A Ceiling Made of Eggshells
Loma is clever, resourceful, and beautiful. Everyone has plans for her future including her brother, her grandfather, and even Queen Isabella. But Loma has her own dreams. Will she ever get the chance to make them come true?
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What the Book is About
Jewish Content and Values
Content Advisory
What the Book is About
Loma lives in the Jewish quarter of Alcalá de Henares in 15th-century Spain, where her grandfather is a trusted adviser to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Loma wants to marry and have children before too long, but her grandfather recognizes her brains and diplomatic skills and enlists her to assist in his negotiations with the royal family, forcing Loma to postpone her dreams.
Initially Loma is grateful for the opportunity to help her grandfather, but the older she gets, the more she longs for independence. As the Inquisition looms nearer, and under growing pressure to convert to Christianity, Loma must make the most difficult decision of her life. Can she follow her dreams and help save her family?
Gail Carson Levine, the award-winning author of Ella Enchanted, brings the struggles of the Spanish Inquisition to life in this incredible tale of honor, adventure, and sacrifice. This book is perfect for fans of Secrets of the House of Delgado and The Girl With the Secret Name.
Initially Loma is grateful for the opportunity to help her grandfather, but the older she gets, the more she longs for independence. As the Inquisition looms nearer, and under growing pressure to convert to Christianity, Loma must make the most difficult decision of her life. Can she follow her dreams and help save her family?
Gail Carson Levine, the award-winning author of Ella Enchanted, brings the struggles of the Spanish Inquisition to life in this incredible tale of honor, adventure, and sacrifice. This book is perfect for fans of Secrets of the House of Delgado and The Girl With the Secret Name.
Jewish Content and Values
- Loma and her grandfather attempt to keep the Jewish community safe in Spain by raising money and negotiating with the king and queen. Eventually, Loma’s family, along with most of the Jewish community, chooses to leave the country they love rather than converting to Christianity and retaining their privileged position in Spanish society.
- Loma’s family prays and goes to synagogue. Although there is plenty of antisemitism in the book, Judaism is a positive force that guides Loma's decision-making and keeps the family together.
- Loma’s family is extremely unhappy with the brother who converts to retain his position in Spanish society; they put their Jewishness above their personal safety. The brother does remain inwardly Jewish and continues to observe some Jewish laws in secret.
Content Advisory
The overall theme of the Spanish Inquisition means there is a pervasive mood of threat in the novel. A young cousin is murdered and, in one scene, a Christian mob gathers at the gate of the Jewish neighborhood because of a rumor that Jews crucified a Christian boy and cut his heart out in order to use it to infect Christians with rabies. Loma’s brother is tortured in a Spanish prison and eventually converts to Christianity. There are deaths from the plague and in childbirth.
What the Book is About
What the Book is About
Loma lives in the Jewish quarter of Alcalá de Henares in 15th-century Spain, where her grandfather is a trusted adviser to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Loma wants to marry and have children before too long, but her grandfather recognizes her brains and diplomatic skills and enlists her to assist in his negotiations with the royal family, forcing Loma to postpone her dreams.
Initially Loma is grateful for the opportunity to help her grandfather, but the older she gets, the more she longs for independence. As the Inquisition looms nearer, and under growing pressure to convert to Christianity, Loma must make the most difficult decision of her life. Can she follow her dreams and help save her family?
Gail Carson Levine, the award-winning author of Ella Enchanted, brings the struggles of the Spanish Inquisition to life in this incredible tale of honor, adventure, and sacrifice. This book is perfect for fans of Secrets of the House of Delgado and The Girl With the Secret Name.
Initially Loma is grateful for the opportunity to help her grandfather, but the older she gets, the more she longs for independence. As the Inquisition looms nearer, and under growing pressure to convert to Christianity, Loma must make the most difficult decision of her life. Can she follow her dreams and help save her family?
Gail Carson Levine, the award-winning author of Ella Enchanted, brings the struggles of the Spanish Inquisition to life in this incredible tale of honor, adventure, and sacrifice. This book is perfect for fans of Secrets of the House of Delgado and The Girl With the Secret Name.
Jewish Content and Values
Jewish Content and Values
- Loma and her grandfather attempt to keep the Jewish community safe in Spain by raising money and negotiating with the king and queen. Eventually, Loma’s family, along with most of the Jewish community, chooses to leave the country they love rather than converting to Christianity and retaining their privileged position in Spanish society.
- Loma’s family prays and goes to synagogue. Although there is plenty of antisemitism in the book, Judaism is a positive force that guides Loma's decision-making and keeps the family together.
- Loma’s family is extremely unhappy with the brother who converts to retain his position in Spanish society; they put their Jewishness above their personal safety. The brother does remain inwardly Jewish and continues to observe some Jewish laws in secret.
Content Advisory
Content Advisory
The overall theme of the Spanish Inquisition means there is a pervasive mood of threat in the novel. A young cousin is murdered and, in one scene, a Christian mob gathers at the gate of the Jewish neighborhood because of a rumor that Jews crucified a Christian boy and cut his heart out in order to use it to infect Christians with rabies. Loma’s brother is tortured in a Spanish prison and eventually converts to Christianity. There are deaths from the plague and in childbirth.
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