The Sephardic Cycle: I've corrected a slight error.← Previous revisionRevision as of 07:36, 17 October 2026 Line 49: Line 49: ==The Sephardic Cycle== ==The Sephardic Cycle== Zimler has written seven novels that explore the lives of different generations and branches of a Portuguese-Jewish family, the Zarcos. This series, whose works are intended to be read in any order, originated with ''[[The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon]]'', which is narrated by a youthful kabbalist named Berekiah Zarco who survives the [[Lisbon Massacre]] of 1506. These novels explore such themes as Jewish mysticism; slavery; the devastating effect of the Inquisition on Portugal and its colonies; and the psychological conflict created in people who are forced to hide their faith. The novels are independent works and, according to Zimler, none of them should be considered a sequel. The books that make up the Sephardic Cycle are: ''The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon'', set in sixteenth century Portugal; ''Hunting Midnight'', which takes place in [[Porto]], London, New York and [[South Carolina]] in the early nineteenth century; ''Guardian of the Dawn'', in which the main action takes place in [[Goa]] in the seventeenth century; ''The Seventh Gate'', set in Nazi-controlled [[Berlin]] in the 1930s; and ''The Incandescent Threads'', set mainly in [[New York City|New York]] and [[Montreal]] from 1970 to the present time but also with two long chapters that take place in Poland during and right after [[World War II]]. In its starred review, [[Publishers Weekly]] referred to ''The Incandescent Threads'' as "Exceptional... A richly drawn, original portrayal of tenacity and sacrifice." The most recent additions to theseries of independent novels are the two books in the ''Vanished Souls Duology: The Village of Vanished Souls'' and ''The Upside-Down Forest.'' Two of the novels in the Sephardic Cycle have been nominated for the [[International Dublin Literary Award]]: ''Hunting Midnight'' and ''The Seventh Gate''.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} All seven books were Number 1 bestsellers in Portugal. Zimler has written seven novels that explore the lives of different generations and branches of a Portuguese-Jewish family, the Zarcos. This series, whose works are intended to be read in any order, originated with ''[[The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon]]'', which is narrated by a youthful kabbalist named Berekiah Zarco who survives the [[Lisbon Massacre]] of 1506. These novels explore such themes as Jewish mysticism; slavery; the devastating effect of the Inquisition on Portugal and its colonies; and the psychological conflict created in people who are forced to hide their faith. The novels are independent works and, according to Zimler, none of them should be considered a sequel. The books that make up the Sephardic Cycle are: ''The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon'', set in sixteenth century Portugal; ''Hunting Midnight'', which takes place in [[Porto]], London, New York and [[South Carolina]] in the early nineteenth century; ''Guardian of the Dawn'', in which the main action takes place in [[Goa]] in the seventeenth century; ''The Seventh Gate'', set in Nazi-controlled [[Berlin]] in the 1930s; and ''The Incandescent Threads'', set mainly in [[New York City|New York]] and [[Montreal]] from 1970 to the present time but also with two long chapters that take place in Poland during and right after [[World War II]]. In its starred review, [[Publishers Weekly]] referred to ''The Incandescent Threads'' as "Exceptional... A richly drawn, original portrayal of tenacity and sacrifice." The most recent additions to this series of independent novels are the two books in the ''Vanished Souls Duology: The Village of Vanished Souls'' and ''The Upside-Down Forest.'' Two of the novels in the Sephardic Cycle have been nominated for the [[International Dublin Literary Award]]: ''Hunting Midnight'' and ''The Seventh Gate''.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} All seven books were Number 1 bestsellers in Portugal. ==Other works== ==Other works==