All the stars AND the moon to Gateway to the Moon! 🌟 🌝 🌟 🌙 🌟

Where to begin with this fascinating and alluring novel? Gateway to the Moon begins during the time of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Inquisition, all the way through the present day, where there is a community of “Crypto Jews” living in New Mexico who are Catholic but continuing many Jewish traditions (and not knowing why).

Entrada de la Luna is the town at the center of this novel. It’s a place where people want to leave for a better life, better opportunities, if they can. Miguel Torres, a main character, sees some similarities between his community’s culture in Entrada de la Luna and the Jewish artist for whom he works.

Mary Morris’ writing is stunning, and through the unique narrative style of traveling in time via historical “vignettes,” exploring the ancestors of Entrada’s residents, a portrait is painted of a community with a new understanding of its fascinating roots.

This story is a gradual-builder. It takes time to put all these beautiful puzzle pieces together. If you don’t mind being patient, you will be taken on a profound and breathtaking historical journey.

Thank you to Mary Morris for writing this outstanding book, as well as Doubleday/Nan A. Tales, and Netgalley for the ARC. Gateway to the Moon will be released on April 10, 2018!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book is really that good! It was written by award-winning novelist and memoirist Mary Morris, and this is her first book I have read. I definitely intend to read more. This is an ambitious book, starting in 1492 and following one Jewish man’s life and his descendents. He is a crypto-Jew, one who converts to Christianity to escape the Inquisition, but in reality never loses his faith. There is no plot, but there is a beginning, a middle and an end, and it is superbly written.

We begin with the present, in the small, poor New Mexico town of Entrada de la Luna and are introduced to Miguel Torres. Miguel dreams of leaving Entrada and looks to the stars for his escape as he dreams of being an astronomer.

We then visit the distant past, and are introduced to Luis de Torres. Luis is fluent in many languages, and leaves his wife and children to join Columbus as an interpreter. The voyage is Luis’ means of escaping the Inquisition, with hopes of finding somewhere he can practice his faith freely. Columbus arrives in Cuba, leaving Luis behind with some other sailors to settle La Navidad on the island of Hispaniola. Upon his return, Columbus learns that all the sailors had been killed, which is not surprising based upon their conduct with the local women. Columbus does find a toddler with Luis’ coloring, and this child and his descendents are Miguel’s family. We follow them through the years, on a journey from Spain to Mexico to New Mexico.

This book exemplifies the way reading has changed over the years. Many years ago, I would read a book, thinking I need to research something further. Based on my short attention span and having to actually go to the library to research, that may or may not have happened. Now, I’m off to the internet to do immediate research. The subjects of the Inquisition and crypto-Jews fascinated me, and I truly learned something new with this book.

Reading this book was an amazing adventure through history!

Mary Morris has written a great novel about an intriguing period in history, and the culture it spawned. Set in the modern day and historical Southwest, she brings together a colorful setting, compelling characters, and a historical mystery tying it all together. I didn’t want the story to end.

This is an exceptional read. Morris has written the story of the conversos or crypto-Jews, in a way that brings the story to the heart. Set initially in 1492 and in 1992, it tells the tale of the Torres family, through both the ancestors and Miguel, an incredibly smart kid in a tough place. I didn't know this bit of history and appreciate the incredible amount of research Morris did. She has written educational historical fiction with a huge heart. This is a family saga as well as the tale of a people. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is one I'm going to recommend to others.

Mary Morris has done an excellent job of researching the Spanish Inquisition and the travels of Christopher Columbus in her new novel, GATEWAY TO THE MOON. The author takes those hideous events of history and juxtaposes them with the history of a small community living in New Mexico. Fifteenth century Spain led to many Jews desperate to escape torture and death by fleeing the country. A few refugees found themselves on a ship bound for Cathay with Columbus. Of the few that survived, a community located itself in New Mexico and the stories of Miguel, Elena, and her family provide an incredible saga connecting today with five hundred years of history.

This novel portrays much suffering, but also love and hope. The bonds of marriage and children provide a glimpse into who will become the descendants of the unspeakable horrors under the Spanish church and the hardships endured while wandering the seas, looking for gold and other riches with Columbus. We all know the history. This novel provides an enthralling story of who those descendants are and how they are faring in today's world where equal doesn't mean the same thing for everyone.

Thank you, NetGalley and Nan Talese for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Doubleday Books, and Mary Morris for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Told between two different timelines, Gateway to the Moon, was not just an intriguing fiction but it was interwoven with unknown history that had me reading at a slower pace but it picked up steam as Morris worked magic interweaving the two timelines to create a unique story.
This has been the first time I read a book by Morris so unknowingly I knew i was going to be reading a piece of fiction from the blurb but this was so much more. I truly loved the work involved by Morris to include aspects of history that are rarely broached in the US school system and it was a great learning experience. Hopefully I manage to read more of Morris's' work in the future.

Good books excel in one or two important elements: plot, characters, and setting. Gateway to the Moon is unusual; it scores on all three elements. There is more than one setting in Mary Morris’s new novel: Spain during the Inquisition, Columbus’ first voyage on the Santa Maria to discover the gateway to the East, Mexico, and New Mexico’s Entrada de la Luna, or the so-called Gateway to the Moon, named by Coronado. Each of these large gateways, and others, are drawn as beautifully and vividly as are smaller gateways: a desperate drive on the dusty road from Entrada to Sante Fe, prisons, a dancing school, a synagogue on a very hot Yom Kippur, the aromas of a restaurant in Morocco, and many more. Morris also succeeds in drawing her characters, often not by description but through inner thoughts and outward deeds. Miguel may be the most interesting of the characters, perhaps because he is on stage more than others. But each one is brought to life by Morris’s keen writing. By the end of the book I felt as if I was leaving characters I had come to know and understand. Check yes for another set of successes by this talented author. It is through the settings and the characters that the plot is propelled. I had heard of crypto-Jews but did not really know much about them, and I found the history-related plot as compelling as I found the book’s settings and characters. Unlike some other reviewers, I found using alternating stories among characters living during different historical time periods to be very effective. Two quibbles: The revelation about Miguel’s parents came well after it became obvious and the summary of his life after the close of the book’s narrative seemed gratuitous and unnecessary. But those are only minor flaws in what otherwise is a compelling novel.

In 1478 the Spanish Inquisition was established. The year that Columbus went on his first voyage of discovery, 1492, was also the year that all Jews and Muslims were expelled from Spain. Unless they converted to Christianity--or preferred to be burned at the stake.

The Christian Jews outwardly lived like Christians, attending mass, but secretly clung to their way of life, lighting candles on Friday, avoiding pork, and circumcising their sons.

So, the Conversos were targeted, massacred, imprisoned, tortured, and burned. The Jews fled to the New World, but the Inquisition followed to Mexico and the Jews moved into New Mexico.

Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris imagines the story of one Jewish/Converso family whose ancestor, Luis de Torres, came to the New World with Columbus, following the Torres family through the 15th and 16th centuries and into the 20th century.

Living in Entada de la Luna, the Torres are good Catholics who traditionally light candles on Friday night, disdain to eat pork, and circumcise their sons. The cemetery holds generations of their ancestors. The townsfolk know that their ancestors came from Spain but no longer remember what brought them there.

The story is told in two timelines, telling the contemporary story of Miguel Torres, a teenager with a passion for astronomy, and that of his ancestors beginning with Luis de Torres, a secret Jew born Leni Halvri before the Alhambra Decree.

The horrific history of the Inquisition is revealed through the lives of the Torres family, providing drama and intrigue to the slower, more introspective story of Miguel. Miguel's world has also has its violence and sorrow; his father became an alcoholic while in the armed service, his parents divorced, and his aunt was gang-raped by fellow high school students before she fled to New York City to pursue a dance career.

Morris's beautiful writing is a pleasure to read. Miguel is a wonderful, memorable character. And it was interesting to learn about this part of history. I very much enjoyed this novel, a combination of historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and family history.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

The premise behind Gateway to the Moon really intrigued me. The idea that there are people who follow Jewish tradition without openly considering themselves Jewish was totally new to me and I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, I feel that the writing and narrative in general were choppy, which made the story very difficult to follow. There were a lot of characters mentioned, particularly in the flashbacks, so I struggled to keep track of everyone. I finally figured out towards the end of the book that the majority of the characters were related. The weird tangents about sex did not fit with the tone of story; parts of the book actually read like historical erotic fiction.

Overall, I don't think this book delivered. I read an ARC, so hopefully the final version has been edited and will be less disjointed. Gateway to the Moon is definitely not the worst book I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't very good and I would not recommend this book to anyone I know.

This was a fascinating novel about the persecution of Jewish people in the time of Christopher Columbus and how there came to be "unknown" Jewish descendants in New Mexico. Told in alternating narratives set in different time periods (past and present), it got confusing at times, but this is one of those rare books for me that had a satisfying ending with an interesting beginning. #netgalley #gatewaytothemoon

I just finished Gateway to the Moon and I have a one-word review: Wow! This is one of my new favorite books. Well written and great historical fiction. If this book is indicative of her writing, I want to now read everything Mary Morris has written. Love the characters, the settings, the culture, love everything about this book.

I received Gateway to the Moon from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The novel has two interconnecting story lines. One starts in 1492 with Columbus’s first voyage to the New World and the eventual discovery of America. 1492 is also the year when the Jews of Spain were expelled or were required to convert to Catholicism. Many Jews converted, many were killed and many left. Those who converted secretly retained many of their Jewish customs, though outwardly they declared Christianity. In Spain they were called the Marranos, secret Jews. I have known about the Marranos in Spain and Portugal, but I was not aware of the crypto-Jews who left Europe, settled in the New World , lived as Christians, but maintained many Jewish customs over centuries and after a while not even knowing why they followed some rituals or that they had any connection to Judaism.
The second story line picks up in 1992 in Entrada de Luna (Gateway to the Moon) New México. Most of this story centers around Miguel Torres, a teenager and his family, who can trace their ancestors back 400 years at that location. Miguel spends much of his time in an ancient cemetery established by his ancestors, where he is fascinated by the stars, the moon and is very interested in astronomy.
Miguel takes a babysitting job with a Jewish family who have recently moved from New York to New Mexico. He is much liked by Rachel, the Mom, but has hardly any connection with the Dad, Nathan. After a freak accident, for which Miguel blames himself he doesn’t return to his job.

There is much I liked about this book, especially the historical elements, and how the author traced the current inhabitants of New Mexico to the original secret Jews based on facts. However I felt distracted by some details that had no real connection to the story, for example, Rachel’s marriage issues. First I didn’t understand why a great kid, like Miguel had such a low self esteem, but towards the end of the book, this became clearer. I found some of the story lines a little convoluted, both in the past and present. Overall I would give this book 3.5 stars.
Thanks NetGalley, Doubleday Books and the author, Mary Morris for the advanced copy.

I will admit this was an interesting read with some interesting characters. The story follows some of Entrada's residents past and present. Everyone is tied together by blood. The main character, though, was Miguel and Rachel. Miguel is a teenager who is hired to babysit Rachel's kids. There are other POVs as well.

The multiple POVs were fun and interesting. However, I started not caring about halfway through. I just wanted to see what would happen next to Rachel and Miguel. Sure I did like seeing Entrada in other eyes and we got to see some secrets and learn more about the good and the bad of the town...but I honestly just really liked those two POVs.

I felt bad for Miguel. He is just a kid who wants a telescope to view the stars and moon. Rachel was a total spaz, but I did like her. I saw a little of myself in her. She really does need a therapist though...

Lots of secrets and I'm not sure how no one connected the dots sooner or if they flat out ignore the BIG "secret". It was obvious to Rachel who is not the brightest bulb sometimes. I did find it interesting that no one questioned the rituals and why they do them.

The writing was done well. The author does have a way with words especially with inner thoughts and contemplation. I loved how she made the moon so important to the story. It was subtle but the moon and the town were the connectors in the story. Well done.

Well...now the ending was....something. It just sort of ended. There really was no conclusion. Lots of unanswered questions. What happened to Rachel and her kids? What happened to Miguel and Elena? So open-ended. I don't mind open-ended depending...but I did want more. Just a little more.

In the end, this wasn't a bad people story. I enjoyed watching Miguel and Rachel stumble through life. They really were two peas in a pod. The other characters were interesting, but I did just want to read the main story. Good writing and interesting characters. The ending was too open-ended for my liking. I'll give this 3 stars.

A very interesting and captivating read. A historical fiction beginning during the Spanish Inquisition, weaving between history and modern times. The journey begins on Christopher Columbus’ journey to the New World where a Jewish translator accompanies him and the book ultimately ends in the New Mexican town of Entrada de la Luna, where the residents have practiced some interesting traditions over hundreds of years but have no idea why. The book details the plight and migration of Jews during the inquisition in Spain, Mexico and the new colonies, including those who became conversos, those who converted to Roman Catholicism although some secretly continued to practice or adhere to Jewish traditions. Although sometimes a little slow in parts, the characters were well defined and generally likeable. I really enjoyed this book, particularly the historical aspects.

Wow. I think I just finished reading my new favorite book! This quality, well written and thoroughly researched novel, was truly wonderful. Loved the span of generations- the ventures from escaping the Spanish Inquisition, to the travels of Christopher Columbus, to Mexico and New Mexico, up until Current times. The evolution of converted Jews was incredible. Thought provoking and beautiful. Tying together humanity on earth with the moon and the stars was brilliant. I wish this book never ended. Gateway to the Moon, by Mary Morris is a highly recommended masterpiece! Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this early edition copy.

There are some wonderful moments in this novel that follows a family in two timelines: 1492 and 1992. (Primarily, but there is even more time jumping). I was fascinated by the backstory of Jews in Spain and how they came to the new world. The story telling, however, was very disjointed. The modern story was detailed and slow. But the historical storyline sped through many generations quickly and with only a barebones telling, leaving the story feeling more like an outline than a fully realized narrative. There were also too many threads (multiple characters and POVs in each time line led to lots of starts and stops).

Gateway to the Moon by May Morris captured me from the beginning. The multiple story lines had me intrigued. I really wanted to enjoy this book as I love reading books on crypto jews and how they survived. Sadly, while I started out loving this story I couldn't get into it as the ot seemed to drag to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC of this book. This book is true to its title description. The reader won't be disappointed when reading this book.

I honestly thought this book was terrific. 4.5 but not rounding up mostly because I wanted more closure/more of the earlier story. To commend it: a well-written interesting story of history and historical fiction.

Setting: "In 1492, the Jewish and Muslim populations of Spain were expelled, and Columbus set sail for America. Luis de Torres, a Spanish Jew, accompanies Columbus as his interpreter. His journey is only the beginning of a long migration, across many generations. Over the centuries, de Torres’ descendants travel from Spain and Portugal to Mexico, finally settling in the hills of New Mexico. Five hundred years later, it is in these same hills that Miguel Torres, a young [teenage] amateur astronomer, finds himself trying to understand the mystery that surrounds him and the town he grew up in. "
The moon has an integral part of the narrative. It is used in navigation [early story]. Miguel is fascinated with it. And it even plays a role in menstrual cycles and impregnation. They all are tied together in this entrancing narrative. And the setting in New Mexico is a small town called Entrada de la Luna--Gateway to the Moon.

Columbus and his translator [Luis de Torres] are the genesis of the story. Some of the crossovers/mysteries [noted later in the novel]: why were some of the traditions observed in New Mexico so simlar to those of the Jews of the 15th century? For example, not eating pork, and lighting candles on Friday nites. Certain dishes that resonated across centuries and continents [i.e., Elena's visit to Morocco].

The earlier story was both heartbreaking and enchanting. Each time another piece was revealed I was more fascinated. The families that had to hide their Jewishness under the pretense of being conversos/New Christians.

Many of the characters in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were real people [there is a list in the front of principal characters and they are duly noted as historical figures]. Some of the more interesting storylines: the love stories, the Inquisition, the history of cacao, the desire to die as a Jew (before the priests can give a Christian burial). The story of the crypto-Jews--in Spain and Portugal--and how they came to be in New Mexico was extremely engaging. I knew about the latter, but not the former.

The novel is populated with many characters past and present. But I liked the older story better. There were so many characters I loved--but they were primarily from the older story: including Inez Cordero, Beatrice, Francisco, Alejandro, Sofia, and Federico.

The later story (1992), also quite interesting in terms of the various characters [New Mexico]. Introduced here to Miguel, Roberto, MG, Vincent Roybal, the Rothsteins, Elena. And how they were interwoven--with each other and the earlier story--masterful.

And I learned the avocado was earlier called an alligator pear!

I am so fortunate to have read this book before its expected publication in April 2018. Put it on your to read lists.

I read about 40% of this and then gave up because the plot was dragging.