Customer Reviews

Cardinal's Snuffbox

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The setting is Madrid, Spain in 1492. The Spanish Inquisition is demanding that Jews convert to Catholicism or leave the country. Based on the decisions that the reader makes, the protagonist might end up a wealthy merchant in the Ottoman empire, as a "Secret Jew" worshipping covertly in Spain, or even as a high ranking Inquisitor! Of course, many of the choices lead to the death of the protagonist.

Because the story-lines are relatively brief, after reaching the outcome of a series of decisions, readers will often return to a prior decision and follow the alternate path the story might have taken. In the course of a half-hour to an hour, a reader will have had the opportunity to explore many different places and situations. It is generally impossible to guess which decisions will turn out to be the more prudent, emphasizing how surviving the Inquisition was as much a matter of luck as of wit or skill.

By placing the reader directly into a fictionalized story, history is brought to life in a very personal and meaningful way. By forcing the reader to make the kinds of ethical decisions that Jews would really have faced during this period, the book tackles not only the history, but also such deeper issues as conversion, martyrdom, and personal responsibility. The Cardinal's Snuffbox is fun to read.

I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade in Sunday school class. I now use it in teaching my own students about the Spanish Inquisition. When the students rate what they liked best about the school year, Kenneth Roseman's choose-your-own adventure series always gets the highest ranking from the kids. I still remember my fall from grace as the advisor to the king of Spain 15 years ago!