São Tome: Journey to the Abyss--Portugal's Stolen Children

by Paul D. Cohn

In 1485, the Portuguese Crown and Catholic Church began to kidnap Jewish children, forcibly convert the young conscripts, and ship them to São Tomé Island to work the sugar plantations. This is a little-known chapter of the Diaspora. The collision of slavery, sugar agriculture, and discovery of The Americas transformed this island colony into the nidus of the wholesale black slave trade that infected Africa and Western commerce for the next 350 years. "São Tomé" tells the story of young Marcel Saulo abducted with other children from their synagogue in Lisbon and shipped 4,000 miles to the West-African island.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Sao Tome and Principe, Africa, Historical, Sao Tome

340 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2005

About the author

Best Book of the Year--Historical Fiction., American Book Fest, August 4, 2018.
In addition to his first novel São Tomé, Paul Cohn is commercially published overseas with the Portuguese edition Rapto em Lisboa by Medialivros/DIFEL in Lisbon. His short stories have appeared in the Huffington Post, The BoZone Monthly, The Big Sky Weekly, and Writers of the Gulch. He authored The Toolbox, a children's adventure radio series (Treehouse Corner), broadcast on KGLT Public Radio in Montana. His short story, São Tomé, won Honorable Mention in Moment Magazine's Karma Short Story Contest He has also been a guest instructor at several adult-education writing classes. His career began in nuclear engineering where he managed projects for Rockwell and Battelle Memorial Institute, and ran his own consulting business, Energy Engineering Associates. Mr. Cohn has a B.S. in chemical engineering, and an M.S. in nuclear engineering, and is the author of over 50 technical papers, journal articles, and book chapters.

Visit with Author Paul Cohn via his website, http://thecantora.com/ , “Contact the Author”
On Facebook http://bit.ly/2pPIG1u
Discover unique personal apparel items featuring a variety of The Cantora images on his website http://thecantora.com/
And connect with Paul Cohn media events via LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/

Reviews

[Barbara Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Sao Tome and found it not only good reading, but educational as well. I was tickled to acquire an advance copy of the sequel, "The Cantora."  These historical fictions should be a must-read for those interested in the history of the Spanish Inquisition. Now I am hoping Paul Cohn gives us a third book, as we are left wondering what the future holds for Leah and Yema.

[Nuno · Rating 5 out of 5]

A história de Saul, um rapaz judeu que habitava em Lisboa no tempo em que a Inquisição perseguiu e expulsou os judeus de Portugal, no reinado de D. Manuel e que dessa forma foi "escravizado" e deportado para São Tomé, sendo por isso deles e de outros degredados, criminosos portanto, que se fez a ilha e as suas plantações.

Uma história trágica e de emoções que viveu uma criança perseguida por um dos maiores terrores da nossa história e ainda mal contada. De leitura interessante, vale bem o tempo e o investimento nele.

http://linhaderumo.blogspot.com/2009/...

[Evergreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fine history novel has it all: The beginnings of African slavery, a little-known holocaust of Jewish people in Portugal and Africa, and all recorded in the protagonist's journal reminiscent of Anne Frank's. The hero, a Portuguese teenager, Marcel Saulo, is kidnapped by Crown and Church and shipped along with dozens of other Jewish children to slave on the sugar plantations of Sao Tome Island off the West African equator. The story, recounted by the author in fast-moving and dramatic settings, unfolds as Saulo records the suffering that he and his fellow children endure. But soon the book's hero discovers that his suffering is little compared to a greater suffering, that of the tribal population of West Africa decimated by the Portuguese and Spanish slavers. As best he can, he befriends the Africans brought to the island, and strives to combat the growing black slave trade.

Enduring many hardships and personal tragedies, Saulo eventually prospers as a sugar planter, yet never wavers in his attempts to combat slavery. At the novel's end, there is an amazing and unexpected twist, both heartwarming and tragic, a surprise that is logical and secretly embedded in the story. "Sao Tome" is a remarkable read, an historically informative page-turner. If I had a best seller list, it would be at the top. I highly recommend "Sao Tome" by Paul D. Cohn.

[Sunlitsmile · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sao Tome" gives the reader a front row seat as it reveals the personalities, politics and intrigues of late-15th Century Portugal, Spain and Africa, as Church and Crown connive to dominate the commerce of sugar and slavery. The novel is the story seen through the eyes of its young protagonist, Marcel Saulo. It is exceptional from the very first page. Based on historical records of the kidnappings of Jewish children and their shipment to the Crown sugar plantations on Sao Tome Island, the story unwinds in tantalizing complexity, always surprising the reader with its deep-felt personal account.

Marcel Saulo is indeed a maverick and runs afoul of both State and Church from the beginning. Despite many trials, a couple of which are nearly fatal, he eventually succeeds as a sugar planter, secret Jew, and advocate against the growing African Slave trade. He raises a family, recovers from personal tragedy, and continues his struggle against injustice. The novel ends with the most unexpected event of all, yet one the reader has secretly hoped for throughout the narrative.

One reviewer called this novel "an extraordinary accomplishment." I agree. "Sao Tome" is a must read for anyone who appreciates a great story with well developed characters and a fine historical perspective about the origins of slavery.

[Yvan Ysla · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of a somewhat obscure part of Portugal's history: the inhumane treatment the Jews received from the Portuguese crown at the end of the 15th century.
While the story of Saul is fascinating (his abduction along with that of his sister in Lisbon and his subsequent deportation to São Tomé to become part of the population unwanted by the Portuguese crown to populate that newly discovered island), one must be very careful with the various historical inaccuracies. One example is that of Bishop Henrique Cão, supposedly the first bishop of the island, a character that in reality never existed. As well as Pope Clemente, who named him (there have been popes with that name, but none of them lived at the time in which the story takes place), etc.

[Seejudysew4u · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amazed at anyone taking on the daunting task of writing a historical novel. Paul Cohn did this explaining a part of history that had been hidden. From the stealing of Jewish children from their families, the voyage through shark infested waters, to the unrelenting jungle and shores of Africa, Saulo, the main character, tells the horrible tale of these children all at the hands of the Catholics. This is just another example of torture, abuse, and starvation all the in the name of religion. Thank you for sharing your hard work researching yet another example of man's inhumanity to man. Speaking of behavior of people to people, does anyone know who the author's oldest daughter is?

[Marilyn Cohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done unique story

Excellent narrative that brings to light this painful and little known chapter of the expulsion/inquisition on the Iberian peninsula. Detailed description gives the reader vicarious experience of main character

[Lachelle]

sue walden recommendation

[Helene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story - once I got into the book I had trouble putting it down, even though I was on vacation. Great story.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been several years since I read this book and I still think about it!

[Yuko · Rating 1 out of 5]

never finished

[Sandra The Old Woman in a Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well researched, original and compelling historical fiction at its best. I picked up this book to check off Sao Tome on my around the world reading adventure and a world I never new about opened before my eyes - and isn’t that what a reader wants from historical fiction? Interestingly I recently read People of the Book, a novel that goes back to the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of Jews. Sao Tome is also set in this time, starting in Portugal. Jewish children in Portugal were kidnapped from there families and sent to Sao Tome to work the sugar cane fields. I never knew. Set in the late 1400’s just after Christopher Columbus’ journey to the Americas, and at the beginning of Europe’s presence in West Africa the book covers in accurate and disturbing detail the origins of the slave trade. The detail in the book is not for the faint of heart - disease, torture, war, intrigue, duplicity and more are covered. This lends the book a disturbingly realistic view into the period. So much historical fiction covers the same old territory0 WWII and the US Civil War must make up 75% of historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate authors that dive into periods little is written about. I have read fiction and nonfiction on the slave trade, but little about the very early years. Understanding that Europe’s desire for sugar, the growth of that market in parallel with the expansion of cane growth in the New World and the eventual realization that slaves earned 10:1 more money by weight compared to sugar is laid out by this book in a compelling story format. There is so much more in this richly detailed novel. If you enjoy historical fiction and can take a realistic depiction of the brutal reality of the times then you will likely enjoy this book and learn from it.

Interstingly I read this book in parallel with The Lost Girls of Paris and found that book insipid compared to Sao Tome.

[Leslie (updates on SG) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent historical fiction for my AtW challenge (Sao Tome). Marcel is clearly not the most diplomatic person, but his heart is in the right place. His adventures somewhat engaged me (I especially liked the descriptions of food), then became engrossing in the last 60 pages.

[Toni Volk · Rating 5 out of 5]

São Tomé is a tale based on a little known fact—-that about the time Columbus was trying to set out to prove the world round, Jewish children were being kidnapped in Portugal and sent on slave ships to São Tomé, haven for malaria. If they survived the trip, these youngsters were forced to convert to Catholicism and work on sugar plantations plagued by disease and brutal conditions. Based on this information, Paul Cohn has created an incredible world wherein one of those Jewish children, Marco Saulo, actually manages not only to stay alive, but to thrive under the impossible conditions. This is an important work that shows like no other how far reaching and menacing the Portugese Crown and Catholic Church really were, involved even in the black slave trade that would have historical ripple effects to this day. Compelling, rich, powerful.

I might add that the pacing is great, the plot moves steadily, the voice strong, clear, beautiful. Also, Cohn did a remarkable job of presenting the Jewish customs and religion naturally. He explains things about Christianity and Islamic beliefs without sounding the least bit authorial. Always in complete character.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only thing worse than a badly written novel, is a true story which deserves to be told, being told badly.

This novel is clunky, awkwardly divided and lacking in momentum. Its central character is a child who narrates as if he is much much older than his years. The story doesn't give any moments to pause and savour it, it rushes through poignant moments, choosing to focus on drivel rather than themes which should matter.

A shame, as the true story is very intriguing and deserves to be told. It just needs a writer of more skill than this.