The Cross and the Pear Tree: A Sephardic Journey [Paperback]

Victor Perera (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 1996

Tracing the dramatic lives, through 500 years, of the old and distinguished Sephardic Jewish family from whom he is descended, Perera brilliantly recreates the history not only of his own people but of an entire culture.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Guatemalan writer Perera (Unfinished Conquest: The Guatemalan Tragedy, LJ 9/1/93) chronicles the history of his Sephardic family from his parents' generation back to the family's Spanish origins. He discovers many eminent ancestors. The French branch of the family boasted Jacob Pereira, the 18th-century creator of a manual alphabet and techniques of articulation for training deaf mutes; and the brothers Isaac and Emile Pereire, who introduced the railways in France and, despite great wealth, supported workers' rights and denounced child labor. In tracing his family's history, Perera discovers Christian branches of the family and believes that there may even be Muslim branches. Despite minor errors in his chapter on the Sepharad in Spain, Perera's family history is a worthy addition to the growing literature on the Sephardim. It complements Howard Sachar's Farewell Espa?a: The World of Sephardim Remembered (LJ 11/15/94). Recommended for academic libraries and public libraries with strong reader interest in this area.?Robert Andrews, Duluth P.L., Minn.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Perera, who was born in Guatemala City of Sephardic Jews from Jerusalem, explores the history of his family, choosing those members whose lives illuminate important facets of the Sephardic experience. Perera traces his family back to the fourteenth century in Toledo, where the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. Some fled to Portugal, where the Inquisition was introduced in 1547. He probes one branch of the family that left Portugal for France in 1703, finding safe haven in Bordeaux. Perera discusses his great-great-grandfather, who wrote two books of commentaries in the 1870s, rooted in his faith in the Kabbala's prophecies. We meet his mother, a woman who spoke seven languages but often lapsed into the earthy Ladino idiom of her ancestors. Perera re-creates the life of his grandfather in an effort to reclaim his own Jewish identity. This chronicle of Sephardic culture and history is a vivid and absorbing account by a first-rate writer. George Cohen --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (October 28, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520206525
• ISBN-13: 978-0520206526
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,405,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book, October 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cross and the Pear Tree: A Sephardic Journey (Hardcover)

I read this book just after it was published. Victor Perera's life and background are of interest to all who have an interest in family, history and the journeys of generations. Whether the reader is of Jewsh, Spanish or Portoguese background, he will find things in this book which will astound him. Read this book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, December 31, 2007

By 

Bonnee L. Oderberg - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cross and the Pear Tree: A Sephardic Journey (Paperback)

Some years ago I was introduced to a web designer whose last name was Perera. Although he came from a Catholic family, as I worked with him and being Jewish myself, I began to wonder if he was from Jewish roots in Spain. The more I worked with him, the stronger the feeling became. I asked him about it and he pretty much laughed it off, but did say that there was some vague family lore about it but no one knew. Eventually, I felt I wanted to know if it was true and my search lead me to this book. I felt Victor Perera's research is fascinating and brilliant. I couldn't put the book down. Of course, it proved my hunch beyond a reasonable doubt, I believe, and this was very satisfying. The web designer was perplexed at the news. I'm not sure if he shared it with him family or not. In any case, over the years, I still think about what an interesting book this is and I've recommended it to several people. Alas, last night I met a Jewish convert whose mother is from Spain and recommended the book once again. She is excited to get her hands on it.

Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pear Tree is ripe for the pickin..., October 9, 2007

By 

Sam "Shmuel Fuentes de Lemos" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cross and the Pear Tree: A Sephardic Journey (Paperback)

Great book,I was very interested in the premise after a friend bought it for me as a gift. I really enjoyed the book's flow and the Sefardic postmodern experience through the authors eyes. As I have written before the Sefardic experience is "complicated" to say the least. This experience can only be truly described by a fellow Andalusian Jew. I highly recommend this book for those who want to understand the complexities of being an Iberian Sefardic Jew. The Book reads easily and its a fascinating account of one of many families that are in exile both from Israel and from our beloved Sefarad. A true joy to read and relish in.
note: The duality between the Families having both Jews and Christians in it is very real to this day. Check out the cover.
Shemuel Fuentes de Lemos