In the year 1492, the Inquisition has all of Spain in its grip. After
centuries of pogrom-like riots encouraged by the Church, the Jews - who
have been an important part of Spanish life since the days of the
Romans - are expelled from the country by royal edict. Many who wish to
remain are intimidated by Church and Crown and become Catholics, but
several hundred thousand choose to retain their religion and depart;
given little time to flee, some perish even before they can escape from
Spain.
Yonah Toledano, the 15-year-old son of a celebrated Spanish silversmith,
has seen his father and brother die during these terrible days - victims
whose murders go almost unnoticed in a time of mass upheaval. Trapped in
Spain by circumstances, he is determined to honor the memory of his
family by remaining a Jew.
On a donkey named Moise, Yonah begins a meandering journey, a young
fugitive zigzagging across the vastness of Spain. Toiling at manual
labor, he desperately tries to cling to his memories of a vanished
culture. As a lonely shepherd on a mountaintop, he hurls snatches of
almost forgotten Hebrew at the stars, as an apprentice armorer he learns
to fight like a Christian knight. Finally, as a man living in a time and
land where danger from the Inquisition is everywhere, he deals with the
questions that mark his past. How he discovers the answers, how he finds
his way to a singular and strong Marrano woman, how he achieves a life
with the outer persona of a respected Old Christian physician and the
inner life of a secret Jew, is the fabric of this novel. The Last Jew
is a glimpse of the past, an authentic tale of high adventure, and a
tender and unforgettable love story. In it, Noah Gordon utilizes his
greatest strengths, and the result is remarkable and moving.
