
The July 7 entry is a long one, the first of many drawing on Jacobo’s recollections. It is faithful to the facts he shared but cannot capture the manner of his storytelling: the slight, hypnotic gestures of his enormous hands, the solemn mask-like face breaking into a grin, the gleam in his eye when he sensed your disbelief or squeamishness and then bore in, teasing you, with outrageous, repugnant details.