Review of Acts of Hope

[Dianne Loomos]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Acts of Hope" by Martin Elsant.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Acts of Hope: Part 2 of the Inquisition Trilogy by Martin Elsant, is about the Portuguese Inquisition in the sixteenth century. Pope Pius V was relentless in pursuing and persecuting
the Jews in Portugal, claiming that the Jews undermined the Catholic Church, cutting into its money, authority, and power. The Pope was fierce in his dedication to the Catholic
Church doctrine and thus had an abiding urge to kill Jews and anyone else who disagreed with the Church. The Grand Inquisitor was thus born. This is a work of fiction, but it is also classified as historical. In Pope V's persecution of the Jews, many crimes were committed, for which no one could hold him accountable.

The story is about how Jews and Jewish sympathizers tried to save themselves and many others. The protagonist is a wealthy Portuguese woman who moves to England to avoid persecution. She is trying to return to her Jewish roots, and she uses her immense wealth to build ships to help Jews escape from Portugal. She also helps fund the new city of Tiberias which was meant as a refuge for the evacuated Jews. The story is all about desperate acts of hope.

Although this is part of a trilogy, it can stand on its own. It may sound like a dry subject, but it is not. The book held my attention throughout. Perhaps that's because it is fictionalized with great characters and a great story. I loved learning the history in this way. I learned a lot about the practice of the Jewish religion as well.

Acts of Hope: Part 2 of the Inquisition Trilogy earns 4 out of 4 stars. No typos or spelling errors were evident. The book has a religious theme, so of course, religion is discussed, primarily Judaism and Christianity. There is no advocating for any religion, only a story of the Portuguese Inquisition and the persecution of the Portuguese Jews by the Catholic Church. The story is engaging, educational, and made more interesting by the development of the characters and the story. The reader is made to care about the characters, their decisions, and what happens to them. It also is a romance, with several romances developing.

Acts of Hope will appeal to those who are interested in Jewish history, particularly that of the Portuguese Inquisition in the sixteenth century, and what the Jews did to survive it. The Jews have been persecuted throughout history, but they always survive. Is it because they are God's chosen people? The Jewish people were the conduit for the Messiah to be born. Perhaps this is why God is so protective of them.

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Acts of Hope
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