholics.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cameron's book, set in the Jewish ghettos in late 18th century Italy, is a wonderful gift of language, story and history. I immediately fell in love with the heroine, Mirelle, a Jewish maiden who desires more for her life and has the intelligence to achieve it if she's allowed. Cameron's writing is truly beautiful, with imagery so vivid - describing a woman's ensemble: a slim column dress of blue sprig muslin, a tall hat tilted rakishly to one side, her feet encased in soft slippers of sapphire kid - you're immediately transported to the Ancona ghetto. This is a lovely and charming story, even if you don't consider yourself a historical fiction enthusiast.

[Vicki Kondelik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond the Ghetto Gates is an amazing novel of religious and cultural conflict set during Napoleon's Italian campaign of 1796-1797. The protagonist, Mirelle, is a young Jewish woman living in the ghetto of Ancona, Italy, where the Jews live in narrow, cramped streets and are locked behind the ghetto gates at night. When they venture out into Christian Ancona, they are forced to wear yellow kerchiefs and armbands. Mirelle's father runs a workshop which designs ketubot, Jewish marriage certificates. His ketubot are beautifully made and renowned throughout Europe. Mirelle, with her mathematical mind, keeps the accounts for her father and wants to spend her life working in his ketubot workshop. But the rabbi forbids her, as a woman, from working there. Her mother wants her to marry the wealthy David Morpurgo, her friend Dolce's father, a man older than her own father. The marriage would secure her and her family's future. But will it make her happy?

Then Napoleon's troops invade Italy, and everything changes. They tear down the ghetto gates, and the Jews are allowed to go about freely in Ancona, without having to wear distinctive clothing. But tensions rise between Jews and Christians. Francesca, a devout Catholic, and her daughter Barbara discover a supposedly miraculous portrait of the Madonna, which appears to weep and smile. The portrait gains a following among Ancona's Catholics, and it has a special meaning to Napoleon. Francesca is married to the abusive and rabidly anti-Semitic Emilio. Her husband's cruelty and increasingly violent behavior disturb her, but her faith tells her to be true to her marriage vows.

Among Napoleon's troops are two young soldiers, Mirelle's cousin Daniel and his Catholic friend Christophe. Mirelle and Christophe meet for the first time at a masked ball in Venice and are instantly attracted to each other. The attraction grows when Christophe and Daniel come to Ancona. Mirelle has to decide between her love for the handsome Christophe and her duty to her family and faith. Will she honor her family's wishes and marry David Morpurgo, or will she follow her heart? If she married a Christian, she would be considered dead to her family, so she faces a very painful choice.

Cameron illustrates Jewish life in Ancona brilliantly. The Napoleonic era is a favorite of mine, but until now I had not read a novel set in this era that was written from a Jewish perspective, and I found Cameron's novel fascinating because of this point of view. The conflicts between Jews and Christians are portrayed very well. I also enjoyed the scenes between Francesca and Daniel, where a friendship grows between them, but Francesca cannot entirely let go of her prejudices against Jews--prejudices she has learned from a very early age.

Mirelle is a wonderful heroine. She is intelligent and strong, but does not seem like a modern woman placed within the pages of a historical novel. Her sense of duty to family and faith is a strong part of her character, and she is conflicted over whether she loves Christophe enough to risk losing all she has. I hope we will see her again in a future novel.

[Cavak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond the Ghetto Gates caught my attention at the onset by focusing on a relatively obscure moment of history through a Jewish lens. Unless I studied Napoleon Bonaparte, chances are that I would have never heard of it outside of this story. Interesting historical choice.

Cameron's writing is a curious mix to me. The beginning builds and builds. Each history nugget was packed into molds scattered throughout her fictional elements. Characters come to us with little curtsies and colorful dialogue. Snappy writing plunked us from location to location, dashing those careful dots and lines. A familiar slow dance for about 100 pages.

Yet once everything was put into place, the plot revved up its engines and blazed straight to the ending. Quite an electrifying trip.

She Writes Press is a feminist publisher, so colored me confused during the first third of this book. Hold up. Historical setting with women being objectified? Women being abused? Women feeling trapped by social or religious constructs? And so much prejudice all throughout!

Midway into it: yeah, I get why She Writes Press got this one now. Crystal clear by its conclusion.

Tiny nitpicks: Cameron can write her characters and drama well, yet locations are a different matter. Aside from the workshop and the garden, places didn't pop out. Not to the point where the story was taking place in a floating void. Yet I couldn't smell, taste or hear the setting, so to speak.

Highly recommend Beyond the Ghetto Gates to anyone who wants a marvelous example of historical narrative with dips into contemporary dialogue. Cameron's presentation of the trials of accepting those outside of a practiced religion doesn't annoy me either. Instead, it forms conceivable drama and a smashing climax. With a magnifying glass on Jewish practices and prejudices against them. A rare delight to find outside of a WWII setting. Please try it out.

I received a complimentary free copy from the author and I'm leaving a voluntary review.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not quite like Merille's story because there are already too many girls in real life who shared and would share her mistake. I just do not want to read about such as well. Given that the only time Mirelle left the ghetto was to go to Venice with her friend and her friend's family (the Morpurgos) and that given that when she met the as yet unknown Christophe was at a masquerade ball... and given that French Christophe and his Jewish friend Daniel were at the party under false guises and therefore were uninvited being the conquering enemy and Mirelle was the heroine who warned them that their unwanted presence was discovered... given such a high mix of adrenaline, Mystery, and the mystique of Romance... both she and Christophe succumbed to the inevitable longing of a budding love interrupted egged on by Dolce. On hindsight, their affair was doomed... given their first meeting ~ the unreality of a Masquerade... it was just a fantasy and only good for certain moments but would not last. Despite Mirelle's love for Math and her romance with numbers being that Math is an exact science... X was the unknown and the unknowable in this equation until it was too late and mistakes were made... but Life is also full of second~chances and with as yet another cliché of while there's Life, there's Hope. The cold~blooded selfish meanness as well as the reality of Dolce's character was a good mirror of both the good and bad within a person but when her own agenda and personal gain were in conflict with Another's ~ personal interest won unless one is a Martyr, which Dolce was most certainly wasn't. At a much larger scale there was also the human side of the conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte and his affinity with the lower ranks in his Army and yet there was his banning of the practice of religion as the mark of his tyranny over the defeated... freeing the people from the Pope's influence into his own by Right of Conquest. Another obnoxious yet mirror character was the self~righteous close minded bigot Rabbi in his chastisement of David Morpurgo for his willingness to kill looters~racists to protect his hard~earned wealth and property also his condemnation of Mirelle's innocent and helpful salvaging of her family's finances vis~à~vis a woman's meek and only role of being a wife and mother... then there was Mirelle's family's practical greed, hence a wealthy husband for her despite its ridiculous aspect... etc. A credible portrayal of Life's many facets sans the unnecessary melodrama... just Life as it was and still is.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mirelle sat at the desk in her father's office, staring blankly at the open cash box.

Mirelle is a young Jewish woman living in Ancona, Italy. She dreams of working in her father's workshop, but is barred because of her gender. When Napoleon's troops invade the city, freeing the Jews from their ghetto, Mirelle must choose between what has always been expected of her and dreams of a new life. Meanwhile, the Catholic inhabitants of Ancona plot against the French and the Jews, leading to death and danger for Mirelle and the people she loves.

I haven't read a great deal about Napoleon's early conquests. The synopsis of this book intrigued me since I knew very little about Italy during this historical period and nothing about the Jewish experience at the time. I enjoyed learning more about this previously unknown to me era and geography. The author explores many facets of Jewish and Catholic tradition at the time, from the ketubah workshop in the ghetto to the miraculous portrait of the Virgin Mary, and the relations between the two faiths. The book has quite a bit of drama going on, with various plots and battles taking place over the pages.

Occasionally, this book felt a bit more bloated than it needed to be. There are around five POVs in the book, which isn't a terrible thing in and of itself, but it did mean a lot of switching back and forth and losing the flow of the story. There is also a lot going on through the book and some plotlines seem a bit disjointed. I also felt that the ending was a bit too neat when you take the rest of the story into account.

I would recommend this book to those who are interested in Jewish or Italian history, or those who enjoy novels from the Napoleonic era. There is a lot to learn in these pages and the book is fairly fast-paced, even if it occasionally gets bogged down in some interpersonal drama.

CW: alcoholism, antisemitism, death of prominent characters, domestic abuse, gore, medical procedures, murder, racist language, religious extremism, sexual assault (references to), sexual content (some explicit scenes), swearing (minimal amounts, some in Italian/French), violence (weapons, beatings), war

[Pamela R Winnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

(taken from my Amazon review.)

Having loved Camerons earlier work, the Fruit of her Hands, I couldn't wait to read this one, a fascinating account of little-known Jewish history. I was not disappointed.

We all know the tragic history of the Jews throughout the millennia. But few of us know about their treatment under Napoleon during his Italian campaign.

The novel begins in 1796 in a small Italian city known as Ancona. Right from the beginning, heartache ensues. A young Jewish woman named Mirelle learns she must leave her beloved job as assistant to her father, who creates ketubas, Jewish marriage certificates. Such work, the Rabbi decrees, is unfit for a woman. She must conform. Her own mother has already selected a suitable candidate, an older, wealthy Jewish man. But feisty Mirelle refuses.

Soon after, the French Army led by Napoleon and cheered on my Catholics, begin a campaign to capture Italy. They remove the gates that isolate the Jews and temporarily remove their restrictions.But even outside the ghetto gates, custom still encloses Mirelle as a woman and a Jew.

Among Napoleon's troops are two soldiers: Mirelle's cousin and his Catholic comrade, Christophe. A powerful attraction flares up when Mirelle meets Christophe at a masked ball, leaving the heroine with a painful choice between love and tradition.

Cameron is an elegant writer, who competently provides color and breathes life into the historic scenes I highly recommend this novel.
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[Denise Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Beyond the Ghetto Gates by author, Michelle Cameron

I was immediately captured by this fascinating story which led me on an unexpected journey through the Ghetto of Ancona, Italy and beyond.

With its tension between Jewish and Christian cultures and traditions, to voices needing to be heard, the clinging to hopes and dreams, and its illuminating and knowledgeable reference to artistry~ Ms. Cameron has recreated a time in history along with fictional elements that makes this a strikingly vivid, and meaningful read.

This far away place and time, within the late 1700's, is brimming with character, sensitivity, attention to detail, strongly written personalities, and historical facts which tie this narrative together in a most significant and satisfying way.

Beyond the Ghetto Gates is a beautiful, colorful, and compelling read as Mirelle, Dolce, Daniel and Christophe bring the reader face to face with the diversity of the times, their needs, wants, successes and failures. Along with the help from others, who add more than their share of repressive and dark behavior to this storyline, Ms. Cameron gifts to her reader an amazing experience. One that should not be missed as it presents as an authentic story of love, loss and heartbreak. One I won't soon forget...

5 Stars

#BeyondtheGhettoGates
#Michelle Cameron
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Wild Sage Book Blog

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't quite know what to say about this book.
I enjoyed reading about Napoleon's advance in Italy, his hatred of the Jewish ghetto's and how he forced the Catholic church and town leaders to put an end to this practice but it is disturbing to realize how little things have changed.
There is still hatred of people because of their religion, race, or country of origin. We haven't advanced much over the centuries and there will always be people who sow and encourage division for their own selfish desires as well as their own beliefs and lack of understanding.
These were the better aspects of this story. But they aren't the main focus.
Mirelle and her family, Dolce, her supposedly friend, David, her cousin and one of Bonaparte's soldiers , all Jews; Christophe, David's friend and co-soldier who is a Catholic and in love with Mirelle. These are the main characters in this book. When I realized, about two thirds into the story, they were all between sixteen and eighteen I then understood why they were so reckless and selfish. Teenagers can really screw things up. The adults in this tale aren't any better.
This is a sad, gruesome tale. It may upset and depress you so if you're looking for something uplifting choose another book.
3 stars because it was good writing but no more because its been told before with other variations.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh dear, another excellent novel I highly recommend!
Set in Ancona, Italy in the Jewish Ghetto during the Napoleon's Italian Campaign, this novel has left on me a lasting impression! First on a historical level, and second by the various themes broached upon. From history lessons about Napoleon at school, I forgot a lot. However, what struck me then and what I never forgot is Napoleon's concept of religion: the people need religion to get a moral structure, guidance. He reinstated the right to religious faith and soon church bells started to ring again. (He was also the first to officially open Jewish Ghettos gates! ) I started then to view Religion as philosophy, a way of life linked to psychology. Even though it lead me to agnosticism, I fully understand his views. This novel expertly illustrates this cleverly mingling Christian and Jewish faiths' approach through its characters. The questions of prejudice (from both religions), of women's place in society, patriarchy, the importance of family are cleverly dealt with and one can definitely relate to all characters whatever their views are! I also learned a lot about a workshop crafting artful Ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract ... A fascinating read!

[Margaret Rodenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Beyond the Ghetto Gates, Michelle Cameron achieves exactly what I want from historical fiction: an engrossing, complex, relevant story that reveals little-known aspects of its historical time and place.

It’s 1797. In the main love story, Mirelle, a young Italian Jewish woman faces cultural, religious, financial, and personal conflicts when she falls in love with the wrong man—a Christian French enemy soldier. (Delicious!)

It's the aftermath of the French Revolution and General Napoleon Bonaparte is fighting a proxy war with Austria on Italian soil. In each town he conquers, he frees the Jews. He breaks down the gates that restrict Jews to ghettos, relieves them of the yellow insignias they were required to wear, and incorporates them into the municipal power structures. The Catholics, who previously terrorized their Jewish neighbors, add Napoleon’s plunder of their ecclesiastical riches to their hatred of the Jews.

In this turbulent world, Mirelle—who was already fighting restrictions on females within her Jewish culture—must find learn which “gates” protect more than they restrain.

The story is engaging, the writing is superb, and historical detail is thought-provoking. It’s a novel you’ll long remember—highly recommended.

[Mj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Michelle Cameron’s book of Napoleon’s invasion of Italy during 1797. This was an event I knew little about nor was I aware of how restricted the Jewish people were and how unfairly they were treated by the Italian Catholics at that time. Into this setting, Ms. Cameron has put some well drawn characters the reader can quickly connect with. Mirelle is a spirited young Jewish woman at the center of the story. She is torn between duty to her parents and religion and her growing affection for a Catholic soldier in Napoleon’s army. The book moved quickly with just the right amount of character and setting description and dialogue to keep the story interesting. The author chose to end the book in a way that was surprising to me and not as much to my liking, but that is sometimes the way it is with books. I appreciate receiving an advance copy of the book from the author Michelle Cameron.

[Heather Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely, sensitive story about a woman living outside her time in late eighteenth century Italy. As a young Jewish woman in a conservative religious community, she is expected to marry, but she would rather continue to manage the books at her father's printing business--a legacy her younger brother will inherit. Complicating matters is her passionate love for a deeply unsuitable man: a Catholic soldier fighting with Napoleon's invading forces. When Napoleon liberates the Jews from the ghetto in which they have been confined (literally confined; the gates are locked at night), a maelstrom of social and personal conflicts threaten to upend everything Mirelle loves. Mirelle is a terrific character, a woman of intelligence and agency, and even the "villains" are complicated people with understandable agendas. No cliches here, just relatable characters facing timeless problems: prejudice, misogyny, and the tug of war between the head and the heart.