Gaon Books Authors at Collected Works Bookstore
Last night, June 18, at Collected Works Bookstore Isabelle Medina Sandoval (shown here) and Sandra Toro (below) talked about their more recent books, both on crypto-Jewish life in New Mexico. Several dozen people attended the event and were active discussants wanting to know more about the crypto-Jewish experience.Dr. Medina Sandoval's most recent book is: Hidden Shabbat: The Secret Lives of Crypto-Jews. She is from a family in Mora, New Mexico, which was an area of crypto-Jewish life during the Spanish colonial period. Her family maintained their identity as Jewish up to the contemporary period, and the author tells the stories of her grandmothers back several generations. Based on historical research and information from her own family, Medina Sandoval weaves a story of how people lived their lives. Keeping identity with her tradition, she wore a New Mexican colcha (traditionally woven shawl) for her talk. See the previous blog for more information.
Sandra K. Toro's most recent book is Secrets Behind Adobe Walls, and it is about crypto-Jewish life during the eighteenth century in New Mexico. The central figure is a medical doctor, Benjamin Mendez who is newly arrived to the Santa Fe territory, and he brought the knowledge of Europe with him. Her story covers the infamous "Witch Trials" of Abiquiu, and the experience of the epidemics of European diseases that attacked so many Indians, far more than the U.S. Cavalry ever did. Then, there is a love story with twists and turns in the plot that will keep you intrigued. See the previous blog for more information.
After the talks and the question and answer period, the authors signed books and talked with the audience and book buyers until the store closed.
Collected Works is an independent bookstore that has an active program of talks by local and national authors. It had a major role in the cultural life of Santa Fe.
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