Overall, I loved the concept of this. It provides a broad historical focus of Jewish suffering while narrowing in on the core feelings/thoughts/questions that have been collectively shared by those in suffering. One such question is <i>why</i> do <i>we</i> suffer? The broad focus is explored by following the paths of three Jewish people: one during the Spanish Inquisition Time Period, the second during the Holocaust, and the third in a modern day, alternate reality.

I was very glad that there was a historical focus on the Spanish Inquisition. I personally work in a school which has a large population of Sephardic Jews and I find that many people are not aware of the suffering that Jewish people experience during this time as they were exiled from Spain and its colonies and/or forced to convert to Christianity.

Additionally, I appreciate the magical realism elements, especially as they brought focus to the voices of children. However, I wish the magical connection was explored deeper throughout the text. Rather than connecting the various stories in the novel, it felt like it existed separately from the stories of the past which detracts from its significance. Also, the story itself felt stronger than the writing.

I do want to add some TWs for violence and sexual abuse/assault. The descriptions in this are often raw, sudden, and graphic.

Thank youuuu to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

This blurb from the author adds even more depth to the beauty and emotional connection this reader experienced while reading The Bones of the World - "(It) was written as I pursued answers to the age-old question of why suffering exists in the world. Having lost my son three short days after his 30th birthday to an opioid overdose, I could no longer avert my eyes to suffering--my own and others. As the character Inés says to Rachel, "In this life of inevitable pain, each loss allows us to make a choice--to hide from the pain, adopting mask on top of mask so that we can no longer recognize ourselves, or stand with dignity and open hearts and go where the pain leads." Each of the three tales is set in a different time period, from the Inquisition to the Holocaust to the near future where antisemitism is boiling up yet again. Each section could have been it's own book but together that supercharge the impact. Highly recommended!

The Bones of the World centres around three Jewish characters spread through history. The first, Sariah, whose flight from the Spanish Inquisition takes her across the Atlantic. The second, Jakob, who escapes the ghetto and waits out WWII in hiding. And the third, Rachel, in a near future in the US when society takes a turn for the worse and the unspoken becomes spoken. Rachel finds herself immersed in stories of suffering and their - along with others’ - history; as her connection grows she becomes the link between the individual storylines.

The three characters have similar experiences and struggles; centrally being torn between keeping one’s head down or retaliating. Sariah, a conversa, on her arrival in Peru is exposed to those who refuse to hide their identity and religion. Jakob, who faced immeasurable suffering and whose anger grows in his isolation, takes inspiration from Rabbi Loew. For Rachel, the issue of vengeance tears a divide through her family and has repercussions on her community as a whole.

‘You may find that the paradox of vengeance is that it does not free you. Instead, it makes you dependent upon those who have harmed you through your belief that it is only their torment that will allow you release from your pain.’

The three stories revolve around human kindness and one’s search for love; with each central character at some part of their lifetime relying on the kindness of strangers for their survival. Though at points didactic, the novel nevertheless delivers a compelling and interconnected tale of vengeance and forgiveness.

At its core, The Bones of the World is about the importance of the act of remembering, of keeping and telling stories.

‘We must find our stories and tell them, knowing that as we do, we create the pathways for generations to see through the too-many-silences and recapture what is theirs, what is ours, what is in the bones of the world’

I truly enjoyed this tale.. Just the right amount of magical realism, the characters really stick with you, and what they endured. This was a great novel and I hope to read more by Ross