Friday, September 1, 2017

By Light of Hidden Candles: family genealogy reveals surprising discoveries

By Light of Hidden Candles by Daniella Levy is the story of family history, religion and the story that connects us all. Alma Ben-Ami is studying at NYU where she is studying in a genealogy program and hoping to attend a semester in Madrid in order to research her family’s history. Her grandmother, asks her to find the family who gave their ancestor a ring and return it them. While preparing to go aboard, she meets Manuel Aguilar who is researching his own family genealogy. The two immediately hit it off and there is deep friendship blooming. There is one caveat that keeps them from going beyond friendship. Alma is a practicing Sephardic Jew who keeps kosher and observes all the holidays and observances. Manuel is a practicing Catholic. As it is stated many times “Religious Jews don’t date non-Jews.” But the attraction gets stronger as the two start their projects in Madrid. When it seems like a dead end, one discovery leads to another and the two on are the fast track to discovery the truth in their family trees. As Alma and Manuel make their discoveries, the reader is taken back in time to the story of Miriam de Carmona who lived in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. Will the discoveries change how they viewed their family and their own identity? Will Alma be able to return the ring to the family who helped her ancestors?


By Light of Hidden Candles was a deeply emotional and moving story. I love genealogy as I have researched my family tree and continue to look for more information. I enjoyed being a part of Alma’s and Manuel’s journey through their family history. I enjoyed visiting the various places in Spain as Alma and Manuel visited them. However, I felt the religious arguments between the two were getting tiresome as it was the same argument time after time. And I would have liked to get more information about the Inquisition as I don’t remember much about it from my history classes. Overall, it was a good book and I recommend By Light of Hidden Candles.

By Light of Hidden Candles
will be available October 16, 2017

in paperback and eBook

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