Sarah Aroeste and the Livros Lookout Book Club

One of the major joys of becoming an author is to meet and get to know other creatives: authors, fiber artists, musicians, and those special people who convene us all at libraries, on podcasts, panels, at festivals etc. Sarah Aroeste checks nearly all those boxes.  She is a singer/songwriter with award winning albums, an author of children’s books, and a wonderful convener of other creatives.  I will be the guest author on September 15^th at her virtual Livros Lookout Book Club, devoted to books written with Sephardic or Ladino themes.  Sarah has spent two decades bringing the music, the Ladino language and the culture of her Sephardic Jewish ancestry to a world-wide audience, promoting other musicians and authors along the way.  You can learn more about Sarah at her website https://saraharoeste.com/home. I was thrilled when she chose Isabela’s Way for her September book.  In the supplement sent out to members, I was so grateful for her words about Isabela.

History often remembers persecution, but this story reminds us that compassion, ingenuity, and acts of conscience were also part of the Sephardic experience.

The novel is rich with historical detail as Isabela's journey carries us from Portugal through Spain, France, and Germany. Along the way, embroidery becomes more than just an art form. It becomes a language of identity, resistance, and hope. What stayed with me long after I finished the book was the reminder that while

Sephardic history is certainly a story of exile and loss, it is also one of resilience, generosity, and the countless people—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—whose choices helped preserve a people and a culture.