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OLDER FICTION
Levine, Gail Carson

A Ceiling Made of Eggshells

384 pp. | HarperCollins/Quill Tree | May, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-287819-9 $17.99 | Library ISBN 978-0-06-287820-5 $18.89 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-06-287822-9
(2) YA This historical novel follows Paloma, a Jewish girl living in fifteenth-century Spain, from age seven--when Jews are blamed for a plague despite being struck by it themselves--to sixteen, when her family is exiled by the Inquisition. In between those years Paloma, a particular favorite of her grandfather Belo, finds herself caught up in the uneasy, transactional relationship between her wealthy family and the powerful non-Jews surrounding them. Belo's possessiveness also stands in the way of Paloma's ability to pursue marriage, though she is eager to, and early adolescent marriage is the norm in her culture. Rich descriptions in Paloma's first-person narration make for an immersive experience of her palpably precarious situation, fraught with constant pressure to convert to Christianity (the title refers to the fragility of the Jews' position in Spain). The pacing is episodic, with instances of danger--a kidnapping, attempted forced conversion--often resolved with the help of Paloma's influential family. Back matter includes an author's note with some historical background and an explanation that Paloma is an imagined ancestor of Levine's Sephardic Jewish family.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2020

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