The year: 1492. Spain is ruled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Ruthlessly, the monarchs ordered all Spanish Jews to convert to Catholicism or face severe persecution. Jews and other non-Catholics were fleeing Spain by the thousands! No-one felt safe, not even Conversos, people who had converted to Catholicism. All Spaniards were ordered to find people who were not truly Catholic --- and those found were questioned, tried, convicted and severely punished.

14-year-old Maria Sanchez finds herself in a difficult situation. She has lost her parents and her little brother to sickness and she has no food or money to survive. Her uncle is the captain of a ship, but he's always at sea. But then one day, the Catholic Church helps Maria find a job working for the wealthy Delgado family in exchange for money, clothes, and food. Sounds great, but Maria must also do the priest a big, sneaky favor: she has to spy on the family! The priest wants to know if the Delgados are true conversos. Maria accepts the opportunity, grateful for any help, and that's when the adventures and trouble begin.

Juan Pablo, the Delgado's son, is being offered the opportunity to sail with Christopher Columbus. His father wants him to go but Juan doesn't. The whole family goes to Palos to look into the offer. One night while everyone is sleeping, soldiers of The Inquisition come into their house and take Dr. Delgado in for questioning. Maria feels guilty --- she told the priest what the Delgados were doing to help the poor and desperate Jews.

The Delgados once treated Maria as family, but now they can no longer trust her. Maria tries everything to help the family but nothing works. Will the Delgados be able to stay in Spain? Will they be persecuted by The Inquisition? How can Maria help the family?

Reading this book will make you think about how loyalty, honesty, betrayal, and keeping secrets really affect other people. It made me think about what I would have done if I was Maria. Read this book to find out what happens to the Delgado family, Maria, and a country that is filled with fear, accusations, poverty, and despair.

   --- Reviewed by Ashley, Reading Diva