Hidden Star

Ellie Gersten

Description

On her Abuela's (grandmother's) death bed, Estrella Schmitt, discovers that she is a descendant of Conversos (hidden Jews) from Spain. he finds mementos, writings and audiotapes from her ancestor, Estrella Gomez, dating back to 1597, about the harrowing overseas journey and all of the difficulties she endured to find a place of peace, far from the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. That is until she discovers that the Inquisition followed her to New Spain. Her descendent, Estrella, becomes interested in the story of her family and decides to retrace her family's steps to find out more which she does.

Sujets

• Historical
• Historical fiction
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: iUniverse
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781663252586
• Langue: English

Extrait

HIDDEN STAR
 
FAITH, FAMILY, FUTURE
 
 
 
ELLIE GERSTEN
 
 

 
HIDDEN STAR
FAITH, FAMILY, FUTURE
 
Copyright © 2023 Ellie Gersten.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
Certain characters in this work are historical figures, and certain events portrayed did take place. However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, and events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
 
iUniverse
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
844-349-9409
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6632-5257-9 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6632-5258-6 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023907959
 
 
iUniverse rev. date:  05/31/2023
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the women of the Inquisition who chose to continue observing their Jewish traditions with the threat of losing their homes, their families and their lives to pursue
Kiddush HaShem, for the sanctity of the G-d of Moses.
CONTENTS
1.Reflections
2.I Don’t Understand
3.Bitter and Sweet
4.Life Goes On
5.Getting to Know Him
6.Finally, I Got a Job
7.Trying to Bond
8.Reality Sets In
9.Meeting My Ancestors
10.Farewell, España
11.To the New Land
12.Trouble on the Horizon
13.Headed to Mexico City
14.Jose, Mijo
15.Life Anew
16.To Our Town
17.Working the Mine
18.Mi Amore
19.What’s Next?
20.Where It Began
Favorite Spanish Recipes
Discussion Questions for Book Groups
Acknowledgement
References
1 REFLECTIONS
“No, no. Abuelita, Grandmother. Don’t die.” I was jolted awake in tears, sweaty and terrified. I saw my grandmother lying dead in her bed, with my crying family surrounding her. Could my nightmare be real? I had to call my mom. I knew Abuela was in poor health. As I clutched the phone, waiting for Mom to pick up, I paced back and forth. Before asking Mom how Grandma was, I could hear from her raspy voice that she had been crying.
She said, “The doctor told us Grandma does not have much time. He said she may have days left. How soon can you get home? She’s waiting for you.”
I said, “Immediately. I will come today.”
My knees began to tremble, so I sat down. My grandma helped shape the woman I am. I immediately thought back to a writing assignment in fourth grade. I proudly showed Grandma the perfect score on my paper. She was impressed. Grandma loved how beautifully it was written and encouraged my talent by giving me a journal. She suggested that I write in it every day. A few days later, I ran to my grandma, eager to tell her how much I loved my journal and show her all the pages I had filled.
She continued to foster my talent. Next, she got me a rolltop desk for my bedroom, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. I remember how much fun it was going through the pages of the thesaurus, finding new ways to write words like happy —gleeful, joyful, cheery, merry, and many more. I loved playing with words. It was my abuelita who steered me toward a career in journalism.
Another talent abuelita nurtured in me was cooking. Spending hour after hour in the kitchen, making food for the family, was pure joy. I can still see her instructing, with her finger pointing at me. “Don’t add too much honey here. A bit more lemon juice there. Paprika is not just for color. Remember, you always need the bitter and sweet.” She was part of my heart. Now I was going home to say goodbye.
I hung up with Mom and went to tell my husband, Jeremy. I took a deep breath and with a crack in my voice said, “Sweetie, Grandma is … dying. We have to leave town. I hope we can get there in time. Don’t forget to pack your black suit for the funeral.”
Jeremy shifted back and forth with a grimace on his face. He said, “Sorry, honey. I’m meeting with new clients at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. I can’t leave tonight.”
“Are you sure you can’t?” I said. “It would mean so much to me. Why don’t you fly out once the meeting is over.”
Jeremy sighed. “I don’t know if I can leave work now.”
I shook my head, walked over to him, and gave him a hug. Then I put my hands on his shoulders, stared into his eyes, and said, “You know I feel family comes first.”
I booked the next flight to Santa Fe and packed my bags.
As we drove to the airport, Jeremy made small talk to ease my worries. “Wow, Strella. There is no traffic on the highway.”
I responded, “I really can’t concentrate.”
I felt numb, in a trancelike state, as I stared out the window at the cars zooming by. The only image racing through my head was my abuelita lying in her bed and how scared she must feel. I was comforted knowing that she was in her own home, surrounded by loved ones. She never liked hospitals. The putrid smells made her gag. Abuelita told me, “I want to be in my own bed when I die.”
Jeremy hugged me lightly and spoke softly. “I hope Grandma will be okay. I love you.”
I hugged him back as I slowly exhaled. I said nothing, then quickly moved through the airport to the gate and onto the plane. I made it to my seat and tried to visualized my favorite place, the creek behind my childhood home in Pueblo. Then I gazed down and noticed I had been wringing my hands and shaking my right knee.
A stewardess put her hand on my shoulder and asked me, “Are you all right? Can I get you a drink?”
“Yes, I’d like some water please.”
The stewardess came back with a glass of water and some warm cookies. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
I smiled at her.
As I sipped the water, I began to relax. Fortunately, the trip went lightning fast. Before I knew it, I had my bags in hand and saw a familiar face. It was my dad, with his arms outstretched waiting to give me a big bear hug. “There’s my girl. It’s so good to see you, Estrella.”
In the car, at first, neither of us spoke, both lost in our thoughts. My fingers couldn’t stop moving as I twisted and untwisted my hair. Dad broke the silence when he began reminiscing about Mom and her family. I knew my parents’ love story, but I thought talking would be good for him.
Dad said, “I won a football scholarship to St. Mary’s Preparatory High School. I still remember what a bundle of nerves I was on that very first day of school. I didn’t know anyone, and most of the students were from very rich families. Honey, you remember that I grew up poor. Your mom—or as I thought of her, the fair Melina—who was in my English class, welcomed me to school. It was love at first sight. Mom was beloved, kind, and the most beautiful girl in high school with her long, black, curly hair and sparkling smile.”
Dad continued, “One day, I mustered up enough courage to talk to your mom. I walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned to face me, I got tongue-tied and tried frantically to think of something to say. Finally, I asked, ‘Is this room 204?’ Mom pointed at the large numbers right on the door with a half-smile.” Dad realized we were almost home and said, “I better stop daydreaming now and get you home so you can be with your grandma.”
As we pulled up to my childhood home, I immediately ran over to the garden to glance at the sunflowers. It was as if they were smiling at me, happy I was home. I was glad to be there.
Mom greeted me with a hug and a kiss on my forehead. “It’s so good to see you. Grandma just fell asleep. Why don’t you get settled, and then we can go for a walk.” I quickly went to Grandma’s room, peeking in just to check on her. She looked different from my last visit but was peaceful as she slept.
Mom and I talked as we walked around the grounds. “Mom, what happened to Abuela?
She wasn’t so sick the last time I was here. Why didn’t you call?”
Mom answered, “The doctor changed her medicine because she was not steady on her feet and she became lethargic. I took her back to see him, and he changed her medicine again. This time, she felt better, but it didn’t last long. Things changed suddenly. Remember, dear, she is almost one hundred years old.”
I said, “I never thought of her as any age, she was just my abuela.”
We continued our stroll all the way to the stables. I was excited to see that my childhood oak tree had grown. “Grandma and I planted this tree together.” I smiled. “I love this ranch so much. This Spanish-style hacienda made of adobe is perfect. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. How long has it been in the family?”
Mom was deep in thought and said, “I know Abuelita Maria inherited the ranch from your great-grandmother, whose family had lived there for generations, but I don’t know how long our family has owned it.”
I said, “We have an interesting family. Should we head back to the house? Do you think Abuelita is awake?”
Mom nodded as we headed back to see Grandma.
I ran to Grandma’s room. Opening the door, I s