The Poetry of Secrets by Cambria Gordon

Imprint: Scholastic
Pages: 416
ISBN: 1338634186
Published: February 2nd 2021

Tour Hosted By: Book Terminal Tours

Rating: 4 stars

(I received an ARC from the publisher free of charge, but this does not impact my review in any way.)

The Poetry of Secrets is both a story of reclaiming identity and forbidden romance.

Isabel Perez and her family live between worlds – appearing on the outside to be good New Christians, conversos from Judaism, but practicing in secret in their homes. Isabel herself is torn between duty to her family to marry the alguacil of the town or her love for the nobleman Diego Altamirano. But the Inquisition is encroaching upon the town of Trujillo, Spain, forcing Isabel to make difficult choices in both romance and religion.

Identity is a big part of this story and I appreciate that identity was featured through so many different lenses. We have Isabel’s struggles and the struggles of her family displaying the difficulties of being a converso, not welcome fully by either side. It was chilling to read about the horrors of the Inquisition, as through the eyes of someone in hiding, for one wrong move could land both her and her family in jail, or worse.

Isabel was well aware of the tenuous ground the conversos walked on. The Jews judged them for rolling over, for converting too easily and turning their backs on God. The Christians accused them of tainting the blood of their children by intermarrying with Old Christian nobility. – p. 12

I admire Isabel’s tenacity in refusing to adhere to the world as presented before her – she was to be a good, demure, New Christian girl who was to marry a man in high standing. She questioned everything, and it was that curiosity that opened her up to more.

“Forgive me. For a moment, I forgot the rules of society. Let me recite them again in case you need reminding, too. Spanish ladies of marrying age must acquiesce to the attentions of any interested male,” Isabel began, “the more prestigious, the better. Serve them wine and meat and… pistachios. We must dress modestly and speak only when we are spoken to. We dare not express ourselves. We dare not have hobbies of our own. And we certainly dare not show anyone we can read or write, for we ladies might take over the world one day. And where wold the prestigious bachelors be then?”
Where had all this venom inside her come from?
“It’s unequal and immoral!” she yelled. “Why do men get to decide all the rules?”
…
Isabel glared at her parents. “Why must you always be so worried about what other people think?”
“As conversos, it goes with the territory,” admitted Mama.
“Well, I’m sick of the territory. Every step I take is a lie.” – p. 33

I’m not a religious person, but I felt the journey that Isabel had towards re-discovering herself in her Jewish faith to be very poignant, even more so since it was interwoven with a touching bond between Isabel and her Abuela. In fact, you can tell from the first words of the book how close she is with her grandmother.

The day Isabel followed a handsome stranger into an alleyway, her grandmother’s words echoed in her head: Your impulsivity will be the death of you.- p. 1

Readers can feel the wonderment that Isabel feels when reading the Talmud for the first time, can feel her connection to her poetry grow even stronger when she finds out she is related to a famous Jewish poet Qasmuna. Even under suspicion for being a ‘judaizer’, she goes in disguise to the Jewish quarter of her town, relishing in her family’s once-forgotten world.

Her acceptance of her Jewish name, Eva, in the end, is bittersweet, and calls back to a conversation with her Abuela, chapters earlier:

“In the end, it is up to each one of us to be worth of the name we have been given.” – p. 237

I also appreciated the juxtaposition of Beatriz’s and Isabel’s religious journeys. Beatriz is the only one out of the Perez’s to fully accept her position as a New Christian and wants to become a sister and take the vows pretty early, putting her at odds with the rest of her family. However, the sobering experiences of the Inquisition lead her to reduce her fervor, but still remain devoted. Isabel questions religion and finds her faith in Judaism midway through the book, but her belief is rooted in exploration and constant search for the truth.

In spite of their differences, I always appreciate good sibling relationships in stories.

“I met a man once,” began Isabel, “who thought his countenance would never please a woman. He was right. But not because of his looks. It was because of his spirit. He was evil down deep. You are the opposite, Beatriz. Your soul is good. And therefore, you are beautiful to me.” – p. 347

As for the romance, it is another tale of star-crossed lovers who must defy the odds to be together. Isabel and Diego make a good pair, because despite the fact that they are stifled from being who they truly are (a poet and an artist, free to practice their faith), their love only blossoms in adversity.

“My lover cries in his castle, while I am imprisoned in my own cold, dark room. He needs succor. Only he holds the key to my heart.” – p. 315

The Poetry of Secrets balanced numerous facets – romance and religion, love and loss, to present a story of perseverance in the rise of the Spanish Inquisition.

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Mood Board for The Poetry of Secrets

Once more, I loved making this mood board! Wish I had more time to do them. My favorite part is the peacock, which I tried to replicate from the cover of the book. It looks like a stamp/a fancy letter at the beginning of a fancy book.

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About the Book

Perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys and Elizabeth Wein, this lyrical portrait of hidden identities and forbidden love is set against the harrowing backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition.

Isabel Perez carries secrets with her every day.

As a young woman in 1481, Trujillo, Spain, Isabel should be overjoyed that the alguacil of the city wants to marry her. She is supposed to be flattered especially because she and her family are conversos, Jews forced to convert to Catholicism -- leaving them low in the hierarchy of the new Spanish order. But, although she can't tell anyone, she only has eyes for Diego Altamirano, a young nobleman whose family would never let him court Isabel.

So for now she sneaks out to attend poetry readings, for she longs to one day be a famous poet...another secret wish that may never come true.

But Isabel's most dangerous secret is this: Though the Perezes claim to be New Christians, they still practice Judaism in the refuge of their own home. When the Spanish Inquisition reaches Trujillo determined to punish such judaizers, Isabel finds herself in more danger than she ever could have imagined. Amidst the bloodshed and intolerance, she and Diego will have to fight for their lives in a quest to truly be free.

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