In a novel that spans centuries and countries, the individual lives and experiences of four twelve-year-old girls coalesce to tell the story of one Sephardic Jewish family. In Toledo, Spain, in 1492, Benvenida scrawls a message on the wall of her home before leaving with her family for Naples; they have chosen migration over conversion to Catholicism. But with the rise of antisemitism in Italy, their time there, too, will be limited. In 1923, Benvenida’s descendant, Reina, lives in peace with Muslims, Christians, and other Jews in Constantinople. When Reina is caught spending time with her neighbor, Sadik, her father disowns her and arranges a marriage for her in Cuba, where her aunt lives. In 1961, Reina’s youngest child, Allegra, is eager to become a brigadista and teach people in the Cuban countryside to read; she signs up against the wishes of her father, who is skeptical of the Revolution. After her older siblings escape Cuba, Allegra plans to move to the US with her heartbroken parents, but only she can secure passage as part of the Pedro Pan airlift. Finally, in 2003 Paloma is traveling to Spain with her mother, Allegra, and grandmother, Reina. The story comes full circle at the Sephardic Museum in Toledo, where the family unknowingly admires the message written by their very own ancestor, Benvenida. While heartache abounds for this family, so too does resilience; and while the timeline is sprawling, the girls are connected by tradition, pride, history, and a great love of music. (Ages 10-14)

"As lyrical as it is epic, Across So Many Seas reminds us that while the past may be another country, it's also a living, breathing song of sadness and joy that helps define who we are." --Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

Spanning over 500 years, Pura Belpré Award winner Ruth Behar's epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life.

In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, Benvenida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish, and must flee the country or be killed. They journey by foot and by sea, eventually settling in Istanbul.

Over four centuries later, in 1923, shortly after the Turkish war of independence, Reina’s father disowns her for a small act of disobedience. He ships her away to live with an aunt in Cuba, to be wed in an arranged marriage when she turns fifteen.

In 1961, Reina’s daughter, Alegra, is proud to be a brigadista, teaching literacy in the countryside for Fidel Castro. But soon Castro’s crackdowns force her to flee to Miami all alone, leaving her parents behind.

Finally, in 2003, Alegra’s daughter, Paloma, is fascinated by all the journeys that had to happen before she could be born. A keeper of memories, she’s thrilled by the opportunity to learn more about her heritage on a family trip to Spain, where she makes a momentous discovery.

Though many years and many seas separate these girls, they are united by a love of music and poetry, a desire to belong and to matter, a passion for learning, and their longing for a home where all are welcome. And each is lucky to stand on the shoulders of their courageous ancestors.