Watertown author Jonathan Bockian announced he will launch his new historical mystery novel What Was Forbidden: a Venice Ghetto mystery, in discussion with Pia Owens, author of the “Let’s Have It Out” newsletter, on Sunday, November 2, 2-4 p.m., at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown. The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is encouraged at the webpage linked here.
What Was Forbidden is based on a true event in the Ghetto of Venice in 1672. A is brother is murdered, a truth is buried. Faith, freedom and obedience collide, as one woman risks everything to remain true to herself and to the brother she loved. What Was Forbidden is set against the backdrop of two historical movements — one political, the other religious — each of which ignited hopes of freedom but in diametrically opposite ways, a conflict which reverberates to the present day.
Jon Bockian and his wife are long-time Watertown residents. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended orthodox Jewish day schools. He is a graduate of New York University and Harvard Law School. What Was Forbidden is his debut novel.
Review excerpts:
“a masterfully woven tale of love, loss, ideology, and resilience … a gripping literary mystery … a literary triumph that lingers long after the final page.” — Jeyran Main, Review Tales.
“Bockian’s Ghetto is enlivened by his research, rich sensory descriptions, and complex characters…” — DeWitt Henry, award winning author, founder of Ploughshares literary magazine.
“… captivating … A gripping, erudite historical novel….” — Michele Sharpe, Forward Reviews
“… tensely rendered, with flowing prose; well-researched historically, with characters that feel rounded and in whom you are invested … A great historical fiction read.” — Rachel Deeming, Discovery.
Short-Listed for the 2025 Leapfrog Global Fiction Prize.
The novel went on sale on October 20, 2025. The book is available now for pre-order; in paperback from local bookstores, Bookshop.org, and Amazon, and as an eBook from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble or Kobo.