"When 10-year-old Diego's mother dies, he is sent to an orphanage. Here le learns to read and write--opportunities few poor children have in early sixteenth-century Spain. A false accusation forces Diego and his friend, Alonso, to flee the orphanage and become children of the streets. Then Alonso disappears and Diego is on his own. This is his story of how he struggles to survive and realize his dreams of adventure." Source--back cover of book.
