Synopsis

Set in the shadows of the Spanish Inquisition, this is the coming-of-age story of José Alfaro, a young refugee who forms a powerful bond with the mysterious Pirate Captain Toledano. It’s also a dynamic pirate adventure on the high seas, with hand-to-hand combat and ship-to-ship action, and the powerful story of a dark time in history when people took different paths to survive.

José Alfaro is a cocky, rambunctious teen in the 16th-century colony of Santo Domingo, pulling pranks and dodging the authorities. One day, José’s mischief lands him in serious trouble.

Hoping for a fresh start, he stows away on the Laqish, not knowing that it’s a pirate ship. From his hiding place, he watches the pirates divide their loot and plan their attacks on long days at sea. He also takes note of the respect they have for their captain, the intimidating Toledano.

But the captain has a secret―like José, he is a Jew. For him, piracy is not about the gold; it has a different purpose.

Under the tutelage of the ship’s quartermaster, José learns the intricacies of pirate life. But when he can, the captain finds ways to pull José away from the crew, to teach him about his ancestors.

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Guest Review

Review by Nora

A one-of-a-kind graphic novel where the fight for justice never takes a backseat. 

‘Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano,’ by Arnon Z. Shore is not only a graphic novel, but a full world that readers of all ages can escape into for fun and adventure.

The story centers around Jose, a teenage boy living in the colony of San Domingo with his father. Though his father is the treasurer of the colony, he is immediately arrested when the Spanish Inquisition discovers that he and Jose are Jewish. Only barely managing to escape arrest himself, Jose makes it onto a ship where he stows away.

Once he is found, he quickly discovers that the ship is, in fact, a pirate ship belonging to a man called Captain Toledano. Toledano rescues Jose and eventually takes him under his wing. After telling Jose that he, too is Jewish, Toledano begins trying to teach the boy the ways of their shared faith, although Jose is not sure that he is interested.

Of course, Jose’s main interest is in saving his father from prison, and Toledano wishes to punish the head of the Inquisition in San Domingo, a man who caused him great pain in the past.

Although it deals with some heavy themes, ‘Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano,’ is an entertaining and fun story for all ages. The historical aspects of the story are educational, without weighing down the swashbuckling adventure aspects.

This was a five-star graphic novel for me just based off of the story, but the art definitely adds to the overall appeal. Joshua Edelglass creates a stunning visual landscape that makes the reader feel as if they have been pulled into the story and makes you feel regret when it ends.

A wonderful adventure that just keeps on giving, ‘Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano,’ is a work of art!

Read an excerpt here

About the Author

Arnon Z. Shorr is an author, screenwriter, and filmmaker of character-driven adventures and thrillers, where heroes grapple with the extraordinary, and in doing so, learn important truths about themselves.

Arnon spent most of his childhood between worlds: a Hebrew speaker in America, a private school kid in a rented two-bedroom apartment. Whenever he’d set foot in one world, his other foot would betray him as different. For that reason, he tells stories that embrace the peculiar, where encounters with the unexpected reveal who we are.

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About the Illustrator

Joshua Edelglass is a freelance illustrator from Massachusetts. He is also the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah New England. At Brown University, Josh wrote and drew the political cartoon, WorldView for The Brown Daily Herald. That experience gave him the bug for cartooning, a passion that has never left him.

Josh’s work has appeared in a variety of exhibitions, including Pow! Jewish Comics Art and Influence that ran at the Brooklyn Jewish Art Museum in Spring 2018. Josh was included in the Jewish Comix Anthology, published in 2014 by Alternative History Press. Josh was also included in SCI: The Jewish Comics Anthology vol. 2, which was published in the fall of 2018.

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Giveaway

There is a tour-wide giveaway for 2 print copies of this bookThis giveaway is for 2 print copies One for each of the 2 winners.

This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on July 1, 2022 midnight, pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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