The Salt Covenants (ISBN# 978-0-9899707-7-8, 345 pages, Christian Historical Fiction, trade paperback, $14.99, publication date 1/5/15, Heritage Publishing House) is set in 1493 Spain and the New World. The novel gives readers a glimpse into the Spanish Inquisition and the settling of a strange new land. It mixes history with love and suspense, and in the process challenges readers to see similarities in the past and present. When reading The Salt Covenants, readers will see history unfold as millions of Jews are forced to either convert to Christianity, flee their homeland, or die. Caught in this web is young Isabel, who has broken her mother’s heart by her sincere conversion to Christ. But her conversion is not enough to shield her from the eyes of the Inquisition, and in order to save herself, she is forced to marry a man she does not love and flee to a faraway land with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage. Here she struggles to make a life in this wild new land, struggles to adjust to her new faith, and struggles to find love. The novel provides insight into the lives, loves and problems of its leading characters as they endeavor to discover who they are in a changing world. These same insights can be applied to modern day people who face a world that is also rapidly changing. Take a handful of suspense, mix a dash of Anita Diamant’s Red Tent with a pinch of Laura Esquivel’s Malinche and you have the flavor of The Salt Covenants. Readers of all three will enjoy this novel. Sylvia Bambola is the award winning author of seven novels. Among her awards are the Silver Angel and Christy Finalist.