Love in the time of the Inquisition

Guardian Of The Dawn
Richard Zimler
Penguin
358 pages
Rs350

Richard Zimler appears to have made a career of riveting historical mystery. With the highly acclaimed The Last Kabbalist Of Lisbon and Hunting Midnight tucked securely under his belt, he thrusts into the literary arena another sweeping tale. Set in 16th century colonial India, in the Portuguese colony of Goa, Guardian Of The Dawn scrutinises the Catholic Inquisition. Which at the time “was making excellent progress in its mission to keep all “sorcerers” —whether native Hindus or immigrant Jews — from practising their traditional beliefs” by enforcing rapid conversions to Christianity.

Zimler’s writing contains vividly described encounters between the inquisitors and his protagonists, members of the Portuguese-Jewish “Zarco” family, who struggle to stick firm to their beliefs while refusing to denounce others. Insights into the nature of evil tumble out as the family are torn apart when both father and son are imprisoned by the inquisition.

It is a bold book and well researched. Zimler writes in an online interview, “Even though victims of persecution were only ever given their freedom on the condition that they never reveal what they’d suffered while in prison, a few courageous men and women dared to write about their experiences ... and I was soon able to obtain copies of their narratives.”

Perhaps it is owing to this research that the story characters are evocatively developed. Even the minor characters carry their weight. Nupi, the cook who works for the Zarco family, is full of wisdom and charisma. So is Phanishwar, the snake-dancer who shares Tiago Zarco’s prison cell.

If one has a grumble, it’s with the density of the text and perhaps the occasional melodramatic manner in which the star-crossed multi-cultural love affairs play out.

For a reinterpretation of Othello meets Romeo and Juliet, wrapped in thought-provoking text, read this novel. The themes of  religious disharmony and exploration of the nature of evil may be set in the 16th century, but have as much relevance today. This is not a novel for the faint of heart but Zimler is clearly an engaging story-teller.

Sonia Nazareth is a freelance journalist.