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

Danger Everywhere

We escape one pandemic, just to find ourselves in a fresh round of vulnerability. So many friends are discouraged and afraid of what will happen next in our ever-changing lives. Forest fires, heat waves, COVID variants, and gun violence threaten our lives and the safety of our families. Where do you turn for strength? My characters, Sal and Blas, leave the dangers of the sea only to find additional hazards on the land. Sal thinks this is a punishment from God. Blas begins to sing.

Book Excerpt

Twisted Cross

“¿Dónde estàmos, where are we? I’m sunk to my knees in sludge,” Sal said. He and Blas herded the stinking animals off the landing craft.

“I can’t tell the sticky mud from the pig shit,” Blas said. Sand and sea swallowed their feet as they slogged across broad mudflats.

“It all stinks, brother,” a nearby soldier said. “They call this place Vera Cruz—very cursed, we say.” Soldiers shoved them forward as deep muck sucked at Sal’s feet.

“God help us—these bugs,” Sal said. The air carried swarms of pesky mosquitoes that rushed into his mouth each time he gasped for breath. “Is this el Nuevo Mundo or just some kind of purgatory?” Sal wondered. He grumbled as they scrambled for dry land. “First, the stinking jail, then the rotten ship, now another punishment from God.”

Layered with grime, Blas trailed behind. Even in the worst circumstances, he managed to surprise Sal with his idiotic behavior. Somehow, he mustered the energy to bellow an old ballad.

“This life full of sorrow…” Blas sang.

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Anita Perez Ferguson

Twisted Cross

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Danger Everywhere

Book Excerpt

Twisted Cross

Comment on this Bubble