El Iluminado

“[A] story that holds more suspense and depth than the best “who-dunnit” ever written… it’s an homage to the story of New Mexico’s crypto-Jews, as well as Jewish values, thought and meaning. With charming illustrations and brisk dialogue, one may never go back to reading regular fiction again.” * New Mexico Jewish Journal *
“El Iluminado is a revelation—a story that surprises at every turn, where the dusty histories of New Mexico’s crypto-Jews are brought to life with sharp wit and striking visuals. It’s the kind of graphic novel that stays with you well past the final page, inviting you to look deeper and think harder about our hidden histories.” – Christopher González, coauthor of Reel Latinxs: Representation in U.S. Film and TV
“Stavans has done it again… . His writing breathes life into the characters, and co-conspirator Sheinkin brings a rhythmic pace to the panels that moves the mystery to its suspenseful end; his precise yet suggestive visual creations plant us firmly in a breathtaking New Mexico. Not since Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose have I come across such a scintillating ecclesiastical murder mystery.” – Frederick Luis Aldama, author of Your Brain on Latino Comics: From Gus Arriola to Los Bros Hernandez
“Crypto-Jews of the Southwest, your voices are about to be heard! Sheinkin and Stavans do justice to both academic scholarship and the graphic novel in this amazing new work.” – Gary Shteyngart, author of Our Country Friends
“A wondrous journey that boomerangs between the Old World and the New, between Mexico and El Norte, with Ilan Stavans on a search to find his identity in a landscape that constantly shifts, as if Krazy Kat had come to Santa Fe.” – Jerome Charyn, author of The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson
“El Iluminado is a mystery about the very concept of a mystery and our sometimes deadly fascination with it—a tale that reveals the uncomfortable parallels between the Spanish Inquisition and modern academia. Funny and thought-provoking, a graphic novel of anti-heroic proportions.” – John Sayles, author of To Save the Man
“A captivating tale about the Sephardic heart that still throbs, years after the conquest and the Inquisition, in the Latino heartland of New Mexico. Stavans and Sheinkin educate and thrill in this warmly felt story about memory and the search for identity in an age of global wandering.” – Ruth Behar, author of An Island Called Home: Returning to Jewish Cuba
“A death in the desert … missing documents … a stubborn priest … a persistent young woman grieving the loss of her cousin and trying to solve his death … Jewish symbols showing up in mysterious places… . Is this the plot of the latest Indiana Jones movie? Not quite, but maybe something even better. [El Iluminado] packs a punch that is at once a gripping whodunit and a fascinating lesson on crypto-Jews in New Mexico… . The story is fast-paced and fascinating, with a delightful blend of history and humor… . A beautifully entertaining book that will surely become a classic.” * Jewish Book Council *
“Ilan Stavans and Steve Sheinkin’s graphic novel takes a highly entertaining and informative journey through a largely unknown slice of New Mexican and Jewish history… . El Iluminado reads a bit like a crypto-Jewish DaVinci Code… . A reminder of the human longing that often drives those who search for their true religious and cultural identities.” * Los Angeles Times *
“El Iluminado is a delightful surprise of a book… . A graphic novel turns out to be a great way to explore this religious history.” * San Antonio Express-News *

Internationally renowned scholar, essayist, linguist, translator, editor, and cultural commentator Ilan Stavans is the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities, Latin American, and Latino Culture at Amherst College. He serves as the series editor for the University of New Mexico Press’s acclaimed Jewish Latin America Series.

Steve Sheinkin is the award-winning author of three graphic novels featuring Rabbi Harvey, a fictional rabbi who also functions as an Old West sheriff. His nonfiction books include Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon and The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights, which were both National Book Award finalists.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.