Purity of Blood

Purity of Blood serves as the title of the book and it is indeed the central theme. The witch hunt led by the Church for those of impure blood, blood that was tainted by familial ties to Jews or to non-Christians, was used by the Church for centuries to denounce members of the aristocracy that attempted to hinder the interests of the Church. Over time, the device was adopted at all levels of society, fostered by anti-Semitism.

When Vicente de la Cruz attempts to extricate his daughter from the nefarious clutches of Fray Coroado, he is ultimately stonewalled because of the questionable purity of his blood. Though his youngest son denies it in the presence of Alatriste and don Quevedo, the implication is that the de la Cruzes have Jewish branches in their family tree. This looming accusation keeps de la Cruz from being able to...