Kirkus
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Life for Spain’s Jews in the late 15th century was as precarious as a ceiling made of eggshells, ready to crash at any moment. Paloma is sensitive, inquisitive, and highly intelligent, attributes that will both cause her intense pain and keep her alive. Her grandfather is an important figure in Spain’s Jewish community, using his wealth and political acumen to deal with the powerful Christians, including Ferdinand and Isabella, who rule the country, all in the service of keeping Jews from harm. Loma becomes his constant companion and aide, traveling with him across Spain on his missions. As she grows to maturity she is denied the opportunity to marry, though it is her dearest wish to have her own children. Levine seamlessly weaves historical facts with day-to-day life concerning food, clothing, prayers, rituals, superstitions, and the social orders both within the locked judería and without, among Christian and Moorish Spaniards. Jews must always be wary, for bizarre accusations are made that incite mob violence against them. They face kidnapping, forced conversion, torture and execution at the hands of the Inquisition, and, finally, expulsion from Spain. Loma tells all her fears and worries, how she finds solace in counting, her plans and dreams, and her deep love for her family as well as her hurt and anger as she faces grave dangers and loss. Heart pounding and heart wrenching in equal measure. (author’s note, recipe, glossary) (Historical fiction. 10-14) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This historical novel follows Paloma, a Jewish girl living in fifteenth-century Spain, from age seven -- when Jews are blamed for a plague despite being struck by it themselves -- to sixteen, when her family is exiled by the Inquisition. In between those years Paloma, a particular favorite of her grandfather Belo, finds herself caught up in the uneasy, transactional relationship between her wealthy family and the powerful non-Jews surrounding them. Belo's possessiveness also stands in the way of Paloma's ability to pursue marriage, though she is eager to, and early adolescent marriage is the norm in her culture. Rich descriptions in Paloma's first-person narration make for an immersive experience of her palpably precarious situation, fraught with constant pressure to convert to Christianity (the title refers to the fragility of the Jews' position in Spain). The pacing is episodic, with instances of danger -- a kidnapping, attempted forced conversion -- often resolved with the help of Paloma's influential family. Back matter includes an author's note with some historical background and an explanation that Paloma is an imagined ancestor of Levine's Sephardic Jewish family. (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.