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Review: ‘Isabela’s Way’

JL;DR SUMMARY Barbara Stark Nemon's historical novel "Isabela's Way" imagines an underground railroad-like network for Jews and New Christians escaping the Portuguese Inquisition in the 17th century. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

IdentityJewish HistoryPortuguese InquisitionHistorical FictionNew ChristiansEmbroideryUnderground Railroad17th CenturyIsabela's WayBarbara Stark Nemon

Places mentioned

Abrantes, Viseu, Portugal
"Isabela lives in Abrantes, Portugal, the daughter of a textile merchant."
Hamburg, Germany
"In 1605, as the Inquisition intensifies in Portugal, Isabelas father, Gabriel de Castro Nuez, travels to Hamburg, Germany, seeking refuge for his family and others in his community."
France
"When circumstances force Isabela to cross the Pyrenees into France instead of traveling by ship, the journey is reduced to a single line."
Connecticut, United States
"Elizabeth Edelglass is a fiction writer, poet and book critic living in Connecticut."

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Cairo Item ID 77825
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Retrieved 2026-03-17 05:31:02 UTC
Curated 2026-03-17 08:31:20 UTC