Sometimes I ran sometimes all I could do was walk. All I knew was that if the steward overtook me I’d not survive for long....

Crispin is a poor thirteen-year-old peasant in medieval England. Accused of a crime he did not commit he has been declared a "wolf’s head" meaning he may be killed on sight by anyone. He flees his tiny village with nothing but his mother’s cross of lead. 

In the English countryside Crispin meets a man named Bear who forces Crispin to become his servant yet encourages him to think for himself. But as Crispin’s enemies draw ever closer he is pulled right into the fortress of his foes where he must find a way to save their very lives.

A master of breathtaking plot twists and vivid characters award-winning author Avi brings the full force of his storytelling powers to the world of medieval England.