Review by wdmonty -- (Ways to) Lucena by Mois Benarroch

[wdmonty]

[Following is a volunteer review of "(Ways to) Lucena" by Mois Benarroch.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Ways to Lucena is a historical novel mixed with science fiction written by Mois Benarroch. This book has its ups and downs as we travel through the past, the present, and the future in order to preserve the accurate memories of Moroccan Jews. The book was very confusing because of the time travelling element which kept me lost for most of the work. Therefore, I am giving this book 2 out of 4 stars. I would give 1.5 out of 4 stars given the choice of using a decimal in my rating.

The book begins with Isaac and his family leaving Mexico for Malaga, Spain in search of history regarding Isaac’s family. Upon arriving in Malaga, Isaac is immediately thrust into what I believe to be a time warp, but it is not clear in the novel. From there the book jumps around from past, present, and future with no explanation as to how or why this is happening. Eventually, the reader gets to the story of Lucena, a man who is 1000 years old and on the verge of death. He relates his story and the history of Moroccan Jews to Samuel. It isn’t clear whom Samuel is or how he relates to Isaac at the beginning of the story.

One of the few bright spots of the novel was Lucena, the 1000 year old man, telling his story of the past. There were touching, heartfelt moments during his exposition. The story presents the hurt that real people sometimes experience simply because of who they are. I felt the exploration of discrimination was dramatic but real. It helped me draw closer to the characters and actually care what was happening.

Aside from the many grammatical and spelling issues in the book, which could be the fault of a translator instead of the author, the book had many problems. One of the major issues I encountered was the lack of any signifiers regarding who was speaking. For several sections of the book, the reader is given no idea about who is speaking or how it relates to the story as a whole. The author also included several short stories by a character in the novel that had no bearing on the overall plot of the novel, and did nothing to advance the story. These sections felt very out-of-place and left me confused about why they were inserted at all. The end of the book was lackluster at best. There was no climax and no resolve to the story. We, the readers, are basically told that the point was to preserve the memories of the Moroccan Jews. However, the interruptions (such as the short stories previously mentioned) leave the reader confused and never allows for the reader to connect to the characters of the story that mattered.

I believe the overall story, if one can search it out of the interruptions, is not a horrible story. I enjoyed the historical elements and the sincerity in which it was told. However, I cannot give a higher rating due to the many problems and interruptions that make no sense within the story. These interruptions are why, if allowed, I would lower by rating to a 1.5 out of 4 stars.

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(Ways to) Lucena
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