Gateway to the Moon: A Novel by Mary Morris (English) Paperback Book

Description: Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris In 1492, Luis de Torres, a Spanish Jew, accompanies Columbus as his interpreter. Over the centuries, de Torres descendants travel from Spain and Portugal to Mexico, finally settling in the hills of New Mexico. Five hundred years later, it is in these same hills that Miguel Torres finds himself trying to understand the mystery that surrounds him and the town he grew up in. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description In 1492, two history-altering events occurred: the Jews and Muslims of Spain were expelled, and Columbus set sail for the New World. Many Spanish Jews chose not to flee and instead became Christian in name only, maintaining their religious traditions in secret. Among them was Luis de Torres, who accompanied Columbus as an interpreter. Over the centuries, de Torres descendants traveled across North America, finally settling in the hills of New Mexico. Now, some five hundred years later, it is in these same hills that Miguel Torres, a young amateur astronomer, finds himself trying to understand the mystery that surrounds him and the town he grew up in: Entrada de la Luna, or Gateway to the Moon. Poor health and poverty are the norm in Entrada, and luck is rare. So when Miguel sees an ad for a babysitting job in Santa Fe, he jumps at the opportunity. The family for whom he works, the Rothsteins, are Jewish, and Miguel is surprised to find many of their customs similar to those his own family kept but never understood. Braided throughout the present-day narrative are the powerful stories of the ancestors of Entradas residents, portraying both the horrors of the Inquisition and the resilience of families. Moving and unforgettable, Gateway to the Moon beautifully weaves the journeys of the converso Jews into the larger American story. Author Biography Mary Morris is the author of numerous works of fiction, including the novels The Jazz Palace, A Mothers Love, and House Arrest, and of nonfiction, including the travel memoir classic Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone. She is a recipient of the Rome Prize in literature and the 2016 Anisfield-Wolf Award for fiction. Morris lives in Brooklyn, New York. Review "Rich storytelling woven with poetry. . . . If you havent read Mary Morris yet, start here. Now. Immediately." —Jodi Picoult, author of Small Great Things"Explores identity, faith, and family in a tale that spans more than five hundred years." —The Christian Science Monitor"A sweeping generational tale that stretches from the Spanish Inquisition to modern-day New Mexico." —New York Post"Morris weaves a clear and interesting tapestry, giving the reader an indelible impression of what life was like at the time of the Spanish Inquisition, as well as a variety of interesting character portraits. . . . A perfect vehicle for book club discussions." —Jewish Book Council "An intriguing, carefully crafted tapestry. . . . Family secrets, mysteries and love are at the heart of this story of survival against all odds." —BBC.com "This is a work so luminous, so important, that you could see it as a map of the way to live in our universe. . . . A dazzling masterpiece destined to be a classic." —Caroline Leavitt, author of Is This Tomorrow "Engrossing, richly textured, and spanning centuries with deftness and ease, Gateway to the Moon is Mary Morriss most ambitious and best novel yet." —Dani Shapiro, author of Hourglass "Its a great joy when a novel so rich in history is also a total page-turner. . . . A wonderful book, remarkable in its knowledge and a terrific story." —Joan Silber, author of Improvement and Fools "This exquisitely written novel suggests both the vastness and the intimacy of time—the ways in which the lives of the past echo in the lives of the living, whether we know it or not. A richly rewarding reading experience." —Dan Chaon, author of Ill Will "[An] enthralling saga. . . . Magnificent characters with complex psychologies, including adventurous entrepreneurs and several courageous women, populate this generational tale of the Sephardic diaspora. . . . With prose as clear as the star-strewn sky, Morriss novel explores peoples hidden connections." —Booklist (starred review) "Achieves affecting, poetic notes, its vignettes illuminating one thread of the Jewish Diaspora. . . . Deploys a rich palette of detail and color." —Kirkus Reviews "[A] spirited story of hidden faith. . . . Morriss richly detailed story explores the unlikely ways tradition can live on in the face of attempted annihilation." —Publishers Weekly "The story of the Torres family and its successful maintenances of ancient traditions . . . will have readers cheering." —Library Journal Review Quote "I have been spoiled by Mary Morriss writing--her rich storytelling woven with poetry--for years, but this latest novel brings me to a whole new level of awe. Gateway to the Moon is a story about exploration--between the past and the present, between faith and truth, between the heavens and the earth. If you havent read Mary Morris yet, start here. Now. Immediately." -- Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things "Written in prose like music, with stories connecting like fugues, Morris follows her characters through time, through space, and through horrors and toward love. From Columbus to the Spanish Inquisition to modern day New Mexico and the Voyager spacecraft, this is a work so luminous, so important, that you could see it as a map of the way to live in our universe. A writer is not supposed to be at a loss for words, but nothing can describe the extraordinary experience of this novel. A dazzling masterpiece destined to be a classic." -- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Is This Tomorrow "Engrossing, richly textured, and spanning centuries with deftness and ease, Gateway to the Moon is Mary Morriss most ambitious and best novel yet. Its thrilling to watch as such a well-established novelist sets forth like an explorer into new territory and makes it all her own." -- Dani Shapiro, bestselling author of Hourglass "Mary Morris, braids a vivid and surprising narrative, bringing together little-known history with little-known landscapes to produce a fascinating story of immigration, faith and family. Brava." --Roxana Robinson, author of Sparta "Its a great joy when a novel so rich in history is also a total page-turner. Gateway to the Moon connects and illuminates, as we see the centuries-long trail of those who survived the Spanish Inquisition through disguise and adaptation. A wonderful book, remarkable in its knowledge and a terrific story." -- Joan Silber, author of Improvement and Fools "This exquisitely written novel suggests both the vastness and the intimacy of time--the ways in which the lives of the past echo in the lives of the living, whether we know it or not. A richly rewarding reading experience!" -- Dan Chaon, author of Ill Will "A sweeping generational tale that stretches from the Spanish Inquisition to modern-day New Mexico, beginning with Luis de Torres, a Spanish Jew who accompanies Columbus as his interpreter." -- New York Post "Morris is a gifted storyteller, and this vivid novel is a real page turner. She deftly glides back and forth between a wide range of time periods and locales... she could be a poet, her writing is so richly textured and lyrical." --Moment "In Gateway to the Moon , Mary Morris unites themes of identity, family, history and astronomy . . . dramatically and magically braided over 500 years . . . A rewarding read." -- Albuquerque Journal "[An] enthralling saga . . . The story glides effortlessly between viewpoints and vibrant settings ranging from Lisbon to Tangiers, the Caribbean, and Mexico City. With prose as clear as the star-strewn night sky, Morris novel explores peoples hidden connections." --Booklist , starred review "Morris writes with a relaxed eloquence, shifting easily through characters. Gateway to the Moon is an entertaining, thoughtful read that raises a relevant question: Appearances aside, just how different are we?" --Bookpage "Gateway to the Moon connects modern lives to distant ancestors, seamlessly navigating between centuries while addressing universal questions about our need to connect to our past while moving to the future. This novel reaches beyond history; it explores the humanity infused into everyday life, whether in 1492 or 1992." --BookBrowse "Morriss taut, sculpted sentences make a stately music, weaving a beautiful and heartbreaking history that balances the worst of human cruelties, from poverty and violence to betrayal and neglect, with the sweetest human longings for meaning, for connection, and to uncover the mysteries that make us who we are." --Historical Novels Review " Gateway to the Moon shepherds the reader through a cosmos of human connection, where the unknown becomes knowable in ways that simultaneously cause pain and offer comfort. Mary Morris serves up ample portions of both in this wise and thought-provoking novel, which moves seamlessly from the 15th century to the 20th century and back again. By doing so, she reminds us that knowledge is a question, and that consequences are not the same as answers." -- Carol Zoref, author of Barren Island, Longlisted for National Book Award in Fiction, Winner of AWP Award for the Novel "A major narrative feat that sheds light on little-known aspects of the history of European Sephardic Jews and their flight from the Inquisition to the New World. Tracing a 500-year arc, from the streets of Lisbon and Seville to present-day New Mexico, this carefully researched novel is Mary Morriss crowning achievement." --Eduardo Lago, author of Call Me Brooklyn Discussion Question for Reading Group Guide 1. Were you aware of crypto-Jews before reading Gateway to the Moon ? Did the novel inspire you to learn more? 2. Rachel Rothstein is a complex character. What were your first impressions of her and how did your feelings about her change over the course of the novel? 3. Discuss the portrayal of Christopher Columbus. How did your perceptions of Columbus change after reading Gateway to the Moon ? 4. Themes of exploration and discovery run throughout the novel. Discuss the contrast between Miguels desire to explore space and Columbuss desire to discover the New World. 5. Religious persecution separates Luis de Torres from his family and Inez Cordero from the man she loves. Do you think the cycle of persecution in the name of religion can ever be broken? 6. What were your thoughts about Nathans instant dislike of Miguel? Even Rachel initially suspects Miguel of kidnapping when she returns home from temple to find her sons gone. Is suspicion of people who arent like us in our DNA? 7. Rachel and Nathans rainy camping trip is a subtle turning point in their relationship. Did you appreciate its significance while you were reading the chapter or later on, as the story progressed? 8. The treatment of women in the novel is troubling, yet truthful, and their resilience is remarkable. Sofia de Torress story is particularly unforgettable. Is there a strong woman who changed the course of your familys history? 9. Curiosity (or lack thereof) plays a significant role in the story. No one in Entrada de la Luna questions the lighting of candles on Friday or the fact that no one seems to eat pork. The Torres familys past and present comes full circle due to Rachels curiosity. Did Gateway to the Moon make you think differently about accepting things as they are just because "theyve always been done that way"? 10. Toward the end of the novel, MG says "We all need to know where we come from." If Miguel had known about his heritage, and the identity of his mother, would his life have taken a different path? 11. Gateway to the Moon depicts a side of history that you probably werent exposed to in school. Did reading the book change the way you think about the American narrative? Excerpt from Book Chapter One Perfect Darkness-- Details ISBN0525434992 Author Mary Morris Short Title GATEWAY TO THE MOON Pages 352 Language English ISBN-10 0525434992 ISBN-13 9780525434993 Format Paperback Year 2019 Publication Date 2019-03-12 Subtitle A Novel Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2019-03-12 NZ Release Date 2019-03-12 US Release Date 2019-03-12 UK Release Date 2019-03-12 Place of Publication New York Publisher Random House USA Inc Imprint Anchor Books DEWEY 813.54 Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:120105574;

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