by Scott O’Dell
First published 1966
Esteban, a young Spanish conquistador, is tasked with leading an expedition to find a legendary city of gold. But as his party treks through the unforgiving wilderness, they face starvation, disease, and the wrath of Native tribes resisting their plunder. Esteban's loyalties are tested as he witnesses the devastation the Spanish bring. With lives hanging in the balance, he must decide whether to pursue riches or protect the people he encounters. In the end, Esteban's coming-of-age story exposes the human cost of imperial ambition.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, coming-of-age
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Mexico
264 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Content warnings: colonialism