The Long Road to Freedom

Strasbourg Saga #1

by Avner Gold

In a remote fortress prison in the mountains of northern Spain, a young prisoner named Sebastian Dominguez languishes, waiting for the Inquisition to decide his fate. His father has been burned at the stake, but the rest of the family has escaped to Paris. Will he ever see them again? The Long Road to Freedom tells the story of the Dominguez family's struggle for survival. Danger lurks at every turn, and mysterious strangers in black carriages plot to betray and destroy them. Set against the authentic historical backdrop of Europe in the late seventeenth century, this riveting story of courage, faith and redemption moves from the royal palace at Versailles to the Jewish communities of Metz and Hamburg and into the explosives-filled Turkish tunnels at the historic siege of Vienna. Kings, rabbis, ministers, generals, bishops, dwarfs and numerous other colorful heroes and villains populate the pages of this book and drive it at breakneck speed toward its dramatic climax. The Long

Genres: Jewish, Childrens

181 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2008

About the author

Yaakov Yosef Reinman is an American Orthodox rabbi and writer, historian, and scholar. His monographs and articles have appeared in many Jewish periodicals and his study of Talmudic contractual law is a text used in yeshivas throughout the world. His Ruach Ami series is written under the pen name Avner Gold.

Reinman is the author of sefer Shufra Dishtara, an analytical study of the philosophy of Talmudic contractual law, which is utilized as a text in yeshiva studies. He also co-authored the book One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them with Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. A fluent speaker of several languages, Reinman has also become known as a translator for ancient Jewish texts into English.

He is a descendant of the Narol, and his first wife, Shami (Shlomtzie) née Rubin was a descendant of the Nadvorna Chasidic dynasties.

Reinman lives in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.

Reviews

[Chava]

Long Road to Freedom is part of a series of books that sweeps through historical periods. I was impressed with how the author wove the Battle of Vienna into the story line and provided the reader with a history lesson. There is a lot of talk about social status, and it is unclear how they got a Norweigian maid who couldn't understand Spanish but was able to go to the authorities about the lead pouring ceremony. And, of course, Judaism and Rabbis play a big part in the book, which made it a little sappy, but still an interesting read.

This paragraph detracted from all the positive things about the book: "And there was Felipe. Twenty-one years old, bright, intelligent, articulate, charming, and with such beautiful manners. What kind of future awaited him? He could not find employment fitting his station, because after all, he was a Jew or at least a heretic. So he was reduced to being a librarian. How they had fallen."

Well, it sounds like he has the right qualifications: bright, intelligent, articulate, charming.

[Tzipporah Prottas]

Dynamite book, and only one volume of the marvelous 4-book Strasbourg Saga!
This masterpiece kicks off the saga, drawing you in, with seriousness, colorful characters, twists and turns in the plot, and a touch of humor.

Historical fiction at its finest.

And although it centers around Jewish characters, and transmits only part of a long story of the Jewish People's existence in Europe, it also describes what was going on with the rest of the country, continent, or world at the time.

I believe it would appeal to many audiences, not just Jewish. But if you are an observant Jew looking for a frum, but thrilling novel-- this saga is for you.

I'm serious--
I. Could. Not. Put. The. Book. Down.

Enjoy! (And please don't forget to check out the rest of the Strasbourg Saga: Scandal in Amsterdam, The Fur Traders, and The Midnight Intruders-- and of course, Aver Gold's other amazing stories!)