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Incantation

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 3,302 ratings · 626 reviews

Estrella is a Marrano: During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, she is one of a community of Spanish Jews living double lives as Catholics. And she is living in a house of secrets, raised by a family who practices underground the ancient and mysterious way of wisdom known as kabbalah. When Estrella discovers her family's true identity--and her family's secrets are made...more

Paperback, 192 pages

Published October 1st 2007 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (first published October 4th 2006)

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Feb 02, 2008 J-Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: historical-fiction, nyra-2009-books, young-adult-and-adolescent-lit, latino-or-hispanic-kid-and-ya-lit, christian-kid-and-ya-lit, jewish-kid-and-ya-lit, romance-ya-and-adolescent-lit, strong-girls-and-women, realistic-or-urban-kid-and-ya-lit

This book is a beautiful telling of a horrific story. Set in Spain in 1500, Estrella DeMadrigal is a normal teenage girl whose everyday life revolves around her well respected family and her best friend, Catalina. The peaceful existence of her charmed childhood is disrupted when soldiers build a bonfire of books in the town’s center.

This barbaric act signals a rebirth of anti-semitism and as the government decrees against Jews heighten, Estrella realizes that her family may have reason to be afr...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2009 Jaemi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction

The day the books burned in the plaza, Estrella’s life began to change. She caught her first glimpse of a different side of her best friend. She felt the evilness which had come up and inhabited her town. She saw a part of her mother that scared her the same way her grandmother always had.

Estrella’s town has always been divided. Years ago, the Jews we all made to convert to Christianity or leave. Some refused both, and were forced to the outskirts, living behind a gate. On the other side of town...more The day the books burned in the plaza, Estrella’s life began to change. She caught her first glimpse of a different side of her best friend. She felt the evilness which had come up and inhabited her town. She saw a part of her mother that scared her the same way her grandmother always had.

Estrella’s town has always been divided. Years ago, the Jews we all made to convert to Christianity or leave. Some refused both, and were forced to the outskirts, living behind a gate. On the other side of town lived the Muslims, also not allowed too close to the Christians. But they were not quite as forbidden, and Estrella made trips to see them with her mother when she went to sell her yarns.

But after the book burning, things get bleak. Her neighbors are arrested, accused of being Marranos. Hidden Jews. Estrella is lost in confusion. These are good people who attend her church. Worse yet, one night she spies someone in their house…spying through a window she finds her best friend, Catalina, and her mother going through the Arrias’ things.

Catalina and Estrella have been growing apart. Estrella has feelings for Andres, Catalina’s cousin whom she plans to marry, regardless of whether Andres feels the same. Catalina envies the pearls Estrella was given on her sixteenth birthday. She envies her looks. Estrella begins to see Catalina in a new light.

But not a light that would make her believe her own best friend would destroy her family.

When the notices are posted in the plaza on how to spot a hidden Jew, Estrella grows fearful. Though she was raised Catholic, all of the things on this list are things her family does. She worries, but time passes, and things seem almost to return to normal.

Until Catalina catches her with Andres.

Her family is taken, one by one. And thus the dominoes begin to fall. She can’t believe how far its come, this evil that has overtaken her home, which no longer feels like a place she belongs, or wants to be. She struggles in vain to help her family, and cling to what little hope she has left.(less)

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Apr 26, 2013 Leander Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This woman creeps me out in a good way. Her simplicity is masterful. In Incantations she sets you up with a young girl's innocent observations.

Like this paragraph:
"At first I thought the soldiers were burning doves. White things were rising into the sky. I felt so sad for those poor burning birds, then I realized the burning pile was made of books. Pages flew upward, disappearing, turning to embers and ash, drifting into nothingness."

And then slowly you find out the ominous reason they were bur...more

1 like · like · see review

May 25, 2010 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For young Estrella, living in Encaleflora, Spain is all she's ever known. Staying with her grandfather, grandmother, mother, and brother Louis, Estrella has many questions about her life but never fully understands or gets answers about her family traditions. When all seems right, Estrella's best friend Catalina rushes her to the plaza where something exciting is happening. There Estrella finds a Marano (or Jew) that has been caught keeping a book. It is burned while the man cry's and is mocked...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Sarah BT rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know it's not Friday, but I listened to this audiobook yesterday and thought I'd review it. I picked up Incantation based on the short length and the pretty cover. It was three hours long so I thought I could get through it in one day. I didn't know anything else about it or about Alice Hoffman. Now I'll be sure to pick up more books by this author!

This may be a short read, but it packs a lot of emotion into it's three short discs. I'll try not to give anything away. Estrella is a strong chara...more

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Dec 12, 2008 Courtney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not a story just for the young or the old or everyone in between. This is a story for everyone. It is also not just a story of about a young girl becoming a woman and finding love mixed with betrayal along the way, but rather a story of a young woman who is forced to discover who she is and where not only she has come from but the entire history of her family in a time and place where you were punished for simply being different and of a different faith. The tale Estrella deMadrigal tell...more

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May 24, 2013 Sheri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, race

So I wasn't convinced this was the Spanish Inquisition. I mean, clearly, that is when it is supposed to be set, but something about the language and the freedom enjoyed by Estrella and Catalina just didn't feel like 1500s to me. The language was also just too flippant.

That said, it was certainly a compelling (and short) book. Seriously, it was less than 2 hours concentrated reading in a period of 7 hours total. It was not very complex, but well done.

I think my favorite passages all had to do wit...more

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May 15, 2013 Sydney2adams rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-356

I read this because I read Green Angel, another book by Alice Hoffman) when I was younger and loved it. It also fit a requirement in my Young Adult lit class for Historical Fiction.
I was not disappointed in Alice Hoffmans writing. It was filled with beautiful imagery and description. She also dealt with themes of death and prejudice. Her conclusions were not terribly creative, but the way she told it was refreshing, especially with the themes of knowledge and the 10 gates. Historically I didn't...more

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May 10, 2013 Lanica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2013, recommend-for-middle-school-book-cl, young-adult

As others have said, this is a well written book about a little-known period in time. The Jews in Spain in the 1500's were forced to become Christian. Some chose to hide their true religion and lived a double life. It's sweet, and bitter. You know something terrible will happen, but you hold out hope until the very end...

I loved the main character. Alice Hoffman did an excellent job of letting us witness the evil of the world through innocent eyes. Beautiful, terrifying, hopeful, tender, harsh,...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 09, 2013 Ricki Treleaven rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This week I read Incantation by Alice Hoffman. This book won many, many awards including an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. You might be familiar with some of Hoffman's other young adult novels including Aquamarine. She has also written many books for adults as well, like Practical Magic, Here on Earth, and The Third Angel. I have read all of these books, and I enjoyed them. I was actually previewing Incantation for my daughter because I think she can...more This week I read Incantation by Alice Hoffman. This book won many, many awards including an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. You might be familiar with some of Hoffman's other young adult novels including Aquamarine. She has also written many books for adults as well, like Practical Magic, Here on Earth, and The Third Angel. I have read all of these books, and I enjoyed them. I was actually previewing Incantation for my daughter because I think she can squeeze in one more summer reading book. She will be studying world history this year in school, and Incantation is a historical fiction about the Spanish Inquisition.

The main character in the book is Estrella de Madrigal, and she is around sixteen years old. She has raven black hair and dark eyes. Her best friend, Catalina, has similar looks, and because of their hair folks call them similar pet names: Estrella is called Raven, and Catalina is called Crow. The girls are inseparable, until one day Catalina notices that Estrella and Andres, Catalina's cousin, have become close: a little too close, and Catalina is resentful. She believes that Andres will marry her one day, and she wants Estrella to leave Andres alone. But this isn't all that Catalina has noticed: Estrella does not cross herself after prayer like Catalina and other Christians.

The girls live in a lovely village in Aragon, but unfortunately they are living in a very paranoid and dangerous time. A monster raises its ugly head as the burnings begin. Books are burned, neighbors are allowed to steal from the Jewish families they expose to the authorities, and people's bones are broken and bodies are burned in the village square. No one is safe, and even your best friend might betray you for personal gain. In the midst of the chaos, Estrella discovers that she and her family have indeed been living a double life, and are really Marranos: people who attend church and pretend to be Christian, but who are secretly Jews.

Like most of Alice Hoffman's magical realism books, this one, too, has elements of magic or mysticism as each chapter's title is named for the ten gates in Kabbalah that lead to knowledge and spiritual fulfillment. Estrella's dreams are of these gates as well. It might be difficult for a younger teen to grasp some of this symbolism in the book with a parent or teacher's help. I think Hoffman does an excellent job in writing about the persecution Jews suffered during the inquisition. I loved the way she captured the mood and necessary secretiveness of the Jews as they passed down knowledge and practiced their religion with their families. My favorite scenes in the book are the lessons Estrella's mother teaches her about who she really is. Incantation is a very quick read, and I enjoyed the story, history, and magical elements that make it a Hoffman classic.(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Jayme Swallow rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, jr-high, religion

Alice Hoffman's Incantation tells the tale of undercover Jews in Spain during the 1500s. Our main character, Estrella, doesn't even realize her family is Jewish. She finally puts the pieces together and sees the danger her family is in. They have been practicing Judaism but masquerading as good Catholics for years. When they are found out . . . well, it won't be good. At one point, Estrella thinks, "Still, I couldn't help but wonder if it was a mistake for people like us to be tied to a place. I...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Caleb R rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read this book many times. It is always one of my good go-to, get in done in a day, reads.

This book is a beautiful telling of a horrific story. Set in Spain in 1500, Estrella DeMadrigal is a normal teenage girl whose everyday life revolves around her well respected family and her best friend, Catalina. The peaceful existence of her charmed childhood is disrupted when soldiers build a bonfire of books in the town’s center.

This barbaric act signals a rebirth of anti-semitism and as the gov...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Arthistorychick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, young-adult

Incantation by Alice Hoffman
Purchased
5/5 stars

I picked up Alice Hoffman’s Incantation on a whim while at my local used bookstore. This book was meant to be my no pressure, no review, just for the hell of it read and then I devoured it in two very, very late night sittings and realized I have to review this book. Incantation is the tragic and heartbreaking story of Estrella de Madrigal and her struggle to remember who and what she is in a time when who and what she is, was simply not allowed.

Thou...more Incantation by Alice Hoffman
Purchased
5/5 stars

I picked up Alice Hoffman’s Incantation on a whim while at my local used bookstore. This book was meant to be my no pressure, no review, just for the hell of it read and then I devoured it in two very, very late night sittings and realized I have to review this book. Incantation is the tragic and heartbreaking story of Estrella de Madrigal and her struggle to remember who and what she is in a time when who and what she is, was simply not allowed.

Though Estrella is a fictional character her story is one that is based on the facts of the Spanish Inquisition. During this dark period of human history, it was essentially illegal for Jews to be Jews in Spain. Under the direction of Tomas de Torquemada, Jews were forced to convert to the Christian faith, flee their homes, or risk being tortured and killed if caught practicing their faith. While Estrella is certainly disturbed by what she is seeing and hearing in her village she knows, without doubt, that this horror cannot touch her family. It simply cannot, she and her family are Christians. As dark rumors, gossip, and speculation begin to turn neighbor against neighbor, suddenly Estrella is forced to consider that everything she thought she knew about herself and her family is wrong.

Is it possible that her family is actually Jewish? As Estrella begins to look back over the years of her short life the pieces of a newly-discovered and very dangerous puzzle begin to fall into place. There is the fact that her family eats no pork, they light the candles every Friday evening, they cross themselves differently than do their neighbors and there are times when family members (including Estralla) are called by different, secret names. For Estrella these discoveries are as fascinating as they are dangerous. As the accusations and arrests increase dramatically, Estrella understands that she has precious little time to understand the history of her family and her people and decide if she will stand with them and their shared history. Estrella must decide if she is willing to give up everything she has ever known and loved for the sake of her family and her faith.

Had I started this book any earlier in the night I would have completed it in a single sitting. The plot is as powerful as it is heartbreaking and every character brings something to the table. There are no weaknesses in the cast of characters; you love some and hate others but you undoubtedly see how each plays his/her role perfectly. Each scene and every chapter are crafted rather than simply written and all pull the reader in instantaneously. It is ridiculously easy to become emotionally invested in these characters and their story. This story made me angry, anxious, sad (yes, I cried), and it gave me cold chills up my spine. With that being said, it is important to note there are bright moments of beauty in this book as well. At the end of the day the message is clear: though times are often dangerous and frightening hope and love are equally powerful forces.

Bottom line: Make no mistake, because of the subject matter alone this is not an easy book to read but it is beyond being well worth the time and the emotional investment. The plot and the characters are flawless. As for the writing style? When I consider Hoffman’s writing style I see in my head a mature and beautiful woman, finely dressed, and carrying herself with a grace that is a part of her rather than being something she has learned. In short, Hoffman’s writing style is elegant and suits the subject matter of Incantation perfectly. A phenomenal read!(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-baby-ya, x-2006s, beautiful-words-lets-swim-in-them

This is a beautifully written story about one of the arguably most horrible periods in European history: The Spanish Inquisition. I know what you're thinking -

(I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. But I've got it out of my system now. I promise.)

Estrella is a Marrano, a derogatory term for Spanish Jews who continue to practice in secret. The Inquisition has just started to get into full swing, when Estrella and her friend, Catalina, happen upon a book-burning of a Jewish man's library in the plaza...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This young adult novel is small but the subject matter really packs a punch. It took me only two hours to read, but I suspect it will stay with me a good while.

Estrella, is 16 years old in the year 1500. This is the year that the Spanish Inquisition comes to the town she lives in. Estrella knows little about the Jews in her town, other than that they live in their own area and wear red circles sewn on their clothing. She and her family attend one of the Catholic churches in the town, the one fu...more This young adult novel is small but the subject matter really packs a punch. It took me only two hours to read, but I suspect it will stay with me a good while.

Estrella, is 16 years old in the year 1500. This is the year that the Spanish Inquisition comes to the town she lives in. Estrella knows little about the Jews in her town, other than that they live in their own area and wear red circles sewn on their clothing. She and her family attend one of the Catholic churches in the town, the one further from their house. They light candles on Friday nights, and make the sign of the cross a little differently from most of the people in town, but Estrella never gives this a thought. She and her best friend, Catalina from next door, have planned to stay close for their whole lives, living close together and raising their children together.

But that isn’t to be. Catalina has an understanding with her cousin Andres; they will marry when the time comes, although she treats him somewhat disdainfully. Although they fight it, Andres and Estrella fall in love- and Catalina sets out to destroy Estrella and her family. It’s an easy thing for Catalina to do, because- although Estrella doesn’t know it- they are Jews just pretending to be Catholic, which makes them even worse in the eyes of the Inquisition. Worse, Estrella’s mother is a healer, her father a scholar and a surgeon, all things that mark them as witches.

Told in the first person, we get the full force of Estrella’s horror as she watches her family destroyed. She learns that not only is Catalina not who Estrella thought she was, but Estrella herself is not who she thought she was. It’s a jolting enlightenment and a brutal coming of age that she goes through.

The story is told beautifully; there is not one wasted word in the book. It reads like it could be set to music. Love, fear, prejudice, stupidity, jealousy, ignorance; it has all the ingredients for an opera. I think this is a valuable book for teens; the Inquisition isn’t something that’s mentioned much in school and it needs to be remembered.
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Feb 20, 2012 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

Everywhere the Jews lived, they are not welcomed.
Recommended by Sanna, a dear friend.

so the story goes like this:

ESTRELLA: I am the main character and my best friend is Catalina! When I turned 16 I witnessed the Spanish soldier burning books. How horrifying.

CATALINA: Estrella is growing so beautiful! I am jealous. Ha, good thing I am bethrothed to my handsome cousin, Andres.

ESTRELLA: I love Andres ): I cannot resist him, but I know this is wrong but I can't stop liking him.

ANDRES: I hate Catali...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star, gailivro, meu

Tendo já ouvido falar maravilhas desta autora e tendo adorado o filme "Da magia à sedução", entrei com elevadas expectativas na leitura deste livro. Pois qual não foi o meu espanto quando começo a ler e vejo que este livro não tem nada de mágico ou mesmo fantástico! Não consigo de todo perceber qual foi a ideia da Gailivro em publicá-lo dentro da colecção 1001 Mundos.

Foi uma sorte eu ter lido anteriormente um outro livro que explicava o mundo dos Marranos o que me facilitou e muito a compreensão...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Sarah Fagan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Young Adults

Alice Hoffman’s novel Incantation is an emotional read filled with all sorts of elements: sadness, betrayal, jealous, secrets, and strength. Hoffman does a superb job with expressing the main character Estrella’s feelings about her life and the world around her, from the beginning of the novel where she is unaware of who she is, until the very end. The book offers a chilling retelling of the horrors that went on during the time of the Spanish Inquisition and all that Estrella is forced to go thr...more Alice Hoffman’s novel Incantation is an emotional read filled with all sorts of elements: sadness, betrayal, jealous, secrets, and strength. Hoffman does a superb job with expressing the main character Estrella’s feelings about her life and the world around her, from the beginning of the novel where she is unaware of who she is, until the very end. The book offers a chilling retelling of the horrors that went on during the time of the Spanish Inquisition and all that Estrella is forced to go through, suffering the most horrendous of consequences, including the loss of a friend whom she thought would be by her side forever.

Hoffman writes so well that the reader can clearly see the character of Catalina and her misguided ambitions, but her final actions are still very shocking and unbelievable. However, the theme of courage is very present in this novel from beginning to end, when Estrella must deal with her life and bring up the courage to keep going, no matter what befalls her. In addition, Hoffman’s use of symbolism, especially those involving color, are extremely interesting and well thought out. The subtle symbolism of colors, such as Catalina’s green eyes used to show her jealousy, makes the reader fascinated by the book. Personally, I thought that hiding symbolism like that in a book is the best mark of a wonderful book because it shows thought and precision on the author’s part. The story is very strong in sadness, but it sends a great message of the consequences of hatred, bigotry, and the misuse of power.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a heart-warming tale of exactly what happened during the Spanish Inquisition. But bring tissues. You can’t finish the story without crying! I would teach this book to my students so that they could get a look at the various uses of symbolism, and not only so that they could have a glimpse at one of history’s most horrible moments but also so that they can learn the consequences of betrayal, jealousy, and the sins of human life.

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Aug 19, 2011 Marion Marchetto rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alice-hoffman, magic

What happens when a young woman (16) learns that her entire life has been a lie? This is what happens to Estrella di Madrigal in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition.

She watches as those around her are arrested, tortured, and put to death because they are Conversos (Jews who have converted to Christianity). She feels for them but is happy that she and her family attend the Christian church headed by Friar DeLeon and that her brother is a seminarian.

Estrella's best friend and neighbor is Catali...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Steve Cran added it

Catalina and Esrtrella are best friends who live in a small village in Spain. They are such good friends that people cal them Raven and Crow. THey look like each other even. THe first part of the book dewcribes the life of Estrella who the story revolves around. The mother is ffreinds with a family in the muslim quarter with a doctor and a wife who is terminally ill. Her mother is a knowledgable healer and knows how to seww clothes. THe Grand father teaches students late into the night and grand...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Zixuan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, made-a-difference-in-my-life, memoir-diaries, romance, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 24, 2011 Shawn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I did enjoy this book, but I had a couple issues with it that I'm going to focus on here. My biggest problem was everything that had to do with Catalina. It annoyed me how all it took was for Catalina to make one comment about Estrella's brother, saying that she hated people who thought they were better than her. Now, Estrella had every right to be insulted by this, after all this comment was aimed at her brother, but I thought it was stupid how that one comment suddenly made her feel like she d...more I did enjoy this book, but I had a couple issues with it that I'm going to focus on here. My biggest problem was everything that had to do with Catalina. It annoyed me how all it took was for Catalina to make one comment about Estrella's brother, saying that she hated people who thought they were better than her. Now, Estrella had every right to be insulted by this, after all this comment was aimed at her brother, but I thought it was stupid how that one comment suddenly made her feel like she didn't know Catalina anymore. I know one of the themse Hoffman was trying to get across was that "people only show us what they want us to see," but I felt like if Catalina and Estrella were as close as she said, and talked as much as they did, then Estrella would have known Catalina better. I hated how this one comment made her question an entire friendship, and to me that just didn't seem believable. It would have been more believable if Catalina's bad character traits were built up more instead of going from best friends to suddenly realizing her friend has a dark side.

Which leads me to hate how petty Catalina turned out to be. This, too, was sudden. For a couple of friends who supposedly spent hours and hours talking to each other, they should have talked more about the whole issue with Andres instead of Catalina turning Estrella's family over to the church just because she was jealous of her pretty friend who was secretly seeing her "betrothed" behind her back. Now, I understand that this story wasn't supposed to be a romance, or about the strengths of friendship. It's obviously supposed to show how easy it was for just one person to tear apart an entire family, and I can respect that. What I can't get over was how Catalina supposedly didn't understand just how much pain she would bring to Estrella's family by turning them in. Hello! Hoffman made it clear that Catalina was present for the book burning and was aware of what was going on in the village. How could she NOT know that Estrella's family would get killed?

So now we not only have an underdeveloped character who is petty, but also stupid, too. It seems like Hoffman was trying to turn Catalina into a friend turned enemy, but really it felt like Catalina was just a bad excuse for a plot device: evil for the sake of evil in order to move the plot forward. Like I said, I wouldn't have minded if we'd seen more of these characteristics of hers leading up to it, and I don't feel like the whole thing with Estrella's pearl necklace and searching through that house when they other family was taken away counts. This all happened after the comment about Estrella's brother, and therefore making it feel too sudden instead of showing examples from Estrella's memories of the friendship.

Also, Hoffman's theme of "people only show you what they want you to see" could have worked much better if after the comment on the brother, Estrella thought back on her relationship with Catalina and showed examples of behavior that led to the person Catalina became, and Estrella maybe ignored these behaviors because they were such good friends.

But like I said, those were just smaller themes in a book about the Spanish Inquisition. I know this seems like a harsh review, but I really did enjoy this book, because the issues that I've mentioned wouldn't have bothered me as much if I didn't enjoy it.(less)

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Oct 03, 2010 Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a fan of Alice Hoffman's work, especially since reading Practical Magic and The Ice Queen. I picked up Incantation several months ago, and being busy with other reads, I put it down and never got back to it. I didn't want to give up on it though, so I picked it up again and this time around I found myself being immersed in this story.

Incantation is a story about a 16 year old girl named Estrella deMadrigal, and the long hidden secret she finds out about her family. The family lives in a lit...more I'm a fan of Alice Hoffman's work, especially since reading Practical Magic and The Ice Queen. I picked up Incantation several months ago, and being busy with other reads, I put it down and never got back to it. I didn't want to give up on it though, so I picked it up again and this time around I found myself being immersed in this story.

Incantation is a story about a 16 year old girl named Estrella deMadrigal, and the long hidden secret she finds out about her family. The family lives in a little village in Spain around the 1500's.

Estrella's nickname is Raven, for her long black hair and her best friend Catalina is nicknamed Crow. The two girls are inseparable, until they get a bit older and Catalina's jealousy over Estrella's beauty and possessions emerges.

Estrella falls in love with Catalina's cousin Andres. The love is kept secret because Catalina herself plans on marrying him one day.
Estrella knows that she and her family have special names, secret ones only used in their home, hers being Esther. She also knows that in public her family appears to be Christian, yet they have customs that are a bit different than most.
When she sees decrees that are placed in the town square, stating what to look for in order to find out who is a false Christian, Estrella starts to wonder if her family is hiding something from her. When she learns that her family is really Jewish, her whole world is rocked to its core.

The Spanish Inquisition is taking place and false Christians are charged with heresy, tried as guilty, then sentenced to death.

Soon Estrella's family is in danger and before she knows it her worst fears are coming true. Her grandfather, a doctor, is accused of practicing sorcery. Her mother, who uses herbs to heal, is accused of being a witch. Estrella must figure out what to do to help save her family and herself.

Incantation is a moving story. You get a glimpse of the horror during the Spanish Inquisition through a 16 year olds eyes. It's a story about love, betrayal and family. I think Alice Hoffman did a wonderful job writing about this tragic time in history. As usual her writing is beautiful and poignant. When I finished reading this book, I just sat back and thought about it. It's one of those books I won't soon forget.

read my full review here
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/201...
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Jul 05, 2010 Katie (It's Time to Read) Leversuch rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Synopsis:

Estrella deMadrigal thought she knew herself: daughter, granddaughter, sister, dearest friend, beloved. She is Star in the Night Sky, Truth in the Darkness. But truth is rare and precious in this cruel and unforgiving century in Spain, when Jews who refused conversion to Christianity risked everything - love, life, family, faith.

Then: A startling discovery shakes Estrella's world to the core. And yet, it is something small and sweet that sets it aflame. A kiss. A kiss from someone she...more Synopsis:

Estrella deMadrigal thought she knew herself: daughter, granddaughter, sister, dearest friend, beloved. She is Star in the Night Sky, Truth in the Darkness. But truth is rare and precious in this cruel and unforgiving century in Spain, when Jews who refused conversion to Christianity risked everything - love, life, family, faith.

Then: A startling discovery shakes Estrella's world to the core. And yet, it is something small and sweet that sets it aflame. A kiss. A kiss from someone she is forbidden to love.

As a new girl emerges from the cocoon of secrets in which she has been shrouded, passion burns and friendship crumbles - and betrayal unleashes a monstrous evil from the very deepest part of the earth. Estrella crosses over to a place she never thought she could be; she is someone she never could have imagined.

Remember the story she is about to tell you.

This is a short, young-adult book. I read it in one sitting and it was an OK read. Estrella is an ordinary girl in the 1500s, until she falls in love. The problem is that the person she has fallen for is her best friend, and next door neighbour's cousin. And she is in love with him too. What to do? She tries to resist but eventually she gives in to her feelings - leading to the destruction of all she has known.

This book is set in an era where if you are not a Christian you face horrendous injustice and racism. Jews and Muslims hide or convert to Christianity but that is not enough. Estrella and many others are about to have their lives shaken due to this segregation. This theme shapes the whole book and Hoffman is brave with what she writes. Not everyone survives, many lives are ruined; the message is loud and clear - it is not right.

This is a good read and has some likeable characters. Estrella is one. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her and what she suffered. However, she was determined and had a survivor's nature and she fought anything that was thrown at her. She looked out for others and was just an honest girl who fell in love. I think Hoffman wrote realistic characters - such as the friend who suffered jealousy and the Grandma whose life fell apart when her husband was taken.

This was a quick read. The book is split into four sections, each following Estrella. This is an easy read but it has an important theme. It was an OK read :)

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Jun 21, 2010 Charley Harpole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jun 19, 2010 Shally Clark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: may-june-2010-books

Summary: Set in Spain in the 1500s, Estrella deMadrigal and her family live during the time when everyone is forced to convert Christianity. The Jews are being persecuted, taken out of their homes, beaten and even killed. Estrella and her family attend a Christian church and watch a lot of this happening. It changes Estrella's and her family's lives. Estrella has a best friend, Catalina, who finds a way to be involved in the catastrophic events which comes with big consequences. Throughout the b...more

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Jun 14, 2010 Cat Conner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-literature-2

Estrella lives in a time of turmoil and confusion. In the beginning of "Incantation", Estrella seems to be fine with her life in rural Spain, but she soon discovers the pain and torments of the Spanish Inquisition. "Incantation" revolves around several discoveries that Estrella makes in finding out about her true heritage and the nature of her former friends in the face of conflict. Estrella has to deal with family loss, loss of property, and loss of friends. She also experiences romance with he...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Liz Dunn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 30-books-young-adult-lit

Incantation by Alice Hoffman is a book about a young girl (Estrella) living during the time of the Spanish Inquisition in which she and her family are negatively affected. She is completely naive as to the goings on around her until there is a book burning in her town, and many around her that are practicing Jews are humiliated and detested. Estrella's best friend Catalina eventually turns on her because the person that Catalina loves falls in love with Estrella. Even the smallest accusation of...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Zach rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Mar 01, 2010 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is set in the 1500's.
Estrella de Madigal lives in a village in Spain where people who practice the jewish religion are closed in from the rest of the village. When harsh discrimanation towards Jews starts up again, Estrella world begans to change- she begans to lose her best friend, she finds out a deadly 500 year old family secret.
To protect herself, and her family, Estrella has to hide who she actually is.

The story line is really good, so I never got bored. The writing was good too,...more

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About Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman was born in New York City on March 16, 1952 and grew up on Long Island. After graduating from high school in 1969, she attended Adelphi University, from which she received a BA, and then received a Mirrellees Fellowship to the Stanford University Creative Writing Center, which she attended in 1973 and 74, receiving an MA in creative writing. She currently lives in Boston and New York...more Alice Hoffman was born in New York City on March 16, 1952 and grew up on Long Island. After graduating from high school in 1969, she attended Adelphi University, from which she received a BA, and then received a Mirrellees Fellowship to the Stanford University Creative Writing Center, which she attended in 1973 and 74, receiving an MA in creative writing. She currently lives in Boston and New York.

Hoffman’s first novel, PROPERTY OF, was written at the age of twenty-one, while she was studying at Stanford, and published shortly thereafter by Farrar Straus and Giroux. She credits her mentor, professor and writer Albert J. Guerard, and his wife, the writer Maclin Bocock Guerard, for helping her to publish her first short story in the magazine Fiction. Editor Ted Solotaroff then contacted her to ask if she had a novel, at which point she quickly began to write what was to become PROPERTY OF, a section of which was published in Mr. Solotaroff’s magazine, American Review.

Since that remarkable beginning, Alice Hoffman has become one of our most distinguished novelists. She has published a total of sixteen novels, two books of short fiction, and eight books for children and young adults. Her novel, HERE ON EARTH, an Oprah Book Club choice, was a modern reworking of some of the themes of Emily Bronte’s masterpiece Wuthering Heights. PRACTICAL MAGIC was made into a Warner film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Her novel, AT RISK, which concerns a family dealing with AIDS, can be found on the reading lists of many universities, colleges and secondary schools. Hoffman’s advance from LOCAL GIRLS, a collection of inter-related fictions about love and loss on Long Island, was donated to help create the Hoffman Breast Center at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA. BLACKBIRD HOUSE is a book of stories centering around an old farm on Cape Cod. Hoffman's recent books include AQUARMARINE and INDIGO, novels for pre-teens, and The New York Times bestsellers THE RIVER KING, BLUE DIARY, THE PROBABLE FUTURE, and THE ICE QUEEN. GREEN ANGEL, a post-apocalyptic fairy tale about loss and love, was published by Scholastic and THE FORETELLING, a book about an Amazon girl in the Bronze Age, was published by Little Brown. This fall Little Brown published the teen novel INCANTATION, a story about hidden Jews during the Spanish Inquisition, which Publishers Weekly has chosen as one of the best books of the year. In January 2007, SKYLIGHT CONFESSIONS, a novel about one family’s secret history, was released on the 30th anniversary of the publication of Hoffman’s first novel.

Hoffman’s work has been published in more than twenty translations and more than one hundred foreign editions. Her novels have received mention as notable books of the year by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, Library Journal, and People Magazine. She has also worked as a screenwriter and is the author of the original screenplay “Independence Day,” a film starring Kathleen Quinlan and Diane Weist. Her short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kenyon Review, Redbook, Architectural Digest, Gourmet, Self, and other magazines. Her teen novel AQUAMARINE was recently made into a film starring Emma Roberts.
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Quotes from Incantation

“If every life is a river, then it's little wonder that we do not even notice the changes that occur until we are far out in the darkest sea. One day you look around and nothing is familiar, not even your own face.
My name once meant daughter, grandaughter, friend, sister, beloved. Now those words mean only what their letters spell out; Star in the night sky. Truth in the darkness.
I have crossed over to a place where I never thought I'd be. I am someone I would have never imagined. A secret. A dream. I am this, body and soul. Burn me. Drown me. Tell me lies. I will still be who I am.” — 169 people liked it

“Just because something is unspoken doesn't mean that it disappears.” — 130 people liked it

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