THE INSIDE NAME

A child navigates his Lisbon neighborhood as a converso, a Jew compelled to practice Catholicism in Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition.

The boy takes readers through his city and ponders the religious intolerance that has turned neighbors against him and forced his family to keep their Jewish observance a secret. Though the author acknowledges the threat of violence and imprisonment for forced converts, she leans toward optimism, depicting a loving, intact family who seek a way out. Interspersed with moments of dread and sadness, the narrative highlights details about secret religious practice, such as hiding a mezuzah under the tiles of the doorframe, lighting Shabbat candles inside a jar on the hearth, and using an “inside name,” a Hebrew name employed only in the privacy of the home. This short chapter book features illustrations on every spread as well as occasional text boxes that offer definitions and historical context, though the vocabulary will be a stretch for many younger readers. Saturated colors for the clothes and buildings imply the visual richness of the city, but the soft lines of the watercolorlike illustrations provide limited expression in the human faces. A historical note presents more details about conversos and discusses Doña Gracia, who used her wealth to rescue Jewish people trapped by the Inquisition.

A gentle exploration of a cruel episode in European history.