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In 1492, two history-altering events occurred: the Jews and Muslims of Spain were expelled, and Columbus set sail for the New World. Many Spanish Jews chose not to flee and instead became Christian in name only, maintaining their religious traditions in secret. Among them was Luis de Torres, who accompanied Columbus as an interpreter. Over the centuries, de Torres’ descendants traveled across North America, finally settling in the hills of New Mexico. Now, some five hundred years later, it is in these same hills that Miguel Torres, a young amateur astronomer, finds himself trying to understand the mystery that surrounds him and the town he grew up in: Entrada de la Luna, or Gateway to the Moon. Poor health and poverty are the norm in Entrada, and luck is rare. So when Miguel sees an ad for a babysitting job in Santa Fe, he jumps at the opportunity. The family for whom he works, the Rothsteins, are Jewish, and Miguel is surprised to find many of their customs similar to those his own family kept but never understood. Braided throughout the present-day narrative are the powerful stories of the ancestors of Entrada’s residents, portraying both the horrors of the Inquisition and the resilience of families. Moving and unforgettable, Gateway to the Moon beautifully weaves the journeys of the converso Jews into the larger American story.
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Morris is an exemplary storyteller! Told in alternating time periods (1992 and the late 16th century) about the community of Entrada de la Luna (New Mexico) and the history of crypto-Jews. High schooler Miguel loves the stars, and science, but not much else about his life in Entrada. As the story unfolds we learn that his Jewish ancestors were forced to leave Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, and eventually settled in present day Entrada. Pick this book up if you enjoy stories about identity, community, faith, and family.
Another thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.