Setting and Main Character

In the small town of Santa Crescente, where the surf meets murder, a young boy rises above the waves of despair as he faces life without a mother and watches his father stand trial for her murder. Alberto, almost thirteen, finds a small charm on a walk with nature.

His aging grandfather sends him to school while secretly using the charm to reopen his daughter's case of hit and run. Tomas frequently reminisces on the past and faces his own coming of age as the search for the truth begins.

The Family and Themes

The diminutive family makes hard times seem like fun in this heartwarming tale of tackling life's most extreme challenges.

Novelist Barbara Young explores modern literature through her varied use of characters. Placing the tradition up against romantic and modern standards, she blends the genres into a central character, Alberto, and examines the changing principles of writing.

Questions and Reflection

She sets her young boy in the midst of tragedy, challenging his insight and his wit to see if he can stand alone amid the great forces who have given him life. But the question still remains. Will he bow to the strict rules of tradition, remain fixated in a tragic romantic stupor, or will he flit away with the fast-paced words of the modern day?