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You are here: Home / Archives for novel

Hidden Ones by Marcia Fine

January 22, 2018 by pbrooks

The Jews You May Not Know

 

Herman Melville observed ‘to write a mighty book you must choose a mighty theme’ and that is what we have with Marcia Fine’s Hidden Ones (L ’Image Press, 2017).

In the world of historical fiction, Marcia Fine is a multi-award-winning author of inspiring first-rate commentary on Jewish history. She has seven novels to her name, but her latest book Hidden Ones shows the reader she is at the top of her game.

She has combined history, fiction, romance and intrigue with the contagious enthusiasm of a researcher who has discovered gold, and in my opinion, she has done just that with Hidden Ones. Her richly researched and sympathetic portrait of controversial Jewish figures disguised as Catholics in Mexico, along with the dramatic stories of the Inquisition in Mexico in the mid 1600’s comes along at a beleaguered period in Mexican history. Where brutality against those Judaizing reaches a dangerous and volatile significance, Fine begins to write.

The Jews living in Mexico during this period refused to not be Jewish. Although working daily to not enrage the church or show their identity, they maintained their pride and dignity. Their courageous resistance in and out of prison was defiant but hard for the church to prove. They believed they did not have to be what the Church wanted them to be, they just had to exist within it and around it, never revealing their identity. They were too fast in their actions to be caught by those who came by to check on them. They were always prepared for a search.

The story rocks back and forth between the strong grandmother imprisoned during most of the book and the impressionable granddaughter, imprisoned for a short time. Heroically, these two women carry the story as life moves from marriage to childbirth, and from death to heartache. Life for them is usually in chaos with the Church’s eye always on the suspected Jews.

While front and center, this Jewish family stands for peace and unity, love, equality, and justice at the very least. Often risking everything for what they believe, they know who they are.

This work is likely to be controversial with the author’s portrayal of the Inquisition in Mexico and the Catholic Church at that time, but be assured, her research is solid, and easily documented, despite showing the dark side of Catholicism. She teaches us much about orthodox Jews and their faith with the rituals and celebrations they adhere to in this dire situation. There are surprises and plenty of suspense when the Jews are confronted, but the story remains true to their destiny.

The book is an epic tale of Jewish and Mexican history most people are unaware of but will find intriguing. Much in the pages will be familiar if you have some knowledge of the Jewish culture, but even the familiar may be glimpsed from a different perspective when you factor in the Mexican culture, the Catholic Church and the Inquisition in Mexico in the 1600’s.

Fine’s fluent prose makes this a page turner, it’s narrative reads like a double-novel with two strong women as protagonists. It’s a suspenseful tale with a cast of vivid characters in three generations, plus other family members needed to fulfill the story. These characters prevail throughout the years and help define a brilliantly innovative young woman with the goal for her life of seeking the fairy tale of meeting her prince charming despite incredible odds.

On a triumphant note, Fine believes her main characters, transcend their culture. She never white-washes their life, but shows us how they overcome prejudices and face down their accusers. These courageous Jews generously gave us this important history, so it could be found, written about, and read about centuries later.

Fine presents a series of interlinking stories in a structural decision that allows her characters to inhabit their own narrative and give accent to the lives they intersect with, including and the others they run parallel with too. These connections to Jews and Mexicans are close and clear as the story progresses. Fine allows us to see whose actions directly lead to more action before pivoting us to another scene.

This novel is divided into four parts. Taking us though many years of a family history; younger days; entanglements, schemes, happy times, mystery, prison, death and rejoicing.   Her narrative technique takes us though the relationships of family and friends, commencing with stories that pull us further and further from where we started and where we expected to go.

After passing through all these stories of family history and appreciating Fine’s fight to preserve their legacy, I came to appreciate a novel of excellence in storytelling extensive research. It was a huge pleasure to finish this book. This work enlightened me to Fine’s sincere and engaging journey into historical fiction. She wrote with a rare insight into Jewish heroines I would never find in history books. It’s been quite a revelation to read her story of Jews hiding in Mexico during the Inquisition.

 

Filed Under: Blogroll, Book Reviews Tagged With: Hidden Ones, historical fiction, Inquisition, Jews in Mexico, marcia fine, novel, women writers

Book Review – Remnants/ready for new life by our author Kiki Swanson – congrats Kiki

December 9, 2009 by patricia

 

BOOK REVIEW

 

Remnants – Ready for New Life

 

Kiki Swanson (Brooks Goldmann, $19.95)

This captivating volume will appeal to lovers of warm climates, active retirement communities, volunteerism, paying it forward and living life to the fullest in retirement.

In early 2004, Daisy Mac Duff moved into the active and well-appointed retirement community of La Ventura located in Scottsdale, AZ.  She left behind many friends over the years when she moved with her husband on many transfers, eventually moving to the desert of AZ.

Her children also live in AZ and, on occasion, keep her busy with their lives.  But Daisy needs the camaraderie of “soul” mates, friends her age who share happy memories of her past and her current pursuit of happiness.

Her grief for her husband had consumed several years of her life and now it is time to share her future with friends, new and old.  She seeks the companionship of her women friends from all parts of the country by writing and asking them to join her in Scottsdale. 

Soon a strong and steady flow of letters begin to appear in her mailbox.  Both the flamboyant red-head pianist Clarissa and the demure preacher’s wife Beth write immediately.  Others come in as quickly as you can say “out west”, such as Martha, the one seeking a new AA recovery group.

Daisy accumulates the letters, which often stretch into reminiscing of old places that bring back memories, such as with Mary Ann, Martha’s sister.  While some were meant to just read and smile or listen to what was really being said.  Beth is one of those with her quiet tone and gentle way.

From the window of Daisy’s retirement life at La Ventura you sense her yearning for the friendships she knew in the past with each of these women responding.  You will visualize Daisy with her friends enjoying their later years being productive in community while dealing with what life gives out. Practicing her mother’s philosophy, Daisy learns again how to accept life without losing her own character as some say yes and some say no to her suggestion to community life with her and the others.

You imagine the startling effects of a group of women coming together by one woman’s will to make them a family.  This joining of creative, active, senior women together in a new life with a fresh start from a divorce or widowhood, retirement alone or loneliness of any kind, gives them “wind at their backs”.  They go into the unknown of “later in life” friendships in a commune environment.  With Daisy behind them, pushing them with a force in the direction of giving back, serving God and enjoying every moment as if it were their destiny is their new life.

This is the story of a community formed and developed by a bunch of well educated, interesting, creative and productive caring women who with no real plans for their later years take a “leap of faith” and let a long time friend bring them together.  Because of this, they later will write their recipes for success, their ideas for mentoring, their last wishes, their obituaries and their insights and feelings about things they hold dear in their Tuesdays at Three writing group.

Some still have strong feelings and reservations about the success of the idea, such as the couple of men Daisy befriends early in the story.  But at the onset, the five of nine women who say yes “let’s just do it” are more than happy to reach out to others and not isolate elsewhere.  The men in turn become vital to the women’s friendships.

Here you will learn about many things, from loss and grief (incurred by all of them) to alcoholism (the elements of AA) to the medical issues too familiar to all of us.  The spring writing group for life’s philosophies gives many insights into all of them, and surely in to you too.

It is a satisfying and rewarding read and you get the feeling they are having a really wonderful time living out their lives together in a “village.” Being grateful for everyday, their mantra is to rise above the past, adjust to change and hear the music.  If humor and good taste can be a contradiction in terms, Remnants defies the idea and makes you smile as you look for the sunshine in life.

Kiki Swanson is fearless as she addresses real issues for all seniors (Baby Boomer types too) such as divorce, widowhood, alcoholism, dating, health restraints and life’s disappointments while believing resiliency is the key.  There is a lot of good old fashioned fun here that anyone considering a retirement community or living in one now can relate to on many levels.  Maybe the putting of these things in writing, including their last wishes, is more entertainment than any part of sadness and is what endears them to us.

One of my favorite parts of the story is the thread that weaves their leader Daisy and her perseverance in making things happen, sharing conversation with her dog Curly and learning late in life of her husband’s “secret life” and her son’s need for “care and understanding.” The mystery and unveiling is part of the intrigue.

Remnants-ready for new life acknowledges that it is not above the fray of recognizing the human frailty in all of us.  Everyone has moments of despair and sadness, coupled with anger.  Realizing in this read that it is in fact the ride of taking us “home” to our friends and faith in our “golden years” that sustains us, Kiki Swanson shows us it is possible to succeed to the end.

We have all spiraled out of the darkness of grief and divorce or alcoholism or life’s disappointments and up into something beautiful because someone listened.  We have all known love because someone cared, someone was there when we prayed about it and God answered.

Surely Remnants-ready for new life will be that kind of eye opening, heartwarming book you want with the memory of your life.  This work and these stories will help you put the past right where it belongs and your life ready for the surprises that lay ahead.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Patricia L. Brooks, MAOM

Publishing Consultant, Author, Speaker

BROOKS GOLDMANN PUBLISHING, LLC

 www.blog.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com

Cell 480-250-5556

 

Kikiswan@cox.net or www.kikiswansonbooks.com for more information or books

Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, AZ BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOC, Blogroll, brooks goldmann publishing, libraries, new fiction, PUBLISHING PICKS Tagged With: alcoholism, author, book review, brooks goldmann publishing, divorce, family, fiction, friends, golden years, heartwarming book, KIKI SWANSON, later in life, new fiction, novel, obituaries, publish, PUBLISHING PICKS, publishing your vook, relationships for seniors, reminiscing, remnants-ready for new life, retirees, retirement community, retirement in Scottsdale, seret life, success in life, writer, writing, writng group

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