Time passes, Marie and Ferdinand’s marriage begins to take shape, but one day when Ferdinand is away a sinister new figure enters their life. This week’s postshow is a special interview with author A.R. Vishny about The Fair Jewess trope.

This week’s special double length episode marks the end of Part 1. Marie’s life is thrown into chaos as her wedding to Ferdinand approaches. In a moment of desperation she swore to obey her father, but at what cost? This week’s post show explores the history and anatomy of Synagogues.

As is often the case, the holiday season increases family tensions. The narrative returns to the Vale of Cedars, where Marie and Manuel reveal their secrets to one another threatening the fragile peace of that secret place. After the chapter we take a look into the Jewish holidays and customs which Grace Aguilar mentions in this chapter.

Grace Aguilar explores Marie’s family history. We learn about the origin of the Vale of Cedars, as well as the roots of the turmoil Marie faces in her own life. In the post-show Zev explores the origins of New York City’s Aguilar Library, which extend back to the formation of the New York Public Library.

This chapter returns us to the narrative of The Vale of Cedars with the introduction of a new character, Ferdinand Morales. We learn a great deal about this hero of Spain, including a secret he keeps even from his most intimate friend, Queen Isabella. In the post show Zev talks about the secret Jews of Spain and how learning more about them sheds light on the question of self-identity.

Grace Aguilar takes a break from her story of romance, to give us some historical context. She gives an overview of the tumultuous history of the crown of Spain, the environment in which Ferdinand and Isabella united the crowns of Aragon and Castile. She also talks about the history of Spanish Jewery and the earliest roots of the Inquisition. Zev gives a brief post show reacting to her account on historical events.

Chapter Two introduces us to the mysterious Marie. We learn about Marie and Arthur’s shared past, and Arthur discovers a secret which rattles and challenges him. It appears that these two protagonists have a dark future ahead of them. In this episode’s post show, Zev give an introduction to the life and work of the author, Grace Aguilar.

In the first chapter of our story an English nobleman named Arthur Stanley searches the Spanish countryside for some mysterious goal. After the episode Zev gives a very brief introduction to the Wars of the Roses.

This mini episode is an introduction to what you can expect from The Vale of Cedars. Zev Hurwich introduces himself, the book, and what shape the podcast will take.