Converso is a story of crypto-Jewish life in a small town in northern New Mexico during the 1870’s, the time of Bishop Lamy. Abran Espinosa along with his uncle, Don Moisés Espinosa, discover their Jewish birthright through an old family journal. The newly-appointed priest, Father LaSalle, mistakenly suspects them of sorcery, leading to a confrontation and Abran’s exile from the local church. The resulting story is compelling and surprising.
Mario X. Martinez uses stories from his family to create this historical novel of powerful Dons, dashing young men, beautiful women, and the foreign priest who did not understand New Mexican life and culture. This combustible mixture leads to conflict, revenge and the suspicious demise of the priest as he was conducting mass. This is a story that Willa Cather would have understood about life and death and the secrecy with which crypto-Jewish families lived and protected their identity.
In Converso, Mario Martinez weaves a fascinating story about the survival of a culture, that of the Crypto Jews of New Mexico. Everyday we are learning more and more about the complexity of Hispanic civilization as brought to the Americas by Spaniards in the 17th century. While the Catholicism of Spain is evident and obvious, the other religions of the book in Iberia, Sephardic Judaism and Islam, made healthy contributions to what is today a thriving community. Martinez brings history to life and puts forth a thought provoking thesis: There are Crypto Jews among New Mexico's Hispanic community in the 21st century.
-- Robert D. Martinez
History Teacher and New Mexican Folk Musician
For further information go to: http://www.conversothenovel.com
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