The Inside Name

A child navigates his Lisbon neighborhood as a converso, a Jew compelled to practice Catholicism in Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition.

The boy takes readers through his city and ponders the religious intolerance that has turned neighbors against him and forced his family to keep their Jewish observance a secret. Though the author acknowledges the threat of violence and imprisonment for forced converts, she leans toward optimism, depicting a loving, intact family who seek a way out. Interspersed with moments of dread and sadness, the narrative highlights details about secret religious practice, such as hiding a mezuzah under the tiles of the doorframe, lighting Shabbat candles inside a jar on the hearth, and using an "inside name," a Hebrew name employed only in the privacy of the home. This short chapter book features illustrations on every spread as well as occasional text boxes that offer definitions and historical context, though the vocabulary will be a stretch for many younger readers. Saturated colors for the clothes and buildings imply the visual richness of the city, but the soft lines of the watercolor-like illustrations provide limited expression in the human faces. A historical note presents more details about conversos and discusses Doña Gracia, who used her wealth to rescue Jewish people trapped by the Inquisition.

A gentle exploration of a cruel episode in European history. (Chapter book. 6-9) --Kirkus Reviews

The target audience for Randi Sonenshine's lovely new book The Inside Name is young middle graders, but this 44 page hardcover reads more like a sophisticated picture book. The first person narrative tells the story of a young boy in 15th century Lisbon named Felipe Alonso. At least, that is his outside name. He and his family are conversos, Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism during the Inquisition. The family practices Judaism in secret, so their Jewish names, their inside names, are never spoken outside of their home. On his way to and from an errand for his mother, Felipe is called horrible names by the city's knife grinder and is chased by boys intent on terrorizing him. Sonenshine shows what can become of Jews in Portugal at this time as Felipe recalls his friendship with Solomon, whose family is imprisoned in a monastery For the journey, Felipe brings a cutting from his grandfather's lemon tree, so he can plant some seeds at his new home in Antwerp. The voice here is strong; the reader will really feel that the story is being told by a boy who must live every day with secrets and in fear for his safety. The text is almost poetic in its spare form and its beautiful imagery, and the watercolor illustrations are an excellent complement to the text.

This is not a story that Jewish children are exposed to often; it's certainly not a story that non-Jewish children would know. The scarcity of such Inquisition books in mainstream children's literature supports the theory that Jewish histories outside of Holocaust narratives are often ignored. The Inside Name should be considered for a Sydney Taylor Honor or Notable designation.

Early chapter books with Jewish themes are hard to find. This excellent historical fiction book about secret Jews in Portugal during Inquisition times is an appealing, well-told story for children who enjoy reading about history and far-away places. Young Felipe Alonso has both an "inside" and "outside" name. Felipe is the name he uses to navigate the world of anti-Jewish Lisbon in the early 16th century, while he and his family long to live freely in a more tolerant country. His mother tries not to use his outside name in general, and just whistles for him instead. His inside name is kept secret from the reader until their escape to Belgium, which is assisted by "La Senora" (aka the famous philanthropist, Dona Gracia Nasi).

The author provides a real sense of place, of family, of the dangers of life as a Converso, and surprises regarding who is willing to help. The new vocabulary words kids won’t know (like caravel, Inquisition, and Converso) are starred and footnoted at the bottom of the page. The bright, watercolor illustrations are a standout for an early chapter book and simply stunning in how they beautifully convey the historical era and the emotional heft of the narrative. Clearly the illustrator did intense research to accurately depict the clothing, architecture, and Iberian-Sephardic color palette of the 1500s. The pages depicting a map of the family’s escape should delight map-loving kids while also providing very good historical information. The historical note at the end of the book provides even more. In six, short, readable chapters, this exciting story is a notable success and will fill a much-needed gap in the Jewish historical fiction section of the library.--Association of Jewish Libraries