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.