Doña Gracia Saved Worlds

by Bonni Goldberg, Alida Massari (Illustrator)

Overview

In 16th-century Portugal, even Doña Gracia's Jewish name was a secret. But she and her merchant husband helped other secret Jews, by persuading the king to protect them during the Inquisition. When her husband died, many said no woman would be able to run their international business, but Doña Gracia did. Escaping Portugal, she helped other Jews do the same, smuggling them out of the country on her spice ships in the night. Only in Turkey was she finally able to live freely as a Jew, and to use her resources to build synagogues, hospitals, and schools. Doña Gracia saved worlds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728495446
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/05/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	24
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	8 - 9 Years

About the Author

Bonni Goldberg, award-winning author and Jewish educator, lives in Portland, Oregon. She first learned about Doña Gracia in a mother-daughter bat mitzvah class. Bonni believes children would like to know about Gracia too.

Alida Massari is an Italian artist specializing in illustration for children. Born in Rome where she studied illustration at the European Institute of Design, she finds inspiration for her work from folk traditions and ancient art. She has illustrated many books, collaborating with Italian, English, German, and American publishers. She lives in Rome, Italy.

Editorial Reviews

"A truly inspiring story that will surely open the door for discussion and learning. Reviewer Rating: 4"—Children's Literature

From the Publisher

2023-09-09
A unique true story from Jewish history.

A young girl named Gracia learns from her family how—and why—to practice her religion in secret. In the 16th-century Iberian Peninsula, “all religions except Christianity were against the law,” so her family hid their traditions from the outside world. As an adult, Gracia marries another Sephardic man who controls ships that import “spices and silks from the Indies”; once widowed, she takes over his business. Building wealth and favor by giving lavish gifts to the king in exchange for a promise that he won’t arrest secret Jews, Gracia uses her power to help other clandestine Jews. She even engineers an escape for herself and others, guided by the principle that “a person who saves even one life saves a whole world,” by hiding people on one of her ships bound for Antwerp. The rich, dark colors of the illustrations are often overlaid with patterns resembling an ancient tapestry, adding texture and depth to otherwise staid scenes. This zoomed-in look at long-ago but still relevant history ably describes a complex political situation to younger readers, revealing an interesting figure making a difference despite incredible odds. The book will most likely appeal to an older picture-book audience with an interest in history and human rights, and it may start conversations about being true to oneself and working for a community.

Quiet but strong. (author’s note) (Picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews