A tale of war, love and religious strife by a promising new novelist.
A young man struggles against family, church and state to find love and a life of his own.
In Wagner’s debut historical novel, Spain’s Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand are waging war to reclaim the country from Portugal and the Moors. In the process, they expel Muslims and Jews and seek to establish a nation of pure blood. In this context of war, racism and religious fervor, a young man named Casiano comes of age with difficulty. Born with a birthmark interpreted to be the mark of Satan to a Christian mother in a Muslim household, the child doesn’t have the odds in his favor. Competition between Casiano and his half brother, Juan Diego, dominates Casiano’s childhood. While the half brothers are riding through treacherous passes, a pig charges them, startles Juan Diego’s horse and sends Juan Diego plummeting over a cliff to his death. From that point on, Casiano labors under the presumption of guilt for the loss and under the enmity of his stepfather. He is imprisoned but eventually taken in by monks. He falls in love with a Jewish converso named Perla, and he fights in the many battles that rage at the time. He also fights for the life of Perla, who is nearly burned at the stake for heresy. Eventually, Casiano and Perla set out to make a life for themselves free from the oppression of church and state. Wagner’s well-researched novel brings the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella to life. The story is a little slow paced at times, and the dialogue can be stiff, sounding more like that of a period-piece drama than natural speech, a danger in historical novels. The novel also has some predictable plot elements. Nonetheless, Wagner’s novel rises above these limitations. It’s a lively, historically detailed narrative, filled with well-rounded characters. Readers of historical fiction interested in the time period will find much to enjoy.
A tale of war, love and religious strife by a promising new novelist.Pub Date: March 4, 2013
ISBN: 978-1477407448
Page Count: 332
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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