Blood Secret

by Kathryn Lasky

Book Overview

A story of secrets and shadows by a Newbery Honor author. When Jerry Moon is sent to live with her great-great-aunt, she discovers a trunk in the basement that reveals dark mysteries about her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006000066X
• ISBN13: 9780060000660
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Harperteen
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Recommended Reading!

This is the story of Jerry, a selective mute who goes to live with her elderly aunt Constanza after the mysterious disappearance of her mother. Jerry's story takes an interesting turn as she discovers the existence of a trunk full of artifacts in her aunt's cellar. Jerry finds herself drawn to the trunk and its contents and as she delves into the items, she is transported into the world of her ancestors,Jews living in Spain during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Their stories become part of Jerry's story and her own eventual dealing with her past. While the book's premise is a bit far-fetched, the stories themselves are believable enough and Lasky does an admirable job of pulling you into the story and caring about the events. I learned a good deal about the persecution of the Jews during this time period but I never felt like I was being taught a lesson. Lasky is a good author and this is one of her best. Recommended!

A very dark too non-fictional history

This is a multi-layered story. The top layer is that of Jerry, the 14-year old girl who stopped speaking when her mother abandoned her. The secondary layer is that of historical Spanish Jews and the persecution they went through - indeed that followed them wherever they went. It's strange to have two such powerful kind of topics - child abandonment and religious persecution - go together so well. But through finding the history of her ancestors - the mystical way this comes about seems natural when one reads the story - Jerry finds herself and her voice. And though not all is well - historical wrongs can never be righted - the knowledge of the truth gives a sense of completion to both plots. The character of Jerry is very well drawn - from her unwilling desire to be fashionable and accepted to her uncanny critique of Shakespeare. Her aunt - the other main character in the story, is a bit more than a supporting role, as she is as changed by Jerry as Jerry is by her. All in all, a very good book. (*)>

I love this book!

This is a really great book that tells about the Spanish Inquisition. The flashbacks into history were a little awkward, but I didn't care because the story was so great. I love this book. I'd recommend it to anyone except little kids because some parts are really brutal.

A moving novel about finding oneself through history

Teenager Jerry hasn't been the same since her irresponsible mother disappeared years ago. What began as a conscious decision to stop speaking has become a way of life: "She could bury the longing for her mother in this silence.... So many years had passed now and with every year she buried the longing deeper, the memory of her voice deeper into the good dirt of the silence." Shuttled from foster home to children's home, unable to be reached by well-meaning social workers and priests, Jerry may finally have a chance for a real family with her great-great aunt Constanza, an accomplished baker in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As Jerry comes to know Constanza and explore her adobe house, she begins to suspect that other secrets, other voices, are buried there. When she opens a trunk in the basement, she hears children's voices...and finds herself transported to fourteenth-century Spain, seeing the world through the eyes of Miriam, the daughter of a family of lace makers. As Jerry explores the trunk's secrets, she uncovers answers to many of her questions. Why does Aunt Constanza light candles on Friday evenings? Why does she throw a piece of dough in the fire before baking her delicious bread? Why do both Jerry and Constanza rub their heads when they are anxious? Jerry discovers a historical root for almost all her questions, and also learns that she is not the first one in her family to bury her sorrows in silence. As she learns more about her family's rich and troubled heritage, she finds herself questioning everything: her traditions, her name, even her Catholic faith. She also finally, gradually, discovers her long-buried voice again. With BLOOD SECRET, Kathryn Lasky has constructed a compelling story that stretches across centuries. Lasky successfully creates two convincing, evocative settings: the present-day Southwest and Inquisition-era Spain. As the narrative reaches back in time, the family relationships can be a little confusing, so the extensive family tree at the back of the book is extremely useful. Although the historical passages sometimes read like a history lesson, they are effectively integrated with the modern-day setting, and dedicated readers will probably appreciate this opportunity to learn more about a little-known, sometimes gruesome period in history. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl