The Rose of Zaragoza

Original title: La rose de Saragosse

Publication Date:

January 2018

Pages:

192

Original language and publisher

French | Actes Sud

Territories Handled

Netherlands, North America, Scandinavia

Genre

Literary Fiction

The Rose of Zaragoza

Original title: La rose de Saragosse

  • 2 Seas Represents: Dutch, Nordic, and North American Rights
  • Under option: Australia

LITERARY FICTION

Through this short yet gripping historical novel, Raphaël Jerusalmy returns for one of history’s most painful episodes, the persecution of the Spanish Jews in the 15th century. — Jean-Claude Perrier, Livres Hebdo

If you love Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Amin Maalouf, or My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, you won’t help but succomb to the charm of this gripping adventure novel that, between two episodes, breaks into exciting forays on artistic terrain to banish intolerance. A fiendishly humanistic novel that Torquemada would have hastened to devour. — François Lestavel, Paris Match

Devilishly rhythmic, offering history a threadbare narrative in the vein of a detective novel, the account also leading into a reflection blending art and religion. The representation of reality and the power of images. These are the most beautiful pages, as they come to surpass the horizon of mere fiction. — Thierry Guichard, Le Matricule des Anges

This is small novel, both beautiful and smart, rhythmic and well-constructed that truly delivers the writing of Raphaël Jerusalmy. — Jean-Marc Rapaz, Générations

Beautiful language, a glimpse of history, a most beautiful novel. — Françoise Feuillet, Avantages

To celebrate the rebellious rose, mischievous and refined, Jerusalmy chisels and tames shadow like light, doling out the rose’s sweet fragrance, very aware of its dangerous thorns. — Philippe-Jean Catinchi, Le Monde des Livres

From the outset, religion, intolerance, and art form the horizon of this truly refined novel. Raphaël Jerusalmy constructs his fiction from a perfect blurring of trails…It is precisely the trompe-l’œil architecture that cultivates the text with its depth of sense. The beauty of this new novel lies as much in its formal mastery as in its multiple correspondences, like echoes of its contemporaries. It is fine practice like this that elevates literature to a high art. — Jean-Claude Lebrun, L’Humanité

Zaragoza, 1485. In the midst of the Spanish Inquisition, an unlikely encounter takes place between Angel de la Cruz, a mercenary for hire to the highest bidder, and a small group of upper bourgeois converts in danger, including the young Léa, who is the daughter of a rich lord and independent and mischievous of spirit.

La Rose de Saragosse rekindles the flame of a rebellion through mordant caricature and the uniquely expressive language of engraving. A short novel rich in adventure, seduction and mystery with the trademark acuity of the author of La Confrérie des chasseurs de livres and Sauver Mozart.