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

Summer goals

By the last month of summer, our hopes for reaching all of our project goals begin to wane. Tasks that seemed so doable in June, get bogged down in July and seem impossible in August. You may be less than halfway through your reading list, your craft project, or your travel schedule. Do not despair. Do the next thing. The main character, Sal, in Twisted Cross experienced many serious setbacks. What was it that motivated him to keep moving forward against all odds? His goals were about reuniting with friends and finding a new direction for his life. Who or what is inspiring you to meet your goals? The tasks that I share with friends are the ones that get done.

Book Excerpt

Twisted Cross

The next day Sal walked to the edge of town to retrieve the ox-cart hidden in the hills. A stench in the air reminded Sal that poor Jimenez rotted in his shallow grave nearby. He spotted two boys as he approached.

“You there. Will you take three pesos for a day’s work hauling this cart?” Sal said. He considered it a generous offer for two kids.

“Move your cart? What about your stinking friend in the ground, Coronel?” The boys said. Sal didn’t expect the vagrant youth to answer so boldly. They actually tried to threaten him. His anger rose, and he raised a boot to kick them aside. Better yet, he could afford to use his pesos to bribe them to get the cart on the next vessel bound north for San Diego. They struck a deal.

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Anita Perez Ferguson

Twisted Cross

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Summer goals

Book Excerpt

Twisted Cross

Comment on this Bubble