The Mapmaker's Daughter

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

A sweeping story of 1492 Spain, exploring how what we know about the world shapes our map of life How Far Would You Go To Stay True to Yourself Spain, 1492. On the eve of the Jewish expulsion from Spain, Amalia Riba stands at a crossroads. In a country violently divided by religion, she must either convert to Christianity and stay safe, or remain a Jew and risk everything. It's a choice she's been walking toward her whole life, from the days of her youth when her family lit the Shabbat candles in secret. Back then, she saw the vast possibility of the world, outlined in the beautiful pen and ink maps her father created. But the world has shifted and contracted since then. The Mapmaker's Daughter is a stirring novel about identity, exile, and what it means to be home.

Reviews

"[A] loving re-creation of the details of Jewish life ... Fans of C.W. Gortner's The Queen's Vow may especially enjoy getting a different perspective on Spanish monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand" - Library Journal
"Well-researched, evocative, and a pleasure to read, The Mapmaker's Daughter intimately and convincingly portrays important players in the reconquest of Granada and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain." - Mitchell James Kaplan, award-winning author of By Fire, By Water
"A riveting, often heart-rending tale set against the tragic backdrop of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Laurel Corona has crafted a heroine for all ages in Amalia, whose choices define an era of religious upheaval, courage, and sacrifice that still resonates today" - C.W. Gortner, author of The Queen's Vow
"A close look at the great costs and greater rewards of being true to who you really are. A lyrical journey to the time when the Jews of Spain were faced with the wrenching choice of deciding their future as Jews---a pivotal period of history and inspiration today." - Margaret George, NYT bestselling author of Elizabeth I
"I love The Mapmaker's Daughter: its compelling, very human characters; its exciting story of exile and love; the heartrending look it provides into the trials and tribulations of being Jewish and its empowering message of being true to oneself. Author Laurel Corona has described Jewish rituals and values - honoring family, community, and God - in detail that, as a non-Jew, I found utterly fascinating, and which made me envious." - Sherry Jones, author of The Jewel of the Medina, and Four Sisters, All Queens
"The ghosts of the past are never far in Laurel Corona's hauntingly beautiful tale of a woman whose life spans the Spanish Inquisition and the fall of Muslim Granada. Yet despite the dark times, a powerful love story ignites these pages, making the reader yearn for more as they come to know Amalia and Jamil, two of the most compelling characters in recent historical fiction. An absolute must-read!" - Michelle Moran, author of The Second Empress and Madame Tussaud
"Laurel Corona authoritatively gives the Jewish oppression in fifteenth century Spain a human face and heart in Amalia Riba, forced to make soul-defining decisions as her world rolls inexorably toward the Inquisition. Peopled with historic figures, her story soars from loneliness to love, tenderness to horror, and from despair to courage. Sentences of startling, hard-won wisdom leap from the page and command our memories not to forget them. Compelling, complex, and compassionate." - Susan Vreeland, NYT bestselling author of Clara and Mr. Tiffany and Luncheon of the Boating Party
"Amalia is the perfect character through which readers will experience these turbulent times ... Vividly detailed and beautifully written, this is a pleasure to read, a thoughtful, deeply engaging story of the power of faith to navigate history's rough terrain." - Booklist
"Amalia is a character readers cannot help but like and admire: she is courageous, stubborn, and smart, and she accepts responsibility for her choices. Corona explores the unfamiliar world of Renaissance Spain, painting vivid pictures of the court ... A very good read" - Historical Novels Review
"[Corona] is an excellent writer, with a knack for research and a flair for description." - San Diego Jewish World
"In this story about choices - and who gets to do the choosing - Corona raises some interesting questions about what it means to be courageous. And what it means to live. " - San Diego Union-Tribune
"The Mapmaker's Daughter plunges readers back to the fifteenth century .. a vivid glimpse of a wrenching period of history too often forgotten." - Jewish Book Council

Author Bio

Laurel Corona is the author of three novels- Finding Emilie, Penelope's Daughter, and the Four Seasons. She graduated from the University of California, Davis, received her MA at the University of Chicago, and her Ph.D. at Davis.She has taught at San Diego State University, UC San Diego, and San Diego City College. She lives in San Diego. www.laurelcorona.com.