Asta's son has no name.
And, after the death of his mother, no family to protect him when he is accused of a crime he didn't commit. Declared a "wolf's head" - meaning that anyone who catches him can kill him - he has no choice but to leave his village. All he can take with him on the journey is his newly revealed name - Crispin - and his mother's cross of lead.
Travelling without purpose, through a countryside still ravaged by the effects of the plague, Crispin stumbles upon a juggler, a giant of a man known as Bear. Crispin becomes Bear's servant but the juggler is a strange master offering both protection and encouraging Crispin to think for himself.
But Crispin is not safe and it becomes clear he is being relentlessly pursued. Why are his enemies so determined to kill him? Will the lessons Bear has taught him be enough to safeguard all that he now holds so dear . . .
Avi brings the full force of his storytelling powers to the world of medieval England. Winner of the Newbery Medal 2003.
