The subtitle of this book neatly captures its premise: "How Muslims, Jews, and Christians created a culture of tolerance in medieval Spain." The book's story spans over 700 years, from 750 to 1492. The first chapter is an overview of the political history of the period, from the initial Muslim invasion of Spain in the 8th century to the Christian expulsion of both Muslims and Jews in 1492. Subsequent chapters tell the stories (in chronological order) of individual people from the period, illustrating the ways in which these three religious groups adapted to one another. The final chapter is something of a brief summary, and the epilogue presents the author's reflection on the period in light of September 11, 2001.

I really struggled with this book. It's written for a popular audience and is highly topical -- but I finished the book feeling like I didn't really know much about the "culture of tolerance" or why it ended (the book didn't really fulfill the "how" of the subtitle). The book is heavy on description without theory or explanation, and the serial nature of the middle chapters made it feel quite disjointed. I had to keep referring back to the first chapter as I read through the book because the author provides little guidance about the various political figures after that introduction. This structure just didn't work for me.

However, I am glad that I read the book. The vision of members from these three cultures not just living peacefully together but trading memes and developing joint intellectual and national pursuits is compelling. I wanted to cry when Ferdinand and Isabella expelled the Jews and the Muslims in the summer of 1492 -- it felt like a personal loss.