Hope of Israel , by Patricia O'Sullivan

Paperback, 294 pages

Published November 30th 2010 by Aeon Publishing Inc. (first published November 28th 2010)

ISBN

1605945781 (ISBN13: 9781605945781)

edition language

English

 

In 1290, King Edward I expelled the Jews from England. In 1656, a small community of Spanish Catholic merchants lived in London bound by a sacred secret. They were all Portuguese Jews. This is the story of one of them, Domingo de Lacerda, who learns early on that survival in seventeenth-century Europe requires both deceit and conformity. But then he meets Lucy, who has secrets of her own and who challenges Domingo to question everything he has been taught to value. The political and spiritual conflicts that characterized the Iberian Inquisition, the English Civil War, and the English Interregnum provide a backdrop against which Domingo must choose between his obligation to the Jewish community that protects him and the Catholic woman who loves him. Patricia O'Sullivan is the author of Hope of Israel and the forthcoming, Legend of the Dead. She lives in Mississippi with her family

 

My Review

I actually found this to be a very engaging and well written novel that reflected the contrast of religions in a well lit sort of way. I think that we tend to forget that there are countless different religions out there, all of which have there similarities and there differences. But back in the olden days, where times were completely different, religions were not as openly accepted as they are now. Back then people were shunned if they believed in the wrong thing, or practiced in secret there true being. This book paints that time so perfectly in representing the difficulties of two very different people with different backgrounds and yet the same goal. The piece is a wonderful novel that flows from beginning to end and it really had me captivated within its page. I felt that the story was identified in a manner that meant you could somehow relate to the characters. It was well written and nicely presented.

 

Occasionally the book became a little confusing but I feel that this was perhaps a thought of my knowledge and not knowing just how bad the times were for others. I felt then that this book had its own thought provoking elegance to it that leaves you asking many different questions. Jews seemed to have had the hardest lifestyle of all, having been rejected from each and every country at some point or another. The book really identified that to me and it made me sad to think that people are rejected merely because of there religion. But what I really liked was the captivating love story that was within the words. it seemed to show that nothing should ever stop us from holding the hearts hand of the one we want to spend our life with, we should do everything that we can to be with them.

 

The trail and tribulations of love was truly well written here and it did have a very sort of romeo and juliette feel to it. But instead of it being two families against one another, it was religion that was tearing them apart. the piece just seemed to really open my eyes to what love is all about, that love is matter of seeing the person for what they are and who they are, not what they believe or know. It showed and represented to me that the world is a very judgemental place and despite the fact that I have finished the novel, I am still pondering over it and have so many questions that are on my mind. its a wonderful write and its so worth the read if you get the chance. just remember to keep the eyes open and the mind open as well. 

My rating