The Last Song

(Paperback)

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Description

Living in Toledo, Spain, and raised a devout Catholic, Isabel cannot know her privileged life is about to unravel. The tolerant society she is used to has been turned upside down by the Spanish Inquisition and the Grand Inquisitor, Torquemada. Now even the walls have ears, and no one is immune to rumor, suspicion, a resentful servant, or a neighbor bearing a grudge. Still, Isabel feels safe from the burnings and torture. After all, her father is a respected physician in the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Then Isabel is betrothed to an abusive man she thoroughly dislikes, and for the first time, her doting parents are united against her. The reason becomes all too clear when they reveal to her their family's Jewish roots. By marrying their only child into a respected old Catholic family, they hope to protect her and dispel any suspicion that they have not always been devout Christians. Despite their efforts, Isabel's father is arrested and tortured by the Inquisition, and it's up to Isabel to concoct a desperate plan to save his life - and her own.

Reviews

PRAISE FOR The Last Song:

"With spies and informers on all sides, the story builds to a gripping climax ... readers will easily be caught by the young girl's personal heartbreak and conflict and will want to find out more." - Booklist

"...The climax of the novel will set the reader in a spiraling whirlwind of intense emotions. This novel is a great read for young adults who enjoy historical fiction dealing with horrifying persecution and the will to survive." - VOYA

"...a quickly paced, accessible introduction to a vicious era." - The Toronto Star

Author Bio

Hungarian-born novelist Eva Wiseman has received numerous prizes, including the McNally Robinson Books for Young People Award for My Canary Yellow Star. That novel and A Place Not Home were selected for the New York Public Library's annual Best Books for the Teen Age list. No One Must Know holds the Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award. Kanada was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award and was the winner of the prestigious Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. Puppet not only won the McNally Robinson Award, but also the Canadian Jewish Book Award for Youth Literature. Eva Wiseman is the mother of two children and lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with her husband.