Twisted Cross

Teens

synopsis

Synopsis

In 1795, eighteen-year-old Salvador Tenorio and his best friend, Blas, embark upon the most adventurous journey of their lives, leaving their impoverished families and painful memories behind in Imperial Spain. On a quest to find adventure, the clever young Spaniard battles the demons of his past and religious uncertainty on an epic expedition to the New World.

Determined to make the best out of their challenging circumstances, they aspire to claw their way out of poverty. Sal and Blas discover more than they ever imagined as they witness the fragmented cultures of California’s native people. Tangling with corrupted padres and escaping from ruthless pirates, they realize that all that glitters is not gold. Sal and Blas must quickly learn the rules of the sea and the new western frontier—or die trying. Can Sal handle his own twisted secrets and rise from the depths of his past while discovering his own purpose in life?

bio

Author Biography

Dr. Perez Ferguson is a cross-cultural educator and consultant. Her fiction brings to life the voices of California inhabitants living 200 years ago. She has twice won the Best YA Fiction Award from the San Francisco Writers Conference, 2021 and 2022.

Regarding Broken Promises:

"The tightly wound plot flows effortlessly from one moment to the next.... readers will find themselves inspired by the future Sparrow creates for herself and those around her." — Kirkus Reviews

Her non-fiction promotes the voices of under-represented communities in the twenty-first century. This earned her the 2014 Lacayo Lifetime Achievement Award from the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute. She is an Advisor and Former Chair for the InterAmerican Foundation and a former Visiting Lecturer for the Council for Independent Colleges. She enjoys living and writing on the Pacific coast.

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Author Insight

Her dying wish

If only there were just two sides to every question, how easy growing up would be. Sal and Blas disagree on many things. Now, Sal learns that Brother David and the Bishop do not see eye to eye. La Senorita Xichete's death, and her efforts to preserve the story of her people, reveal new cracks in the Twisted Cross. It is not her silver earrings or her beauty that bring Sal to his knees, but her sacrifice for her people.

Book Excerpt

Twisted Cross

“The Bishop will punish us for our meetings with the native woman,” Brother David said. “She struggled to keep the tribal rituals alive. We must respect her final wish.”

One of the tribal women approached Cervantes with La Señorita Xichete’s earrings in her hand. She motioned toward Brother David, and Cervantes explained, “They all know how she trusted you. You must take these.” Brother David took the earrings and took a risk, offering prayers for her unsaved soul. Everything happened so fast. Sal felt guilty even though he did nothing wrong.

Blas worked quietly by Sal’s side. He saw nothing special about this burial with Brother David taking charge. Why all the whispering and crying?

“¿Que es eso? What are you doing now?” Blas said. “¡Nunca–never before!” He watched, astonished, as Sal kneeled while Brother David offered prayers for La Señorita Xichete’s eternal soul.

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Anita Perez Ferguson

Twisted Cross

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Her dying wish

Book Excerpt

Twisted Cross

Comment on this Bubble