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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is all over the place--literally! Turkey, Spain, Cuba, the U.S. [Constantinople/Istanbul, Barcelona, Adrianople, Havana, Astoria, Cambria Heights]

"A kaleidoscopic portrait of one family’s displacement across four countries, Kantika—“song�� in Ladino—follows the joys and losses of Rebecca Cohen, feisty daughter of the Sephardic elite of early 20th-century Istanbul. When the Cohens lose their wealth and are forced to move to Barcelona and start anew, Rebecca fashions a life and self from what comes her way—a failed marriage, the need to earn a living, but also passion, pleasure and motherhood. Moving from Spain to Cuba to New York for an arranged second marriage, she faces her greatest challenge—her disabled stepdaughter, Luna, whose feistiness equals her own and whose challenges pit new family against old."

And so it begins.

Highly original and interspersed with photos from the author's family--the acknowledgements reveals how Graver kept some names the same, as well as parts of their stories--which were inspired by the true story of her maternal grandmother Rebecca [who is the driving force/heroine of the novel].


How I wish there had been a glossary!
Kantika is a song; and Rebecca often sings.
Bonjuk--the name of the traditional, Turkish blue bead guarding against the evil-eye.
And many more other words.

There is much about how being Jewish affected their life in Spain [after losing their fortune in Turkey and moving to much lesser circumstances].

Rebecca emigrates to the US--as a young widow, conditionally going to meet her [new] future husband; a return to Spain was always possible. She was leaving her parents and her two young sons, but had money for a return sewn into her clothing. The transition was extremely difficult. Consider--marrying the widower of your best friend, Lika. And, becoming a mother to her disabled daughter, Luna. Add in a new land, a new language, new relatives, new everything. Rebecca's struggles--both financially and emotionally--form much of the narrative. But, Rebecca is a force of nature--determined to reunite her family and help Luna become more self-sufficient.

A few very laughs and at times, I nearly cried.

And, I loved the old photographs.

Recommend.