Zarita, only daughter of the town magistrate, lives a life of wealth and privilege. Indulged by her parents, she is free to spend her days as she pleases, enjoying herself in the company of an eligible young nobleman, horse riding, or leisurely studying the arts. Saulo, son of a family reduced by circumstances to begging, witnesses his father wrongfully arrested and dealt with in the most horrifying way. Hauled off to be a slave at sea and pursued by pirates he encounters the ambitious mariner explorer, Christopher Columbus. Throughout his hardships Saulo is determined to survive - for he has sworn vengeance on the magistrate and his family. As Zarita's life also undergoes harsh changes the formidable and frightening Inquisition arrives in the area, bringing menacing shadows of suspicion with acts of cruel brutality - and ultimately, amid the intrigues of the court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in the splendid Moorish city of Grenada, betrayal and revenge...
Theresa Breslin is the critically acclaimed author of over 30 books for children and young adults whose work has been filmed for television, broadcast on radio, and is read world-wide in many languages. A respected contributor to professional journals, she is passionate about children’s literature and literacy. She travels extensively, doing research for her books and speaking at international conferences and book festivals.
She won the Carnegie Medal, the UK’s most prestigious award in children’s literature, for Whispers in the Graveyard, her compelling story of a dyslexic boy. Before taking up writing full time Theresa worked as a librarian. Her books range from those for younger readers such as The Magic Factory series to middle readers like Bullies at School and the four Dream Master books - funny time-slip adventures exploring aspects of storytelling. She writes books for children and young adults, with some titles especially suitable for EAL readers. Divided City, exploring themes of prejudice, friendship, citizenship and conflict resolution has been shortlisted for ten book awards, winning the Catalyst Book Award and the RED Book Award. She has a range of historical novels including the The Nostradamus Prophecy and bestselling Remembrance and The Medici Seal, touching on the life of Leonardo da Vinci and shortlisted for the Book Trust Teen Book Prize and the Royal Mail Children’s Book Award. She has also written shorter books - her most popular title being Alligator, published as a play for schools.