Mrs.White
Honors World History
October 14th 2014
Incantation
Written by Alice Hoffman
Characters to know:
Estrella - The main character
Catalina - Estrella's best friend
Andres - Catalina's fiance that Estrella is secretly in love with
Abra - Estrella's mother
Luis - Estrella's brother
Estrella's grandmother and grandfather
Summary:
This book takes place during the Spanish Inquisition, Estrella is one of many Jewish people who were living as Catholics, she doesn't find this out until about halfway through the book and she's been being lied to her entire life. Once her family's secret is no longer a secret, Estrella's life changes and she has to face many challenges with her friends and family, not to mention her lover. Estrella's bestfriend, Catalina, is engaged to a boy named Andres who Estrella secretly has eyes for, and he plays a role in the story.
Quotes:
"This kind of knowing you can never tell anyone. If you want us to survive, you cannot trust a soul"
This quote is from Estrella's grandmother once Estrella found out about their secret life. It's important because it shows how serious it is to know this big of a secret.
"There was blood on the path between the Arriases' house and ours; but when my grandmother wanted to wash it away, my grandfather stopped her."
The Arriases' were persecuted for being Jews that were living as Catholics, we can only assume they were killed as punishment for this unacceptable act, this quote is important because it shows the severity of the actions taken to punish the crime of being a Marrano.
About the Author:
Alice Hoffman is the bestselling author of nearly twenty acclaimed novels beloved by teens and adults, including titles such as Aquamarine and Practical Magic, both made into major motion pictures, aswell as The Foretelling, Green Angel, The Ice Queen, and Here on Earth. She has also written highly praised story collections Local Girls and Blackbird House. The Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that Ms.Hoffman is "one of the best writers we have today -insightful, funny, intelligent, with a distinctive voice. . . . an established artist at her peak."
Review:
Incantation in my opinion was a very compelling novel based on semi-true events from history. Ms.Hoffman did a wonderful job of making the characters stand out in this novel and an even better job keeping me on the edge of my seat as I read on and flipped every page, anticipating what would happen next. Excitement, romance, betrayal, and bravery, are all words that come to mind when I think of Incantation. If you're looking for a novel that you won't want to put down, go to your nearest library or bookstore and pick up a copy of Alice Hoffman's Incantation.
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