"Asta's son" is all he's ever been called. The lack of name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in fourteenth-century medieval England. But this thirteen-year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less --- no home, family or possessions. Accused of a crime he didn't commit, he has been declared a "wolf's head." That means he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name --- Crispin --- and his mother's cross of lead.
A master of breathtaking plot twists and vivid characters, Avi brings the full force of his storytelling powers to the world of medieval England.
Favorite excerpts:
"Do you ever smile, boy?" he demanded. "If you can't laugh and smile, life is worthless. Do you hear me?" he yelled. "It's nothing!"
"Crispin," he said after a moment of silence, "I'll give you some advice. You're full of sadness. Those who bring remorse are shunned. Do you know why?"
I shook my head.
"Because sorrow is the common fate of man. Who then would want more? But wit and laughter, Crispin, why, no one ever has enough. When I think on the perfections of our Savior, I choose to think most upon His most perfect laughter. It must have been the kind that makes us laugh too. For mirth is the coin that brings a welcome. Lose your sorrows, and you'll find your freedom."
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