Incantation

by Alice Hoffman

Summary: Estrella lives in sixteenth century Spain, during the Spanish Inquisition. She has been raised Catholic, because during this time, to practice another religion could mean torture and/or death. As she grows older, she begins to realize her family is different, and discovers that they have been practicing Judaism secretly for many, many years. As her grandfather trains her in the faith of her ancestry, she begins to fall in love with the boy her best friend Catalina intends to marry. When Catalina finds out, she uses her knowledge of Estrella's secret to her owns ends, with devastating results.

My thoughts: I am fascinated by all things Spanish, so thought I would like this book more than I did. It's written in a sort of poetry form, which I found a little hard to follow. There are not many books for young adults about the Inquisition, though, so it is interesting to learn more about that shockingly cruel time in world history.