<p><i>It's the Spanish Inquisition, and agents of oppression grow deadly for two teens.</i></p><blockquote><p><i>"But there are times<br />when peace just becomes <br />a broken mouthful.<br /> A word that no tongue in the world <br />Can pronounce."</i><br />- From <b>The Apprentice's Masterpiece</b></p></blockquote><p><i>"... like a young person's <b>Kite Runner</b>, a tale ... that both educates and enlightens in a time when we could all use a little more understanding of one another."</i><b>-- Calgary Herald</b></p><p><i>"The brief narrative poems are small gems of insight and emotion... and resonate with contemporary connections."</i><b>-- VOYA</b></p><p><i>"This riveting story is peopled by flesh-and-blood characters and replete with ... historical detail."</i><b>-- School Library Journal</b></p> <p><b>ALA/YALSA 2009 Best Books for Young Adults nominee</b></p><p><b>White Ravens 2008, International Youth Library, Munich </b></p><p>Fifteenth-century Spain is a richly multicultural society in which Jews, Muslims and Christians coexist. But under the zealous Christian Queen Isabella, the country abruptly becomes one of the most murderously intolerant places on Earth.</p><p>It is in this atmosphere that the Benvenistes, a family of scribes, attempt to eke out a living. The family has a secret-they are conversos: Jews who converted to Christianity. Now, with neighbors and friends turned into spies, fear hangs in the air.</p><p>One day a young man is delivered to their door. His name is Amir, and he wears the robe and red patch of a Muslim. Fifteen-year-old Ramon Benveniste broods over Amir's easy acceptance into the family.</p><p>Startling and dramatic events overtake the household, and the family is torn apart. One boy becomes enslaved; the other takes up service for the Inquisitors. Finally, their paths cross again in a stunningly haunting scene.</p><p>Melanie Little has crafted a brilliant and elegantly written story in verse about one of the most politically complex and troubling times in human history-the Spanish Inquisition. Drawing on extensive research, Little creates memorable characters, captures the turbulent events of the period, and emblazons horrific images on readers' minds. It is the work of a master.</p>