Browse our Categories! Arms and Armor Celtic Lore Historical Fiction Historical Non-Fiction (A-H) Historical Non-Fiction (I-R) Historical Non-Fiction (S-Z) King Arthur Legends Miscellaneous Fiction Miscellaneous Non-Fiction

Historical The Heretic by Lewis Weinstein $24.95/goodnewfiction.com/ 2000 Lewis Weinstein's historical novel, The Heretic, deals with the perscution of Jewish converts to Christianity in Spain of the mid-15th century, a volatile time leading up to the infamous Spanish Inquistion during which 300,000 Jewish "heretics" were ritualistically murdered. While historical novel ultimately contains few mysteries (since the outcome is already known), they are invariably full of intrigue and suspense, and The Heretic is no expection. The story focuses on the family of Gabriel Catalan, a converso goldsmith of Seville. Gabriel re-discovers his Jewish roots and, much to the perplexity of his wife, Pilar, who is also a converted Christian, participates in "heretical" activities. Gabriel is soon enlisted by another prominent converso, Don Alonso Viterbo, to learn the new printing techniques developed by Johannes Gutenburg, in order to preserve important Hebrew texts. Melodrama is a staple of the historical novel, and melodramatic scenes abound in The Heretic, from the prologue in which Gabriel's converso father, Issac, declares himself a Jew and is murdered by a frenzied Christian mob, to the very end of the novel when, awaiting his execution in a prison cell, Gabriel fulfills his covenant with God by finally circumcising his son, Tomás, who has secretly come to see him, a scene that truly stretches the reader's credulity. One of the more intriguing aspects of the novel involves the political struggles among the different aspirants to the Castilian crown. Perhaps the most fully realized (though minor) character in the novel is the decadent King Enrique, with his big teeth and bobbing head, the older half-brother of Isabel, the queen most famous for her sponsorship of Columbus' voyage in 1492 and the Inquisition (not to mention the explusion of the Jews from Spain in the same year). Weinstein shows us Spain's landscape and architecture in breathtaking detail, and provides meticulous description of the printing process, Jewish prayer, and other obtuse subjects. His characters tend to be flat and their responses predictable, but this is not a novel about characters. For non-Jewish readers, some of the details about Judaism and Hebrew may be confusing, but they are certainly central to this exciting and ultimately horrifying novel. —Charles Rammelkamp

Click here to order:The Heretic             To order Renaissance Magazine, click here. To order medieval tapestries and other period products, click here.