Expulsion

ABOUT THE BOOK

The year 1492 is generally thought of as the year when Columbus discovered America. But in Jewish history, the year is mainly remembered as the year in which the Jews were expelled from Spain. EXPULSION tells the story of a Jewish family living in Spain in 1492 and facing the choice between conversion and exile. The family's predicament is seen through the eyes of Alicia, the youngest member of the family. The agonizing decision facing the family makes EXPULSION a compelling story relevant to our time.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in Israel (then called "Palestine"), Judith Weinshall Liberman came to the United States in 1947 to pursue higher education.

She earned four American university degrees including two in law, a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and an LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School. After settling in the Boston area in 1956, she studied art and creative writing. Beginning in the early 1960s, and for four decades thereafter, Ms. Liberman created numerous series of artworks. Her art has been widely exhibited, and is represented in the collection of museums and other public institutions. During her long career in visual art, Ms. Liberman wrote several books, among them some picture books. Her book THE BIRD'S LAST SONG (Addison-Wesley, 1976), which she also illustrated, won a citation as one of the "fabulous books of the year." Since 2012, she has published several additional picture books, including ICE CREAM SNOW, COLOR IN OUR WORLD, HAIFA, THE BEE AND THE BUTTERFLY, THE LITTLE SONGBIRD, THE BIRD WHO WENT TO HEAVEN, THE GIRL AND THE PIGEONS, WHAT WILL I BE?, LUCY AND THE SNOWMAN, IF I HAD A LITTLE SISTER, IF I WERE A MOM, THE SECRET, ANNE FRANK IN MY ART, RUTHIE AND HER ANCESTORS, AN INTRODUCTION TO MY JUDAICA ART, SHOP AND SHOP, RONNIE'S ALARM CLOCK, HEAVENLY GARDENS, HOLOCAUST PAINTINGS, HOMO SAPIENS, SELF PORTRAITS OF A HOLOCAUST ARTIST, YOUR GRANDPA, and MY BIRTHDAY. Judith Weinshall Liberman's archives can be found in the Arts Department of the Boston Public Library and at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.



ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

EXPULSION is the twenty-sixth book on which Judith Weinshall Liberman, the author, has collaborated with Gail Davis, the illustrator. Since Ms. Liberman did not feel that, in light of her deteriorated eyesight, she could do justice to illustrating EXPULSION herself, she selected a fine artist, Ms. Gail Davis, to create the illustrations under the author's guidance. The two had previously collaborated on THE LITTLE FAIRY, THE VERY OLD PAINTER AND HER HUSBAND, ANGEL'S PUPPIES, THE GIANT HOUSE, THE MOUNTAIN, THE TUNNEL, THE OLD DOLL, FIFTEEN FABLES, TWELVE MORE FABLES, A PARAKEET FOR ERIC, TALES OF HUMAN FOIBLES, IN THE MILITRY CEMETERY, MORE TALES OF HUMAN FOIBLES, MICHAEL AND THE FLAG, IF I HAD THE POWER, IF I WERE RICH, THE WHIRLPOOL, THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET, TALE OF THE ROMAN NUMERALS, THE BRIDGE, GRANDMA'S GLASSES, THE RAINBOW, THE TRAIN, THE WAIING WALL, and THE BLANKET. In the present book, Ms. Davis beautifully captures the spirit of the story and of its characters.