Granada (Middle East Literature in Translation)
Prior to the fifteenth century, Granada, Spain, was a Muslim community. When the Castilians conquered the area, they brought with them the Inquisition. Muslim culture and literature were banned, and inhabitants were forced to convert. This epic follows the fortunes of the Muslim family of Abu Jaafar, a well-respected leader and book printer. His two apprentices and the children of his deceased biological son make up the heart of the novel. Granada's history is likely to be unfamiliar to American audiences, and this fact, coupled with the explanatory footnotes, may, at first, be a little off-putting. However, once readers acclimate to the gentle rhythms of the story, they may well find it to be a page-turner. Characters such as the headstrong granddaughter, Saleema, will be familiar to anyone who enjoys romances. Occasionally, phrases such as "terrorist" and "Muslim Freedom Fighter" seem anachronistic and thrown in for their modern-day implications, rather than for the sake of the story. For the most part, though, the language is rich and evocative, and the characters are engaging.Marta SegalCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved