Incantation
by Alice Hoffman
Published by Little, Brown and Company
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Reviewed by Janelle Martin
"I am someone
I never would have imagined.
A secret.
A dream...
body and soul..."
Growing up in the small village of Encaleflora, Spain, Estrella deMadrigal is aware of the Spanish Inquisition but believes it has little to do with her. She and her family attend one of the Catholic churches in town and her brother is studying to be a priest. However, Estrella is forced to face the brutal reality of the Inquisition as Jews from the ghetto are murdered and she discovers her own family's secrets--they are Marranos, a community of Jews who public profess to Roman Catholicism while secretly practicing their Judaism and Kabbalah at home.
Shortly after this momentous discovery, her family's secrets are made public and Estrella confronts a world she's never imagined, where neighbors turn on each other, where friendship ends in flame, and where betrayal has tragic and bitter consequences. To create a future for her family, Estrella must reach deep within herself and find sources of strength to craft a new reality.
Incantation, Alice Hoffman's newest novel for young adults, introduces readers to a turbulent period in European history through the eyes of 16-year-old Estrella.
Estrella enjoys spending time with her best friend Catalina, believing that their destiny is to marry and live next door to each other. "We thought we knew exactly what our lives were made of: still water, not a moving river."
Fate, however, has different plans for Estrella and Catalina. In 1478, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella established the Spanish Inquisition in a bid to maintain Catholicism in their kingdoms and in 1500 the Inquisition arrived in Encaleflora and snared Estrella and her family in its trap.
In Incantation, Hoffman has crafted a compelling coming-of-age story. At a time when the biggest decision facing her should be choosing a young man to marry, Estrella must confront a life built upon lies. Yet even within this dark period, Estrella manages to find dignity and hope.
Armchair Interviews says: Interesting history lessons for young adults.