Synopses & Reviews
In this deeply affecting novel Scott ODell envelops the reader in the heroic world of the conquistadorsa world that is at once somber and many-colored. Though they may have been ruthless, these steel-helmeted young men of Spain lived their lives on the very edge of eternity with style and uncommon courage.
Review
"The writing is subtly beautiful, often moving, and says more than may be caught in one reading." Horn Book
"The writing is subtly beautiful, often moving, and says more than may be caught in one reading." Horn Book Guide
Synopsis
While awaiting trial for murder and withholding from the king the obligatory fifth of the gold found in Cibola, Esteban, a seventeen-year-old cartographer, recalls his adventures with a band of conquistadors.
About the Author
Scott ODell (1898-1989), one of the most respected authors of historical fiction, received the Newbery Medal, three Newbery Honor Medals, and the Hans Christian Andersen Author Medal, the highest international recognition for a body of work by an author of books for young readers. Some of his many books include The Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Road to Damietta, Sing Down the Moon, and The Black Pearl.