The Caballero’s Son
“Miguelito Robles is as solid as the mighty oak from which he takes his name in this passionate sequel to Maria Inés , previously published by Five Star. 1850s’ pastoral California simmers with strife as desperate ex-gold miners descend from the Sierra Nevada. The courts favor Americans over Spanish landowners. Californio sons defend their family estates and their sisters’ honor against Yanqui riffraff. Miguelito is a brash Indian youth trapped between cultures. He believes his father was a dashing Spanish caballero, his mother an Indian woman of beauty. He saves haughty Elena and claims a dance as his reward. Enraged highborn Spaniards intervene and his friend is killed. He spends two years as an outcast until loneliness drives him to a fiesta where he witnesses Elena’s forced marriage, follows the portly groom to an inn, and kills to free her. An outcast in his own land, he joins Tiburcio Vasquez in a furious year of raids. The bandits distribute their loot to the poor while evading American posses dogging them from Los Angeles to San Jose. His attempt to rescue Elena ruins her chances for a desirable marriage. Maria Inés accosts him on the trail, claiming to be his mother. His journey to acceptance of his Indian roots is complicated, but aided by his woman’s love and the birth of his son. “A passionate story of interest to lovers of historical romance and fans of California’s history.” “The Caballero’s Son is a modern-day Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson.” Advance Reader Reviews”–
The Caballero’s Son was a Will Rogers Award Finalist