My 15 Grandmothers

by Genie Milgrom

The book My 15 Grandmothers takes the reader through an exciting maze of intrigue where every stone that is turned, yields a new twist in the personal journey of Genie Milgrom. Having been brought up in a Roman Catholic family in Havana, Cuba and descending from Spanish ancestry did not ensure that her life would be lived within that realm. In response to strong feelings and an affinity towards Judaism , her search for her family’s past , took on a deeper significance as she researched her maternal lineage and not only discovered but documented and verified her Pre-Inquisition Spanish Roots to Fifteenth Century Spain and Portugal where they lived first as Jews, then as Crypto Jews and finally as Roman Catholics. She was able to unravel the web of lies and deceit that her family had spun around themselves in order to survive the Spanish Inquisition .They lived with one foot in each world as they converted to Catholicism openly while secretly practicing their Judaism underground. Genie was fortunate enough to grab the brass ring that was thrown in the air by her ancestors over 500 years ago.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Jewish, History

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2012

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Genealogy is based on documentation. If Milgrom's ancestors regularly changed their family names, she needs to provide some proof of the connection from one generation to another, not just a list of surnames that were often used by conversos. The 15 grandmothers were not even named in my version of the book. They were likely in an appendix, but that did not make it through digitization. Milgrom is a poor writer to boot. She mentions an "acorn tree." C'mon, you mean an oak tree, right?

[Yochanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very, very special story. This lady has courage, devotion and a strong sense of perseverence. Mazal tov!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the book that leaves you begging, "Tell me more!", just like I did with my grandparents a long time ago. Both the search for her ancestry and the life story of Mrs. Milgrom are fascinating. My only wish would be for her to join a team of genealogy experts, as it looks like this book merely scratched the surface of Bnei Anusim topic.

Would be great to have more details about the search as well.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My local library didn't own this book. I paid extra for an inter-library loan. Well worth it!

[Margaret Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book talking about the personal history of a Converso, Marrano, B'nei Anusim family where she can trace her roots back through 15 grandmothers all the way back to pre-expulsion Spain and Portugal should be exactly the kind of book to cherish. And I found this book because of her cookbook featuring recipes of those 15 grandmothers, from all over Latin America. I am glad she could unravel her roots but there is something about this book that is too self-absorbed to help much for me--located in a community that is 47%-52% Hispanic. Every year I have people sit in my office who want to explore their Jewish roots. Much like this author, they have some story, of separating dough or fasting in the fall or lighting candles on Fridays. Hushed secrets and traditions. Unclear origins. I know she did a tremendous amount of research but I would have liked to see the research and documentation. The current version seemed forced, trying to tie the personal narrative, which I appreciate, to the results she was hoping to find. I liked Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean better on a similar topic and history.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book when I received it! But despite the fascinating topic, reading this personal account was painful. 150 pages with large print was still way too long. There was so much redundancy in the recounting of events, and in the author’s emotional state it became tedious. Coupled with thinly-veiled self-promotion (“I was the first one to ever ask this question!”) made reading even more of a struggle. Yes, the content is fascinating, but the author does a terrible job of breaking it down for the reader to follow and it feels like each chapter can be summarized - this was an important discovery, I knew they had to be Jewish, but needed one more piece of validation. Maps, diagrams, photos - anything visual would have helped this book tremendously.

[Julia Alberino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's a must-read for anyone interested in genealogy, Sephardic Judaism, Spanish history (especially the dark period of the inquisition), ancestral memory, and/or the quest for identity. It's short, but packed full of information presented in an easy-to-read narrative style. Ms. Milgrom's persistence in her research, even in the face of numerous roadblocks, is admirable and inspirational, as is her personal journey to conversion to Judaism as a young adult. Give the book a few hours of your time; it's worth it.

[Audrey Ades · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a fascinating journey!

Genie Milgrom takes her readers on her journey from her earliest teen days of sensing that she was not really Catholic, through her arduous conversion to Orthodox Jewry, and finally her years-long research into finding the true history of her family’s heritage as crypto-Jews during the Spanish Inquisition, dating back to the mid- 16th century. Milgrom is a very good storyteller, and the book is a smooth and easy read. I learned a lot and fully enjoyed it.

[Judit Neurink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genie Milgrom is a Cuban American who is brought up a catholic. But her heart attaches her to Judaism and she converts, even before she gets an indication that she is Sephardi Jewish through her mother's parents from Spain. The book describes her search into her family's past that leads her to a small border village in Spain with Portugal, and stories of generations of conversos, Jews who were forced to convert but still followed their old religion in secret.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous. The one flaw I found is that nowhere in the beginning of the book does it announce the much-needed glossary that is at the end. I also wish that the book had a little more description of Jewish religious practices or thought and of comparative theology; just an extra couple of paragraphs here or there or maybe some references for further reading.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Amazing Story

I finished this book in 3 days!! It was so fascinating to read Genie’s story. She obviously is a brilliant woman since childhood, to have been able to question the Catholic Church at such a young age.
I loved how driven she was, not to give up on finding her roots!!
I do know people by the name of Montana. Perhaps they’re related!!

[Gr8Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've long had a fascination with Crypto-Jews and those who have felt drawn to Judaism, as well as those who find themselves on a journey and discover that they are descended from Crypto-Jews. This was simply written and the editing was disappointing - too many typos. The story itself was interesting and a good read.

[Freddy Montiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fascinating book about a person who decides to follow what she really believes. Only the people who have felt that in their lives could understand her feelings. It is a story about resilience, perseverance, and doing something not only because there is a utilitarian reason, but you really believe in it.

[Margerywieder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but skimmable memoir by a Cuban-American woman born into a Catholic family and educated in Catholic schools who seeks and finds her Spanish-Jewish roots from centuries ago.

[Sara Birnbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story of a woman finding her Jewish roots.

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a life-changing read for me, and has compelled me to research my own genealogy. A beautifully moving story and definitely left me wanting to read more.

[Jane Hanser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with many previous readers. This was a missed opportunity to really educate the public about a shameful period of history that was - and in many ways still is being - deliberately hidden. The book is somewhat poorly written, poorly edited (as many self-published books are), and this makes it difficult to read. She only names the 15 grandmothers on the last page, in list form. Where are they humanized? Before that she refers to ‘my maternal grandmother’, ‘my paternal grandmother’, and so on. This is a poor editorial choice. These grandmothers were real and loving people, many of them politically and religiously persecuted, and part of her personal history should have been to give these names as she went along in her writing and her search and her discoveries. This would have made Genie’s narrative, a story that spans 500 years, much easier for the reader to follow. I think some images of some historical documents she found in Spain and Portugal could have included as illustrations, to understand what she had to sift through, and to add depth and interest. Many don’t even know what the Spanish Inquisition was. Genie’s story is fascinating and of historical importance yet the book could have and should have been been more professionally done.

[Kimberly Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. The author writes about her personal history regarding her Converso Jewish ancestors, who converted to Catholicism during the Spanish Inquisition but continued to practice their Judaism in secret. She was able to research her maternal grandmothers back to 1480. She was raised a Catholic but converted to Judaism as she felt strongly that she belonged there. As she did her genealogy she came to realize that the had been Jewish all along. I would like to read a book about these Converso Jews in a more general, historical sense. I liked this book but I would like more history on the whole Spanish Inquisition - Jewish conflict and how people survived.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story of a Cuban-born Catholic, raised in the US, who follows her calling by converting to Orthodox Judaism, then traces 15 generations of grandmothers back to find that they were Marranos in the Inquisition, forced to convert from Judaism to Catholicism. Very personal story, could have been made better by more professional editing to bring closure to some items.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting....

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting concept. I didn't really like the style it was written in and the formatting was difficult for me to read; there were a number of typographical errors.

[Marc Brawer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting memoir. Rhetorical style somewhat amateurish. Narration is quite idiosyncratic. A quick read and quite worthwhile given the unique subject.

[Susan Brawer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It made me want to read more on the subject

[Carol Sheffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

simply fascinating! I felt I was with Genie every step of the way. It's an incredible journey.