Viva Heather

"Viva, Heather" is a book that entertains while it educates about the Jewish faith. The reader is quickly drawn in by Heather's realistic feelings about her family and her faith. At the beginning of the book, Heather is embarrased by the visible signs of her faith as her family celebrates the Passover. All she can think about is the matzoh (unleavened bread/cracker) her peanut butter and jelly sandwich will be on for her school lunch. Heather is then morified when her grandmother invites her friends to the seder, and hopes that they won't accept. How will they understand the long stories and strange food? Through the magic of the mirror, Heather dons a gypsy outfit and is transported to the Alhambra castle in Spain. She quickly finds herself on the run and hiding her Jewish faith. She, and other Jewish people, must escape Spain or face death because King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella want Spain to be unified in one Catholic faith. Faced with such an intense experience where she had to deny her faith while hanging onto it, Heather learns that there are plenty of reasons to be proud of who she is and where her family has come from. Sharing the seder with her friends becomes something more meaningful to her."Viva, Heather!" is my favorite book in the Magic Attic Club series because it tells the story of early persecution of the Jewish people in Spain at the beginning of the Inquisition. Based on information from a person who has interviewed the author, it is also the author's favorite book in the series because it is a part of her own family history. She has made this book something that children can relate to by adding the identifiable character of Christopher Columbus, which will anchor children to the place and time period. The author's expression of Judiasm and Heather's experience of it is something that children will also be able to identify with and find a positive feeling about. By the end of the story, Heather understands herself and her family traditions a lot better, and she gives the reader something valuable to ponder.

I was thrilled to read this book to my daughter. Using a magic mirror fanatsy, it tells the story of a young Jewish girl as they were expelling the Jews from Spain, Thereby telling "Heather" the story of her ancestors. As a woman of Sephardic Jewish Heritage, this story was a pleasant surprise. It tells an story not only of Jewish history, but of the strength of a young girl. A great way for girls to see what they can be, either through fantasy or reality.