Lasky, Kathryn. Blood secret.LASKY, Kathryn. Blood secret. HarperCollins. 236p. c2004. 0-06-000065-1. $15.99. JS This is a fascinating story told somewhat awkwardly--not because of the language, but because of the mechanism that drives the plot. A modern-day girl in New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). discovers the truth about her heritage through objects discovered in her elderly aunt's basement. Her ancestors Ancestors See also father; heredity; mother; origins; parents; race. archaism an inclination toward old-fashioned things, speech, or actions, especially those of one’s ancestors. Also archaicism. — archaist, n. come to life for her in some mystical way, and in her visions of their lives, Jerry looks back in time to the persecutions of Jews Jews [from Judah], traditionally, descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, whose tribe, with that of his half brother Benjamin, made up the kingdom of Judah; historically, members of the worldwide community of adherents to Judaism. during the time of the Spanish Inquisition Spanish Inquisition harsh tribunal established in 1478 to dispose of heretics, Protestants, and Jews. [Eur. Hist.: Collier’s, X, 259] See : Persecution . She sees her ancestors convert to Catholicism to save their families; sees them seeking refuge with the Moors Moors, nomadic people of the northern shores of Africa, originally the inhabitants of Mauretania. They were chiefly of Berber and Arab stock. In the 8th cent. the Moors were converted to Islam and became fanatic Muslims. in Grenada, Spain; sees them journey to the New World, trying to survive. Jerry's ancient aunt Constanza (in her 90s) is a successful baker whose traditions are somewhat mysterious, including the lighting of candles each Friday evening. Jerry asks her why she does this and Constanza doesn't know ... only that her mother taught her to do it. Jerry realizes this is a link to the family's Jewish heritage--this is the blood secret of the title. Constanza is one of the truly wonderful characters in YA fiction, especially as a mentor to Jerry, a troubled young teenager who is literally mute mute (my  t), in music, device designed to diminish uniformly the loudness of a musical instrument. because of the complicated losses in her life. Constanza and the family history give Jerry a sense of herself and fulfill her need to belong somewhere, to someone. Lasky offers an explanation of her way of telling this story by referring to the Navaho way of believing in windows to other worlds, of seeing people in the shadows. Claire Rosser, KLIATT
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