"Granada in Flammen" by Ludwig Huna is a historical novel written in the early 20th century. Set just after the fall of Granada, it follows Morisco and Nasrid lives under Christian rule: the shepherd Taleb, the young Abencerrage noble Eswer Ben Zerragh, the venerable imam Abu Atir, and Reija, secretly the daughter of Boabdil. As they guard a sacred golden Koran and move between mountain refuges and the city, they face the tightening grip of the Catholic Monarchs, the Inquisition, and zealous churchmen. The focus is on faith, identity, and fragile hope amid oppression.The opening of the novel plunges into the Alpujarras, where Taleb and Eswer await imam Abu Atir and a small caravan bringing Reija and her maid Saffana to a hidden mountain refuge. After prayers and tense talk of growing persecution in Granada, Eswer learns of his mother’s death in prison, and Abu Atir recounts Boabdil’s tragic history and reveals that Reija is the king’s hidden daughter. At dawn they unseal a rock cache, retrieve Boabdil’s richly adorned Koran, and send Reija under guard toward Granada. The journey passes Orgiva, Lanjaron, and Padul, with a stirring first view of the city, then enters its crowded markets and converted mosques, where fear of Pater Leon and the looming arrival of Ximenes hangs in the air. Reija is lodged in a Nasrid house while Abu Atir arranges the Koran’s placement, and the scene shifts to the Alhambra court, where Isabella and Fernando review book-burnings and inquisitorial lis…
These books are free to read. Each is in the public domain in the United States; check your own country's rules before you copy or share one.
