Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! I am back with a new book review!

By Light of Hidden Candles by. Daniella Levee

Disclaimer: This review is based on thoughts and opinions of the lead writer. Please respect her thoughts on this book that was an advanced reader’s copy through NetGalley.

In the Jewish Quarter of Fez during Sixteenth Century, an ailing mother hands her daughter a heavy ring that has a major significance and a message to return it to the person who gave it to her until five hundred years later, Alma, a college student, goes into a program that has her going to Spain with a project from her grandmother to not only return a ring but find out the roots about her family. Before the trip, she ends up with meeting Manuel, a Catholic who joins the program, to be her study partner but he gets a warning not to get too close to Alma due to her Jewish heritage.

Once in Madrid, the two not only go into archives to find the clues behind their family but their friendship grows and hints of Manuel’s own feelings towards Jewish people start to grow as well and he starts questioning about his own faith and what he wants to do once he’s graduated from college. While Alma, on the other hand, she tries to piece the clues that they find about her family and any connections they may have such as a person with the name of Leon in the files that they were given and that Manuel’s ancestor may have clues and tie INS with hers.

Thoughts: So, this book kind of felt like The Confectioner’s Tale which that book gave present and past like with this one in how it was written except you have two characters for the present and one for the past. We get to see the story with the character Miriam and how she went through the Spanish Inquisition and how she escaped it and then it links Alma and Manuel together with what they are doing in present time to link the story in why the ring was given to Alma’s ancestor in the first place. I did also enjoy some of the more comedic parts since it does deal with the religious aspects both Alma and Manuel go through. For instance in the start of the book before Alma had to leave for Spain she is celebrating Passover with family. I also felt like I heard the record stop when she mentions Manuel being Catholic with all the music and how her family feels about it. I also did like how everyone Manuel meets kind of act scared of Alma and what she may do to him but during the story she did try to not get so deep By Light of Hidden Candles by. Daniella Levvieinto their friendship with each other even though she was jealous of one of her roommates having coffee with Manuel. I kind of felt like those points were kind of a normal thing for college students to go through. Heck, I did have a bit of a jealous reaction when one of my brother’s gal pals tried to have a bit of a flirt with Gondras a long time ago. Got to love jealousy. Anyways, I did love the parts with Miriam and how she and her father were being tracked down especially to the safe place where they were being kept, it was like how the Holocaust took place during World War II and how even before that Jewish people had to be hidden. It did get pointed out during one of the Manuel chapters that things have changed for the better when it came to Jewish communities around the world after he finally meets a relative that was related to his dead grandmother and he wondered why they excommunicated her.

Rating: 5 Star Paw Prints Out of 5! This was a very good book and it took the switch from present to past very well. I did find it heartwarming at certain points in the book and pretty sad as well. I do like the pairing between Alma and Manuel due to how they have really good chemistry even when Manuel shown up at Alma’s grandmother’s shop the first time. Also it was even more heartwarming while reading Miriam’s side of the story since that does link everything together. The theme of this book being “You don’t know who you are until you find the pieces” fits with the entire story and how it was written. I hope I get to read more books by Levee since it was a really well put together piece and enjoyed it. I will link you guys to the book so you can also check it out!

That is it for this review! I do have another one since I am reading Mimi Jean’s newest book and will be starting on another after that. Until next time!