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.

website

Author Insight

Choose: old life or the new?

Do you believe in devils and guardian angels? Why do voices haunt Sal? First the Devil's voice bullied him to make bad decisions. Now Blas's ghost begs him to stay and help Brother David. Are both voices just a part of Sal's imagination or are they real? Does it matter? How do you face tough decisions?

Book Excerpt

Twisted Cross

“Will you walk away from another friend? Brother David needs your help,” Sal heard Blas’s ghost beg him to stay.

“God will forgive you, no matter what you do,” Brother David said. “But we would welcome your help, Sal.” He reached out a hand to give Sal a blessing. “Let the men take the dinghy to those pirates. We need you: please stay.” The dinghy glided toward the open sea. The native men pushed it as they swam close to the waterline.

Sal, paddling like a dog behind them, tried to keep afloat. “Tule,” a native pushed a hollow reed toward Sal, showing him how to use it like a straw to breathe underwater.

The dinghy cut a path through the reeds, on a direct course toward Jean Paul’s ship. Beds of kelp surrounded the boat, hiding the natives and Sal. He knew Blas’s spirit wanted him to stay. Another part of Sal knew this might be his last chance to escape.

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Anita Perez Ferguson

Twisted Cross

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Choose: old life or the new?

Book Excerpt

Twisted Cross

Comment on this Bubble