The Marrano Prince (The Ruach ami series) [Hardcover]

Avner Gold (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: Cis Communications (June 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935063390
• ISBN-13: 978-0935063394
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,994,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant heroic tale of 17th century Spanish Duke, April 17, 2000

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This review is from: The Marrano Prince (The Ruach ami series) (Hardcover)

The eighth (and final?) book in Avner Gold's "Ruach Ami" series, this book is the story of a highborn Spanish marrano (secret Jew) in 17th century Spain. The protagonist, an important member of the Spanish government, must balance his loyalty to his country against his devotion to a faith that he knows little about, but in which he firmly believes. In the meantime, his political enemy discovers his secret, and will stop at nothing to prove it. Through the eyes of the protagonist, the author takes the reader through the painted corpse that was 17th century Spain. He shows how this vast and powerful empire from the outside was rotting at its foundations, and how constant plots and back-stabbing within the government always threatened chaos at any time. He also weaves a wealth of historical information into the pages of this exciting novel as the story journeys from sea battles on the English Channel to the Halls of power in Madrid to the bullfights and fairs at Pamplona to the horrifying torture chambers of the inquisition that have become so notorious. This book really is a fascinating historical piece as well as an exciting story with mind-boggling twists in the plot. This book also has a sense of realism that the other "Ruach Ami" books lack, in that it has a flawed protagonist and "gray" characters rather than the normal black and white, good vs. evil storyline. Also, as an appendix, the author has included a historical essay called "A Rise and Fall of Spain and its Jews," which shows the extent to which Spain's fate was tied to its persecuted and hated minority.