The turned heart

At the end of the 19th century, a collection of unique documents came to light from the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, including a mysterious letter in which the rabbi of Moniou reports on the tragic fate of a proselyte woman during the First Crusade. Starting from this source, Stefan Hertmans writes his novel, which both conjures up the Middle Ages and raises contemporary moral questions. A Christian woman of Norman origin falls in love with a Jewish young man and leaves her entire life behind: her wealth, her noble name, her religious beliefs. Crossing France to the boy's family, they flee from their pursuers in Provence, but only find temporary shelter - in 1095 II. Pope Orbán declares war to recover the Holy Land, long-standing religious antagonisms flare up. As a result of the bloody pogrom that hit the Israeli community of Moniou, the girl is forced to make another journey full of hardships: this time to Jerusalem to recover her kidnapped children following the Crusades. Almost a thousand years later, the author himself repeats his journey. In his narrative, the two distant worlds are projected onto each other, revealing everything that has changed over time and making visible the little that remains... The turned heart is a captivating story of vulnerability and courage, hatred and love - and above all, the importance of remembering.