Arnon Z. Shorr
Joshua M. Edelglass, illustrator
JOSE AND THE PIRATE CAPTAIN TOLEDANO
KAR-BEN Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 97817284220097
Reviewed by Rochelle Strauss1
In 1492, the Alhambra Decree forced the Jews of Spain to either convert to Catholicism or leave, if they wanted to live. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, there were refugees who voyaged to the settlements in the Americas to start a new life; as conversos, their Jewish heritage hidden. This adventure novel is a twist on the agency of the victims of the Inquisition. There is tragedy in their exile and fear for their lives; but, they will persist and seek justice. Jewish pirates have been documented attacking Spanish and Portuguese ships; Edward Kritzler published Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean2 in 2009. The idea that these refugees fought back is empowering. I think young readers will empathize with Jose's youthful confusion and doubts. They will share his pride in his heritage and for fighting for his rights.
José Alfaro is a teenager living in the sixteenth century colony of Santo Domingo. He is an educated boy, the son of the colonial treasurer. As much as he wants to belong, he feels unliked and rejected by the community; he feels different from everyone else.
The action begins with the arrival of the Santa Clara, a Spanish ship attacked by pirates and in need of repair. The ship's Captain De Guzman is also an officer of the inquisition, who bets he will find a heretic on the island. Also on board are twenty families intent on settling there. José's father, as treasurer of the colony, is given the responsibility of securing land for the settlement. José is sent to the indigenous Taino tribe with a contract for their land, but they refuse to move. The tribal chief observes that José is different and that he should find another “tribe” if he wants to be accepted for himself. This encourages José to decide to join Captain De Guzman on the Santa Clara to start a new life.
Returning home, José's failure with the land deal and his intention to join the Santa Clara distress his father. He tells José they are endangered, they are Jews! Shocked, José learns he was born in Portugal. His mother's death forced them to flee when the inquisition learned of his father's religious observance of her death. If De Guzman catches them, the governor won't protect them, because of the failed land deal. Jose is shown a hidden box of religious items just as Captain De Guzman and his soldiers break into the Alfaro home. José escapes with the kiddush cup and hides in the Taino settlement. He learns that the pirate ship, Laqish, is docked for repairs after its attack on the Santa Clara and stows away as his only chance to escape.
When José is discovered on board he is brought to the pirate Captain Toledano. He pleads for his life, but the crew is told to throw him overboard. As he scuffles with the men, the kiddush cup falls to the deck. When José claims it, Captain Toledano has him put in the brig. Toledano reveals to José that he is Jewish and has been trying to destroy the Santa Clara for years; De Guzman's father burned Toledano's father at the stake. He is seeking justice, robbing the Spanish of the riches they stole from the exiled Jews. Toledano decides to give religious lessons to José as he learns how to be a sailor. But unbeknownst to them, the spying quartermaster on the ship learns they are Jews.
To determine the Santa Clara's route, Toledano and crew sneak into Santo Domingo to steal the log with the ship's entry. Disobeying the demand to stay behind, José sneaks on shore to rescue his father in prison. He is at the prison when Toledano is brought in after his capture by De Guzman. José and a friend, Rosa, are able to rescue Toledano, but sadly, leave behind his dying father. They all escape to the Taino settlement from where José and Toledano successfully return to the Laqish.
Toledano confronts the quartermaster, who had revealed that he was Jewish to De Guzman. When the crew learns Toledano is Jewish, many among them reveal they are Jews too; the crew remains loyal to Toledano. The opportunity to confront the Santa Clara finally comes on a stormy sea, and the crew supports Toledano’s demand for justice and the destruction of the Santa Clara. After their victory, Captain Toledano acknowledges their success has not ended the inquisition. But, on the open sea, they can hold the Alfaro family kiddush cup and openly recite the Sabbath prayers.
José and the Pirate Captain Toledano is a graphic novel appropriate for ages eight and up. This is a popular format for all ages. With a good story and descriptive pictures, this is an enjoyable read. A graphic novel requires the illustrator to realize the author's text and satisfy the reader's imagination. The illustrations vividly convey a sense of place of the colonial city and the dress of the period, in both the outdoor and indoor scenes. The character development is achieved visually and through the dialogue. The drawing of José captures his transition from insecurity to a dynamic, confident individual.
The characters are expressive and dynamic in the action scenes. The battles on the ships are restrained in their depiction of violence, as is more appropriate for younger readers. Author, Arnon Z. Shorr, and illustrator, Joshua M. Edelglass, have chosen to use historical events to develop characters that enhance this adventure story for the reader. José, his father, and Captain Toledano are not only challenged to survive physically but to survive spiritually. They will perpetuate the learning and practice that identifies them as part of a tradition and community. This is an adventure of discovery, as well as one that is satisfying because the good guys win.
1 Rochelle Strauss is a retired librarian, Brooklyn Public Library, New York.
2 Kritzler Edward, Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved out an Empire in the New World in their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom--and Revenge, New York: Doubleday, 2008. See the review of this book by Robert Nussenblatt in the first issue of Sephardic Horizons, Vol 1, Issue 1, Fall 2010.