The village of lost souls: The inverted forest - Part I

The year is 1671 and nine-year-old Isaac Zarco lives a quiet life in the peaceful village of Castelo Rodrigo. However, not even this remote corner in the North of Portugal escapes the shadow of a powerful and malevolent force, which spreads insidiously within the hearts of a previously peaceful population. And, in a short time, with the mysterious disappearance of a friendly family and the murder of a neighbour, the pillars that had supported Isaac's world begin to crumble, putting his own life at risk. Grandmother Flor, an old Castilian midwife and healer, then reveals what no one had dared to say: that he and his family are, in fact, secret Jews – and, therefore, subject to denunciations and imprisonment. Following the Zarco family, in a moving and captivating novel divided into two volumes, Richard Zimler explores the devastating effects of religious intolerance in the village of Castelo Rodrigo and surrounding settlements. Using real names, arrest dates, and other details about the villagers who were taken by the Inquisition, he presents the reader with exhaustive research that makes this work a masterful novel and an unparalleled testimony.