Cathy DuPont's Reviews > The Heretic

If I kept a GR shelf for family sagas, this book would be proudly placed there along with The Pillars of the Earth, Gone With the Wind, and The Age Of Innocence. In my mind they are all historical novels which describe families and their trials and tribulations of living in troubling and/or interesting times.

This historical fiction was set during the Spanish Inquisition which I knew little about. During this inquisition under Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain in the late 1400’s and early 1500’s, the Catalan family tries to live a peaceful life with their own beliefs. In public the family professes to be Catholic but behind closed doors, some family members still practiced Judaism. (It was a stigma to be anything other than Catholic.)

Each and every character is fully described and so well-drawn that the reader is totally immersed in the storyline. I was vested in this family, wanting them to succeed. Reading the book I had an urgent need to know what happens next to each one. I cared about them and that's always rewarding to me as a reader.

Lewis Weinstein does what he does best and does it well. He researches before he writes and it's obvious he's aware of the world he's in when he's writing. And good for him that his writing is not complicated. I hate useless words and there are none in this book.

Weinstein's writing fulfills the need to know at that particular moment of the story and moves the reader gently around each corner with just enough to urge the reader to flip to the next page sometimes more quickly than others.

I enjoyed reading this book so much. The ending, well the ending in my estimation was incredible. Just amazing. I re-read the ending because it was surprising and so beautifully written.

This book is a winner and is the first Weinstein I've read but I assure you it won't be my last.