Summary of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon
”The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon” is a historical novel that tells the story of Berekiah Zarco, who survives the Lisbon Massacre of 1506 – an antisemitic riot – and sets out to solve the murder of his uncle, Abraham, a Jewish Kabbalist whose body is found in a secret synagogue used by the family, beside that of a naked young woman.
Reasons to read The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon
“The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon” is a historical murder mystery set in sixteenth-century Lisbon, particularly in the Alfama district. It centres on a Jewish family forced to convert to Christianity while secretly continuing to practise their own beliefs and traditions. The novel is the first in a series of five books—”The Sephardic Cycle”—following the Portuguese-Jewish Zarco family. Richard Zimler is an American-Portuguese author of historical novels that have become bestsellers in Portugal, where he lives.
Original title: The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon
Year of publication: 1996
Nr of pages: 320
