The Boy from Seville

Manuel Nunez, the teenage narrator, describes Jewish life during the Spanish Inquisition in 17th-century Seville. Manuel`s life changes dramatically when he learns his familyns secret: they are Jews. Especially afraid of their servants, the family has ways of secretly following Jewish traditions – ingenious methods that have been tested through many years of persecution. Life in Seville is a minefield for secret Jews, but the family has experience in leading this double life. Later,Manuel falls in love with Violante whose sister, Leore, suspected of being a witch, has been imprisoned in the dreadful Triana Fortress.Unfortunately, his relationship with Violante brings him closer to the Inquisitors and threatens the Nunez family. The family’s escape to Amsterdam by sea is a satisfying resolution to the story. But it is the novel`s realistic portrayal of the period and the family`s struggles that make the strongest impression.