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Incantation
From a New York Times bestselling author comes a journey of loss and rebirth with a startling premise inspired by historical fact. Estrella is a Marrano: one of the Spanish Jews living double lives when those who refused conversion risked everything. Estrella's discovery that her family secretly practices the ancient way of wisdom known as kabbalah leads her to her true self and true love-but also to a devastating confrontation with unimaginable evil, unleashed by the betrayal of a friend. With themes of faith, friendship, and persecution, Alice Hoffman's tragic and beautiful novel resonates profoundly in our times.
166 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2006
About the author
Alice Hoffman
124 books23.7k followersAlice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew; The Marriage of Opposites; The Red Garden; The Museum of Extraordinary Things; The Dovekeepers; Here on Earth, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and the Practical Magic series, including Practical
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,224 reviews
January 13, 2022
A monster is hard to see and even harder to kill.
It takes time to grow so huge, time to crawl up into the open air. People will tell you it’s not there; you’re imagining things.
But a book is a book. Pages are pages. Hawks are hawks. Doves are doves.
Hatred is always hatred.
The Spanish Inquisition has to be among the most horrific and frightening times in human history. Pointless brutality. Neighbour pitted against neighbour and friend rewarded for turning in friend. Incantation adds a touch of magic to the horror of this setting.
I read this book in a day and couldn't put it down. Hoffman needs so few pages to draw you in and make you care about the characters.
Estrella is a good Catholic girl living in Spain during the Inquisition, and her grandfather is a respected teacher. Or, at least, that's what she's always been told. But her family have always seemed a bit odd... they cross themselves differently from their neighbours, they never eat pork, and her grandfather has strange visitors all hours of the night.
When the town government posts a list of ways to spot a hidden Jew, Estrella and her family live in fear of being discovered. Can they trust anyone?
It's a dark, painful read and a really evocative frightening one. I couldn't bring myself to put the book aside until I'd learned the family's fate. The book is shelved as young adult, but I would think it would appeal to anyone who can stomach the horror.
February 3, 2008
This book is a beautiful telling of a horrific story. Set in Spain in 1500, Estrella DeMadrigal is a normal teenage girl whose everyday life revolves around her well respected family and her best friend, Catalina. The peaceful existence of her charmed childhood is disrupted when soldiers build a bonfire of books in the town’s center.
This barbaric act signals a rebirth of anti-semitism and as the government decrees against Jews heighten, Estrella realizes that her family may have reason to be afraid. The already prejudiced town—which is divided into the “alajama” where Jews are forced to wear red circles on their clothes and are locked in at night, the Muslim section on the outskirts of town, and the Christian neighborhoods which hold all of the power—turns against one another as neighbors accuse each other of secretly being Jewish.
The slim book packs a powerful story complete with secrets, betrayal, forbidden love, and torture. Hoffman tackles themes of racism, sexism, and religious intolerance through Estrella’s naïve eyes, but even as she realizes the terror of untamed hatred, Estrella grows to accept and love her family and their heritage. Through Estrella’s journey and the climactic ending, readers are reminded of the importance of remembering the horrors of the past.
This barbaric act signals a rebirth of anti-semitism and as the government decrees against Jews heighten, Estrella realizes that her family may have reason to be afraid. The already prejudiced town—which is divided into the “alajama” where Jews are forced to wear red circles on their clothes and are locked in at night, the Muslim section on the outskirts of town, and the Christian neighborhoods which hold all of the power—turns against one another as neighbors accuse each other of secretly being Jewish.
The slim book packs a powerful story complete with secrets, betrayal, forbidden love, and torture. Hoffman tackles themes of racism, sexism, and religious intolerance through Estrella’s naïve eyes, but even as she realizes the terror of untamed hatred, Estrella grows to accept and love her family and their heritage. Through Estrella’s journey and the climactic ending, readers are reminded of the importance of remembering the horrors of the past.
November 10, 2019
Brevemente em Livros à lareira com chá a minha opinião.
É uma pena este livro ser tão pequeno.
Foi a minha estreia com a autora, adorei o tipo de escrita e espero ler mais.
Encontramos nesta história relatos de jovens que presenciaram a forma de atuar da inquisição em Espanha.
Aconselho esta leitura, o livro é pequeno, senti que queria ler mais.
É uma pena este livro ser tão pequeno.
Foi a minha estreia com a autora, adorei o tipo de escrita e espero ler mais.
Encontramos nesta história relatos de jovens que presenciaram a forma de atuar da inquisição em Espanha.
Aconselho esta leitura, o livro é pequeno, senti que queria ler mais.
December 13, 2020
Tenho esta obra na estante desde o final de 2018. Como é fácil de depreender, já não me lembrava de que é que trata, por isso, ao olhar para a imagem da capa, pensei que iria viajar talvez para Espanha, para a Andalucía e conhecer alguém associado ao flamenco ou às raízes ciganas do seu povo.
Acertei muito pouco nas minhas suposições. Viajei, sim, para Espanha, mas para outra comunidade que nada tem a ver com as latitudes mais quentes andaluzas. Viajei no tempo e fui conhecer um pouco melhor um povo/uma religião que tem sido perseguido/a ao longos dos séculos.
Porém, esta minha viagem neste livro foi ao sabor de uma obra de cariz mais juvenil e muito pouco daquilo que me contou foi novidade para mim. Assim, não posso dizer que tenha sido uma leitura extraordinária... Não o foi, foi apenas mediana.
NOTA - 06/10
Acertei muito pouco nas minhas suposições. Viajei, sim, para Espanha, mas para outra comunidade que nada tem a ver com as latitudes mais quentes andaluzas. Viajei no tempo e fui conhecer um pouco melhor um povo/uma religião que tem sido perseguido/a ao longos dos séculos.
Porém, esta minha viagem neste livro foi ao sabor de uma obra de cariz mais juvenil e muito pouco daquilo que me contou foi novidade para mim. Assim, não posso dizer que tenha sido uma leitura extraordinária... Não o foi, foi apenas mediana.
NOTA - 06/10
March 4, 2020
Another amazing book by Alice Hoffman. Fantastic characters, so well written. I have a lump in my throat and a tear on my cheek. Beautifully told, haunting history.
September 13, 2022
O que é se tira de bom do livro? Para mim, foi mesmo a descrição de tudo o que a Inquisição fazia. A parte mais ligada à História. Isso, sim, achei que estava bem explorado e desenvolvido. Ah, e também gostei muito de uma personagem em particular: a avó. Foi a única.
Encantamento fala de paixões, traições e momentos da História que atormentam. Pelo preço, não se perde muito. Caso tenham interesse pela Inquisição, talvez valha a pena, porque de resto, o romance é fraco, as personagens são fracas, as relações entre as personagens são fracas... Enfim, não muito mais a dizer sobre este livro. Não gostei e não recomendo.
Encantamento fala de paixões, traições e momentos da História que atormentam. Pelo preço, não se perde muito. Caso tenham interesse pela Inquisição, talvez valha a pena, porque de resto, o romance é fraco, as personagens são fracas, as relações entre as personagens são fracas... Enfim, não muito mais a dizer sobre este livro. Não gostei e não recomendo.
November 30, 2020
Some people say, Save yourself and you save your life.
I say, Be yourself and you save your soul.
I say, Be yourself and you save your soul.
May 27, 2023
Alice Hoffman's, 'Incantation,' has no real, practicing magic in it, but it is magical all the same. It takes place in a village in Spain called Encaleflora at the turn of the 1500 century. At the beginning of that noble crusade called "The Spanish Inquisition."
The story is told by the youngest child, Estrella, who for most of her first sixteen years of life has been living a lie that she doesn't know about. Like many families in the village her family for the last one hundred years have called themselves Catholic while maintaining many Jewish traditions. Becoming Catholic was a survival mechanism for many Jews and Muslims.
Not to be outsmarted, The Inquisition, with the help of informers uncover these imposters and burn them alive. (Apparently, none of them read the Sermon on the Mount) nor were conscious of the fact that Jesus (the Christian messiah) was Jewish himself.
Like most tragic, despicable crimes against humanity the enforces try to wipe out all existence of the conquered...destroying books, letters, etc.
In one telling reminder Estrella tells her daughters and sons:
Remember what I've told you
Remember me
The story is told by the youngest child, Estrella, who for most of her first sixteen years of life has been living a lie that she doesn't know about. Like many families in the village her family for the last one hundred years have called themselves Catholic while maintaining many Jewish traditions. Becoming Catholic was a survival mechanism for many Jews and Muslims.
Not to be outsmarted, The Inquisition, with the help of informers uncover these imposters and burn them alive. (Apparently, none of them read the Sermon on the Mount) nor were conscious of the fact that Jesus (the Christian messiah) was Jewish himself.
Like most tragic, despicable crimes against humanity the enforces try to wipe out all existence of the conquered...destroying books, letters, etc.
In one telling reminder Estrella tells her daughters and sons:
Remember what I've told you
Remember me
September 8, 2010
Alice Hoffman is an amazing author. She has the ability to write each novel like a poem. It feels like poetry, but with an incredible story to go along with it. But each book is so extremely sad, which is a hard emotion to write. Alice Hoffman's books are super great, and the emotions they can control is extraordinary.
Incantation, my second Hoffman book, is about a girl, Estrella, who is living in Spain in the 1500's. All her life, she has thought she was a Christian and thought she knew who she was. But as people in her town begin brutally murdering and punishing secret Jews, she finds out secrets about her family and herself that she never knew before. Her family is Jewish, and they have been practicing the religion, without Estrella even knowing that her religion is different.
To make things worse, Estrella falls in love with her best friend's cousin, Andres. The friend, Catalina, becomes extremely jealous, as she had planned to marry Andres. The two who had been best friends for their lives began to split apart and become enemies.
Catalina had been hiding behind a mask of jealousy her whole life, and she decided to get her revenge by turning in Estrella's family.
The sense of panic, love, and other emotions is so strong in this book. The way people were killed brought tears to my eyes and even made me see it like the characters were. As they say in the book "Remember the story she is about to tell you". True words, indeed, though this book is probably difficult to forget, anyway.
Incantation, my second Hoffman book, is about a girl, Estrella, who is living in Spain in the 1500's. All her life, she has thought she was a Christian and thought she knew who she was. But as people in her town begin brutally murdering and punishing secret Jews, she finds out secrets about her family and herself that she never knew before. Her family is Jewish, and they have been practicing the religion, without Estrella even knowing that her religion is different.
To make things worse, Estrella falls in love with her best friend's cousin, Andres. The friend, Catalina, becomes extremely jealous, as she had planned to marry Andres. The two who had been best friends for their lives began to split apart and become enemies.
Catalina had been hiding behind a mask of jealousy her whole life, and she decided to get her revenge by turning in Estrella's family.
The sense of panic, love, and other emotions is so strong in this book. The way people were killed brought tears to my eyes and even made me see it like the characters were. As they say in the book "Remember the story she is about to tell you". True words, indeed, though this book is probably difficult to forget, anyway.
August 16, 2021
Нелоша концепция, но написана с онзи превзет, дистанциран и досадно претъпкан с повторения стил (имащ се за “поетичен”?!?), който избягва всяко задълбочаване в реалността и някак е плъзнал в YA литературата. Това дори не е за тинейджъри. Да не ги подценяваме, те отлично могат да отличат добрата история от посредствено-претенциозната, етикетирана с апломб, че е предназначена точно за тях. Изобщо, етикетирането понастоящем е голям проблем - всички така се стараят да улеснят читателя каква точно категория книга му се поднася, че клони чак към абсурд.
Та за настоящата история… Може да бъде наречена “испанска” твърде условно, а “историческа” - съвършено по погрешка. По-скоро е блудкаво сантиментална и крайно отвлечена версия за маранос, или тайно изповядващите юдейството покръстени евреи в Испания от 1500 г. Добрата и лошата героини са по на 16 г. и тотално инфантилни, което за 21-ви век си е явление, но през 16-ти век нравите са били други, и двете “деца” щяха вече да са омъжени с по едно дете в такова малко село, или щяха да са доста по-заети с други дейности. Ревността беше на ниво “гимназистки от САЩ”.
Дори и Дисни имат по-качествени анимации.
Та за настоящата история… Може да бъде наречена “испанска” твърде условно, а “историческа” - съвършено по погрешка. По-скоро е блудкаво сантиментална и крайно отвлечена версия за маранос, или тайно изповядващите юдейството покръстени евреи в Испания от 1500 г. Добрата и лошата героини са по на 16 г. и тотално инфантилни, което за 21-ви век си е явление, но през 16-ти век нравите са били други, и двете “деца” щяха вече да са омъжени с по едно дете в такова малко село, или щяха да са доста по-заети с други дейности. Ревността беше на ниво “гимназистки от САЩ”.
Дори и Дисни имат по-качествени анимации.
January 4, 2017
The length of this book was a blessing. I enjoyed it, but really only because it mystified me as I read. With cryptic language and almost ethereal imagery, I could picture things, but it was almost as if the author did not want to present the situation as wholly real. The formatting was also unique, being divided by parts and scene breaks alone. I actually grew to like this and it assisted me in reading the book so quickly. (Looking at another of Hoffman's books, I believe it is a style she utilizes again.) The setting of the Spanish town and the determination of everyone to be devoutly Catholic, so as not to be thought Jewish, was riveting and tense. I believe this was the first book I had read in the Spanish Inquisition. Overall, it did not disappoint, and the story weaving engaged me, but I felt that I never truly got to know the characters before something drastic happened to them. Often the poetry of the language would lead me to doubt the details of the occurrences when it dipped into something that couldn't be real. I've never read a book and felt like the entire world it presents through the main character is in a haze. It was very queer, but the atrocities of the era were impacting. For rather blatant drama, violence, and rituals, I would recommend this for 15+
January 12, 2009
The day the books burned in the plaza, Estrella’s life began to change. She caught her first glimpse of a different side of her best friend. She felt the evilness which had come up and inhabited her town. She saw a part of her mother that scared her the same way her grandmother always had.
Estrella’s town has always been divided. Years ago, the Jews we all made to convert to Christianity or leave. Some refused both, and were forced to the outskirts, living behind a gate. On the other side of town lived the Muslims, also not allowed too close to the Christians. But they were not quite as forbidden, and Estrella made trips to see them with her mother when she went to sell her yarns.
But after the book burning, things get bleak. Her neighbors are arrested, accused of being Marranos. Hidden Jews. Estrella is lost in confusion. These are good people who attend her church. Worse yet, one night she spies someone in their house…spying through a window she finds her best friend, Catalina, and her mother going through the Arrias’ things.
Catalina and Estrella have been growing apart. Estrella has feelings for Andres, Catalina’s cousin whom she plans to marry, regardless of whether Andres feels the same. Catalina envies the pearls Estrella was given on her sixteenth birthday. She envies her looks. Estrella begins to see Catalina in a new light.
But not a light that would make her believe her own best friend would destroy her family.
When the notices are posted in the plaza on how to spot a hidden Jew, Estrella grows fearful. Though she was raised Catholic, all of the things on this list are things her family does. She worries, but time passes, and things seem almost to return to normal.
Until Catalina catches her with Andres.
Her family is taken, one by one. And thus the dominoes begin to fall. She can’t believe how far its come, this evil that has overtaken her home, which no longer feels like a place she belongs, or wants to be. She struggles in vain to help her family, and cling to what little hope she has left.
Estrella’s town has always been divided. Years ago, the Jews we all made to convert to Christianity or leave. Some refused both, and were forced to the outskirts, living behind a gate. On the other side of town lived the Muslims, also not allowed too close to the Christians. But they were not quite as forbidden, and Estrella made trips to see them with her mother when she went to sell her yarns.
But after the book burning, things get bleak. Her neighbors are arrested, accused of being Marranos. Hidden Jews. Estrella is lost in confusion. These are good people who attend her church. Worse yet, one night she spies someone in their house…spying through a window she finds her best friend, Catalina, and her mother going through the Arrias’ things.
Catalina and Estrella have been growing apart. Estrella has feelings for Andres, Catalina’s cousin whom she plans to marry, regardless of whether Andres feels the same. Catalina envies the pearls Estrella was given on her sixteenth birthday. She envies her looks. Estrella begins to see Catalina in a new light.
But not a light that would make her believe her own best friend would destroy her family.
When the notices are posted in the plaza on how to spot a hidden Jew, Estrella grows fearful. Though she was raised Catholic, all of the things on this list are things her family does. She worries, but time passes, and things seem almost to return to normal.
Until Catalina catches her with Andres.
Her family is taken, one by one. And thus the dominoes begin to fall. She can’t believe how far its come, this evil that has overtaken her home, which no longer feels like a place she belongs, or wants to be. She struggles in vain to help her family, and cling to what little hope she has left.
May 11, 2013
As others have said, this is a well written book about a little-known period in time. The Jews in Spain in the 1500's were forced to become Christian. Some chose to hide their true religion and lived a double life. It's sweet, and bitter. You know something terrible will happen, but you hold out hope until the very end...
I loved the main character. Alice Hoffman did an excellent job of letting us witness the evil of the world through innocent eyes. Beautiful, terrifying, hopeful, tender, harsh, real, wonderful, dark.
LIBRARIAN REVIEW:
I would buy this for a middle school library without any qualms, and it should be found in any high school. It is a bit too violent for elementary.
TEACHING TIPS:
It takes place in Spain, but the setting is generic in that it could have been any large city of the time. There is a Jewish area, a Muslim area and the Christian area. A market, a church, a square, a well, etc. Don't read this book as a "let's learn about Spain" encounter for the kids. It's a good learning tool about the conflict of religions and the time period of the inquisition, but does little for geography or the Spanish language.
I loved the main character. Alice Hoffman did an excellent job of letting us witness the evil of the world through innocent eyes. Beautiful, terrifying, hopeful, tender, harsh, real, wonderful, dark.
LIBRARIAN REVIEW:
I would buy this for a middle school library without any qualms, and it should be found in any high school. It is a bit too violent for elementary.
TEACHING TIPS:
It takes place in Spain, but the setting is generic in that it could have been any large city of the time. There is a Jewish area, a Muslim area and the Christian area. A market, a church, a square, a well, etc. Don't read this book as a "let's learn about Spain" encounter for the kids. It's a good learning tool about the conflict of religions and the time period of the inquisition, but does little for geography or the Spanish language.
March 10, 2013
Every time I sit down and read a book about the Spanish Inquisition, I'm shocked all over again. What pointless and horrid brutality. And though I've read a story with this theme and plot before, it still impacted me.
Terrific writing style and prose, though I have to say the dialogue being all italics instead of in "s is disconcerting.
You have a girl in Spain during these troubled times...she notices little things. Her family crosses themselves differently, doesn't eat pork, has mysterious visitors, etc. She discovers they and her are Jews. The wrong person finds out and you can imagine the rest.
I'm not done. Full review is on Book Babe: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...
Terrific writing style and prose, though I have to say the dialogue being all italics instead of in "s is disconcerting.
You have a girl in Spain during these troubled times...she notices little things. Her family crosses themselves differently, doesn't eat pork, has mysterious visitors, etc. She discovers they and her are Jews. The wrong person finds out and you can imagine the rest.
I'm not done. Full review is on Book Babe: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...
December 25, 2014
A yeoman effort, telling the story of a young girl living in Spain during the time of Ferdinand & Isabella (i.e. the Inquisition). The fact that she is Jewish is kept from her until events prevent it from remaining a secret any longer. This historical fiction is a one-day read, quick and easy. It's a bit of a paint-by-numbers plot replete with predictable Christian villains and Jewish and Muslim victims. In short, almost didactic in its approach, which takes something away but doesn't change the fact that its lessons are apt and serve as an excellent foreshadowing of the Holocaust, some 450 years later. A nice pre-read for Elie Wiesel's Night, in that respect.
January 23, 2024
Stupid school book
February 7, 2016
Tendo já ouvido falar maravilhas desta autora e tendo adorado o filme "Da magia à sedução", entrei com elevadas expectativas na leitura deste livro. Pois qual não foi o meu espanto quando começo a ler e vejo que este livro não tem nada de mágico ou mesmo fantástico! Não consigo de todo perceber qual foi a ideia da Gailivro em publicá-lo dentro da colecção 1001 Mundos.
Foi uma sorte eu ter lido anteriormente um outro livro que explicava o mundo dos Marranos o que me facilitou e muito a compreensão do que eu estava a ler. Talvez tenha sido um lapso ou mesmo falta de informação das chefias da Gailivro ao pensar que os Marranos seriam ficção e que não tivessem existido ou que já não existem. Um lapso, que no meu entender é imperdoável!
Quanto à estória em si, achei-a absolutamente maravilhosa. Amizade, amor, paixão e por fim traição e assassínio. Tudo o que alguém poderia querer num livrinho tão pequeno quanto este. O enredo é bastante simples e bastante previsível, mas estes factos não retiram a satisfação com que eu acabei de o ler ontem à noite. Há passagens neste livro que me fizeram pensar em sublinhá-lo (coisa impensável em mim) para depois relê-lo.
Inicia-se com uma estória de amizade, quase fraterna, entre duas meninas que juram ser as melhores amigas uma da outra, mas o surgir de uma terceira personagem modifica tudo, tornando-as inimigas.
Um livro belo e muito simples.
Foi uma sorte eu ter lido anteriormente um outro livro que explicava o mundo dos Marranos o que me facilitou e muito a compreensão do que eu estava a ler. Talvez tenha sido um lapso ou mesmo falta de informação das chefias da Gailivro ao pensar que os Marranos seriam ficção e que não tivessem existido ou que já não existem. Um lapso, que no meu entender é imperdoável!
Quanto à estória em si, achei-a absolutamente maravilhosa. Amizade, amor, paixão e por fim traição e assassínio. Tudo o que alguém poderia querer num livrinho tão pequeno quanto este. O enredo é bastante simples e bastante previsível, mas estes factos não retiram a satisfação com que eu acabei de o ler ontem à noite. Há passagens neste livro que me fizeram pensar em sublinhá-lo (coisa impensável em mim) para depois relê-lo.
Inicia-se com uma estória de amizade, quase fraterna, entre duas meninas que juram ser as melhores amigas uma da outra, mas o surgir de uma terceira personagem modifica tudo, tornando-as inimigas.
Um livro belo e muito simples.
February 27, 2012
Now, don't get me wrong, I love Alice Hoffman; she's one of my favorite writers! But if I'd been introduced to her writing through this YA novel, I don't believe I'd have continued reading her work.
Incantation is set during The Spanish Inquisition, and 15-year-old Estrella is discovering things about herself and her family that turn her world upside down. The novel tries to be magical, yet never quite reaches that point. Hoffman's usual poetic style seems stilted in this work, and while the basics of the plot are good, it isn't quite captivating enough. Frankly, I was disappointed. I've read versions of this story before, and in better versions.
I'll continue to read Alice Hoffman's novels, but I think I'll avoid the Young Adult books.
Incantation is set during The Spanish Inquisition, and 15-year-old Estrella is discovering things about herself and her family that turn her world upside down. The novel tries to be magical, yet never quite reaches that point. Hoffman's usual poetic style seems stilted in this work, and while the basics of the plot are good, it isn't quite captivating enough. Frankly, I was disappointed. I've read versions of this story before, and in better versions.
I'll continue to read Alice Hoffman's novels, but I think I'll avoid the Young Adult books.
November 6, 2018
Pode-se pensar "como é que um livro tão pequeno tem tanta coisa?" e acho que ainda estou a matutar no assunto.
Acho curiosa a escolha do nome porque dá a entender que é um livro cheio de magia, quando acaba por focar na Inquisição Espanhola. De certa forma, está relacionado, se pensarmos que muitas das pessoas que foram assassinadas pela inquisição o foram sob acusações de bruxaria.
Adoro quando os livros me suportam na minha afirmação de que as bruxas eram apenas pessoas com vastos conhecimentos de ervas e de medicina (numa forma muito mais arcaica) e este é um dos livros que acaba por o fazer.
Um livro sobre as ilusões e as decepções que todos sofremos quando crescemos e achamos que sabemos quem temos ao nosso lado...
Acho curiosa a escolha do nome porque dá a entender que é um livro cheio de magia, quando acaba por focar na Inquisição Espanhola. De certa forma, está relacionado, se pensarmos que muitas das pessoas que foram assassinadas pela inquisição o foram sob acusações de bruxaria.
Adoro quando os livros me suportam na minha afirmação de que as bruxas eram apenas pessoas com vastos conhecimentos de ervas e de medicina (numa forma muito mais arcaica) e este é um dos livros que acaba por o fazer.
Um livro sobre as ilusões e as decepções que todos sofremos quando crescemos e achamos que sabemos quem temos ao nosso lado...
August 4, 2016
What more can be said of Hoffman than has already been said? Pure poetry, insightful messages, great setting, important topic of how Jews were treated during the Spanish Inquisition. This is a YA novel, but the topic is brutal, so I would not give this to a very young or sensitive child. But a great gift for an older child (and adults) who love history and are eager to learn about other cultures.
April 18, 2019
Potresno, tužno, pretužno, ali divno napisano... Oduševljena sam stilom, žao mi je što nije bilo više strana. Kako je moguće da je moglo postojati takvo zlo kao Inkvizicija, uvek me nanovo ražeste njihova zlodela i zverstva, kao i toliko ljudske bede, zavisti i zlobe. I iznova me fascinira sve što su Jevreji kroz vekove preživeli i kako su se nanovo rađali iz sopstvenog pepela, kao feniks.
April 18, 2009
by Stephany G
"Some people say, save yourself and save your life. I say, be yourself and save your soul." If one were to read this quote on would think of a wise man that had gone through many difficult situations, but this quote was of the lips of a young teenager, sixteen years of age to be exact. Incantation is one of the most intriguing yet realistic books in the market to date, showing the intensive life of many people during the period of Jewish hatred (1500).This book uses elements in literature that makes the readers seem like one is experiencing this as well with the main character. At the same time it provides history, life lessons, magical twists, which make it not only pleasing to the senses, but you practically can't lay eyes of it. I completely suggest everyone from young to elder to embark upon this expedition that will leave you in awe and open yours eyes to our world's reality.
Incantation purpose was to experience the truth behind the lives of hidden Jews and how a simple fact can change the lives of you and the people in your surroundings, which can reveal the truth about others. In the beginning of this tale Estrella believes she as a person knows who she is a daughter, granddaughter, sister, beloved. Her best friend since young infants had always been the person who cheered her gloomy days and were tighter than ever. After seeing a horrible turns of events in result of hatred, like the burning of sacred books it got her thinking of what her country has come to. Estrella finds that truth about her family and who she is, a hidden Jew. Since the dangerous situation of being a Jew has raised in Spain their family had hidden who they are from friends and her. She is told that her true name is actually Esther and the many things they practice is the Jewish tradition.In addition to that she is passionately in love with Andres (Catalina's cousin) yet she knows that their love is hopeless. As she is a Jew and she is not allowed to speak, eat a meal, let alone marry a Christian. Her best friend has always dreamed of the day when she marries Andres who unlike her father feels he will provide a better future. Once Catalina discovers their love she does the worst thing imaginable betrays her dear friend by turning her family in to the authorities. When her grandfather and Estrella begin to bond more than ever he gets taken away from his family members. Sadly he dies beaten to death and Estrella knows she now needs to escape to Amsterdam.During her journey with her grandmother and Andres she learns that her mother and brother were burned to death. She sees Catalina for the last time and can no longer see the friend she loved, all she saw was a human filled with jealousy and hatred. She is now looking upon the stars that she will never see again in hopes of remembering those of her native land. Being so close to Amsterdam she can now imagine her future life where she can calmly continue her traditions and she will later be the one to pass her knowledge by recalling her past experiences, and pleading to the other generation to remember her past.
This top quality book included character that you as the readers will never forget, the characters in this story were what made this book meaningful. The main character, Estrella (Esther) is very wise for her young age and is exposed to horrible things that help her grow as a human being. Abra, Estrella's mother, was more than a mother, but someone Estrella could always confide to and she was amazing beautiful in the inside and out, not to mention she created art with her hands. Louis, Estrella's brother, was very intelligent and spent most of his lifetime in a seminary studying to become a priest, which would of gained justice for her family and other Jews. Andres, the love of Estrella's life, was kind, humble, handsome, and the one who got Estrella and her mother through the difficult journey. Catalina, was Estrella's friend until her horrid betrayal and jealousy overthrew who she was and became a hard, cruel person. Grandfather, was a wise men cold at first towards Estrella, but later on sees her potential and helps her become educated, which was rare at the time. Grandmother, Estrella fearful towards her, but later on she is the only strand of hope that leaves her Grandmother alive. These character together, for the exception of Catalina, create a bond at the worst of times and although many family members dies there history lived on.
Incantation shows the side of a person who's life was changed for the Jewish hatred surrounding her. For a piece a literature to be meaningful and make complete significance it's preferred to speak of only one side of the subject. This book is bias towards the side of Jewish people who suffered plenty throughout their life time. In order to tell the story of a person who experienced predicaments in life it would be confusing if the author were to tell both sides of a topic such as this because it would seem as it wouldn't be such a large problem in life. In this case the bias used wasn't a the truth hidden from the public, but more of a simple improvement in this book. Bias is used in everyday life to support our opinion, but those biases can either be a lie to blind one from reality or a great element in literature.
This piece of literature in my opinion was like a time travel to the important events of history. Incantation includes the cruel punishments that Jews experienced in Spain. For one the other perspective of something similar to a Holocaust, but in Spain rather than Germany. It also informed the readers of the kind of sacrifices Jews had to make in order to pass their traditions and religion onto the future generation. Incantation compared to other books available shows the beliefs of a Jew and what the limitations to their religion that doesn't allow them much freedom or they are given the horrible penalty of death. Knowledge is life and Incantation particularly expands our knowing of history and common life in general.
"Some people say, save yourself and save your life. I say, be yourself and save your soul." If one were to read this quote on would think of a wise man that had gone through many difficult situations, but this quote was of the lips of a young teenager, sixteen years of age to be exact. Incantation is one of the most intriguing yet realistic books in the market to date, showing the intensive life of many people during the period of Jewish hatred (1500).This book uses elements in literature that makes the readers seem like one is experiencing this as well with the main character. At the same time it provides history, life lessons, magical twists, which make it not only pleasing to the senses, but you practically can't lay eyes of it. I completely suggest everyone from young to elder to embark upon this expedition that will leave you in awe and open yours eyes to our world's reality.
Incantation purpose was to experience the truth behind the lives of hidden Jews and how a simple fact can change the lives of you and the people in your surroundings, which can reveal the truth about others. In the beginning of this tale Estrella believes she as a person knows who she is a daughter, granddaughter, sister, beloved. Her best friend since young infants had always been the person who cheered her gloomy days and were tighter than ever. After seeing a horrible turns of events in result of hatred, like the burning of sacred books it got her thinking of what her country has come to. Estrella finds that truth about her family and who she is, a hidden Jew. Since the dangerous situation of being a Jew has raised in Spain their family had hidden who they are from friends and her. She is told that her true name is actually Esther and the many things they practice is the Jewish tradition.In addition to that she is passionately in love with Andres (Catalina's cousin) yet she knows that their love is hopeless. As she is a Jew and she is not allowed to speak, eat a meal, let alone marry a Christian. Her best friend has always dreamed of the day when she marries Andres who unlike her father feels he will provide a better future. Once Catalina discovers their love she does the worst thing imaginable betrays her dear friend by turning her family in to the authorities. When her grandfather and Estrella begin to bond more than ever he gets taken away from his family members. Sadly he dies beaten to death and Estrella knows she now needs to escape to Amsterdam.During her journey with her grandmother and Andres she learns that her mother and brother were burned to death. She sees Catalina for the last time and can no longer see the friend she loved, all she saw was a human filled with jealousy and hatred. She is now looking upon the stars that she will never see again in hopes of remembering those of her native land. Being so close to Amsterdam she can now imagine her future life where she can calmly continue her traditions and she will later be the one to pass her knowledge by recalling her past experiences, and pleading to the other generation to remember her past.
This top quality book included character that you as the readers will never forget, the characters in this story were what made this book meaningful. The main character, Estrella (Esther) is very wise for her young age and is exposed to horrible things that help her grow as a human being. Abra, Estrella's mother, was more than a mother, but someone Estrella could always confide to and she was amazing beautiful in the inside and out, not to mention she created art with her hands. Louis, Estrella's brother, was very intelligent and spent most of his lifetime in a seminary studying to become a priest, which would of gained justice for her family and other Jews. Andres, the love of Estrella's life, was kind, humble, handsome, and the one who got Estrella and her mother through the difficult journey. Catalina, was Estrella's friend until her horrid betrayal and jealousy overthrew who she was and became a hard, cruel person. Grandfather, was a wise men cold at first towards Estrella, but later on sees her potential and helps her become educated, which was rare at the time. Grandmother, Estrella fearful towards her, but later on she is the only strand of hope that leaves her Grandmother alive. These character together, for the exception of Catalina, create a bond at the worst of times and although many family members dies there history lived on.
Incantation shows the side of a person who's life was changed for the Jewish hatred surrounding her. For a piece a literature to be meaningful and make complete significance it's preferred to speak of only one side of the subject. This book is bias towards the side of Jewish people who suffered plenty throughout their life time. In order to tell the story of a person who experienced predicaments in life it would be confusing if the author were to tell both sides of a topic such as this because it would seem as it wouldn't be such a large problem in life. In this case the bias used wasn't a the truth hidden from the public, but more of a simple improvement in this book. Bias is used in everyday life to support our opinion, but those biases can either be a lie to blind one from reality or a great element in literature.
This piece of literature in my opinion was like a time travel to the important events of history. Incantation includes the cruel punishments that Jews experienced in Spain. For one the other perspective of something similar to a Holocaust, but in Spain rather than Germany. It also informed the readers of the kind of sacrifices Jews had to make in order to pass their traditions and religion onto the future generation. Incantation compared to other books available shows the beliefs of a Jew and what the limitations to their religion that doesn't allow them much freedom or they are given the horrible penalty of death. Knowledge is life and Incantation particularly expands our knowing of history and common life in general.
August 22, 2021
Vrlo zanimljiva priča o mračnom razdoblju ljudske povijesti, početak 16. stoljeća. Znamo što je to razdoblje donijelo pametnim, lijepim i umješnim ženama. Ova priča daje jedan uvid u univerzalni izvor zla, a to je zavist, ljubomora i želja za moći. Čak ni vjera nije toliko bitna u ovoj priči, već je samo poslužila kao okidač za eksprimiranje iskonskih zala u ljudima, bez obzira na susjedske i prijateljske odnose. Međutim, samo zbog sadržaja dajem 3 zvjezdice, nadajući se da je ispričana priča u izvorniku znatno bolje napisana, kako to već Hoffmanica znade. Prijevod, a pogotovo lektura su najblaže rečeno OČAJNI!!! Kao da je sedmogodišnje dijete preko Google translatora prevelo izvornik i dalo susjedi zaštitarki s 3 razreda srednje škole (uz dužno poštovanje zanimanju i osobama, isključivo u svrhu karikiranja), koja nije izvorni govornik hrvatskoga jezika, na lekturu. Nečitljivo! Htjela sam odustati već nakon 10 stranica, no samo zbog poštivanja autorice i novca utrošenog na knjigu dogurala sam do kraja i vrištala po kući.
May 29, 2022
I had no idea what I was getting into with this book, partially bc of not reading what it was about beforehand and partially bc I've not read AH before. This was just supposed to be a sampling of her writing before I dig into the Practical Magic legacy. That said, this was super short, at only 166 pages. Written in a first person account of what happened to families and villages during the Spanish Inquisition. The writting was fantastic and very easy to read. Even though short, the character development was magnificent and I wanted more of it! I'm not usually a historical fiction fan but this, I really liked. Just needed another 100 to 150 pages.
Final Rating 3.5
Final Rating 3.5
July 13, 2020
Read in one sitting - and really tough to ingest, the amount of pain. Love Alice Hoffman and what she is able to evoke, but man.... A punch in 166 pages.
By the time I'd write a synopsis, you could have read the book. But its a young naive 16 year old in the 1500's in Spain, following the inquisition, who comes to discover she and her family are Murrano's (Converted Jews) and are in danger.
By the time I'd write a synopsis, you could have read the book. But its a young naive 16 year old in the 1500's in Spain, following the inquisition, who comes to discover she and her family are Murrano's (Converted Jews) and are in danger.
September 8, 2022
Most of Alice Hoffman’s work can be described as follows: Beautiful. Heart-wrenching. Poignant. Powerful.
Incantation is no exception. In 160 pages Hoffman lays bare the prejudice and racism inherent in human history both past and present. Incantation’s sparse word count showcases Hoffman’s ability to dig into the marrow of society’s bones in the simplest, most brutal fashion and yet make each sentence feel magical even when it hurts.
Incantation is no exception. In 160 pages Hoffman lays bare the prejudice and racism inherent in human history both past and present. Incantation’s sparse word count showcases Hoffman’s ability to dig into the marrow of society’s bones in the simplest, most brutal fashion and yet make each sentence feel magical even when it hurts.
July 8, 2019
4.5 stars
February 19, 2019
A very moving lament.
January 25, 2024
School makes me hate this book
January 14, 2012
I started this book yesterday morning and finished it by the evening. It's not a long book, but it is a very heavy and emotional story. From the beginning, I knew I was going to be swept away into a very dark time in Spanish history. A time that always angers and saddens me so much.
And I was right. I felt every bit of Estrella's narration, very deeply.
Estrella and her neighbour, Catalina, have been best friends since they were babies. Estrella always likes to say that they look like sisters, and even had similar pet names when they were little--Estrella was Raven, and Catalina was Crow. They do everything together, but when they're both sixteen years old, a great evil comes to their town. In the form of the inquisition.
It all starts with the burning books of a Jewish man who lives behind the gated part of town, where all the Jews who refuse to renounce their belief live. Then it becomes a physical threat as Estrella watches her neighbours being taken away to be judged guilt without a fair trial. After this, she starts to realise something about her own family. Little things, actions, and rituals she's known all of her life soon start making sense.
Estrella and her family aren't who she always thought they were. And because she falls in love with her best friend's cousin--the boy Catalina is suppose to marry--Catalina's true self comes through. In the process, she causes Estrella's family a very unfair and painful conclusion. It's amazing what jealousy can do to a person.
This book made me so sad. It's haunting and beautifully written, in a way that gets deep into your soul until you feel like all you want to do is cry. I loved it. I loved Estrella and her family, so when everything comes together, I felt it deeply. :(
The subject matter is very dark, but I found Esther to be a shining star...
And I was right. I felt every bit of Estrella's narration, very deeply.
Estrella and her neighbour, Catalina, have been best friends since they were babies. Estrella always likes to say that they look like sisters, and even had similar pet names when they were little--Estrella was Raven, and Catalina was Crow. They do everything together, but when they're both sixteen years old, a great evil comes to their town. In the form of the inquisition.
It all starts with the burning books of a Jewish man who lives behind the gated part of town, where all the Jews who refuse to renounce their belief live. Then it becomes a physical threat as Estrella watches her neighbours being taken away to be judged guilt without a fair trial. After this, she starts to realise something about her own family. Little things, actions, and rituals she's known all of her life soon start making sense.
Estrella and her family aren't who she always thought they were. And because she falls in love with her best friend's cousin--the boy Catalina is suppose to marry--Catalina's true self comes through. In the process, she causes Estrella's family a very unfair and painful conclusion. It's amazing what jealousy can do to a person.
This book made me so sad. It's haunting and beautifully written, in a way that gets deep into your soul until you feel like all you want to do is cry. I loved it. I loved Estrella and her family, so when everything comes together, I felt it deeply. :(
The subject matter is very dark, but I found Esther to be a shining star...
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