Summary
In this riveting sequel to the Newbery-Award winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead --the second book in a planned trilogy--Avi explores themes of war, religion, and family as he continues the adventures of Crispin and Bear.
The more I came to know of the world, the more I knew I knew it not.
He was a nameless orphan, marked for death by his masters for an unknown crime. Discovering his name- Crispin-only intensified the mystery. Then Crispin met Bear, who helped him learn the secret of his full identity. And in Bear-the enormous, red-bearded juggler, sometime spy, and everyday philosopher-Crispin also found a new father and a new world.
Now Crispin and Bear have set off to live their lives as free men. But they don't get far before their past catches up with them: Bear is being pursued by members of the secret brotherhood who believe he is an informer. When Bear is badly wounded, it is up to Crispin to make decisions about their future-where to go, whom to trust. Along the way they become entangled with an extraordinary range of people, each of whom affects Crispin and Bear's journey in unexpected ways. To find freedom and safety, they may have to travel to the edge of the world-even if it means confronting death itself.
Author Notes
Avi has published more than seventy books. Winner of many awards, including the 2003 Newbery award for Crispin: the Cross of Lead , two Newbery Honors, two Horn Book awards, and an O'Dell award, as well as many children's choice awards, Avi frequently travels to schools around the country to talk to his readers. Among his most popular books are Crispin: The Cross of Lead , The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle , Nothing But the Truth , the Poppy books, Midnight Magic , and The Fighting Ground. His most recent books are Ragweed and Poppy , Gold Rush Girl , The End of the World and Beyond (sequel to The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts ), and the somewhat autobiographical Catch You Later, Traitor. Avi lives in Clark, Colorado, with his wife. He invites you to visit him online at avi-writer.com and on Twitter @avi3writer.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-At the conclusion of Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Hyperion, 2002), Crispin and Bear have escaped and are enjoying their hard-won freedom, planning to resume their 14th-century lifestyle as traveling minstrels and jugglers. But that freedom doesn't last long because they soon find themselves hunted again by men who believe Bear to be a traitor to the Brotherhood (which is planning a revolt against the oppressive rulers of England). And, with Bear severely injured, Crispin has to make crucial decisions about their future, which for Bear means confronting the sins of the past. The thoughtful introduction of Troth, a disfigured girl, and the trio's fearful journey across the Channel add historical relevance and bring home a critical lesson in tolerance. This second book in a planned trilogy explores even more thoughtfully the themes of religion, war, the motives of men, and the meaning of family. This is an extraordinary work of lyrical simplicity, nearly flawless in its execution, and a haunting tale of love and loss. Readers will devour this story and eagerly anticipate the conclusion of Crispin's adventures.-Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Crispin: At the Edge of the World by Avi continues the adventures of the hero begun with Crispin: The Cross of Lead (in a starred review, PW wrote, "It's the compellingly drawn relationship between Crispin and Bear that provides the heart of this story"). Just when the duo feels free, events from the past overshadow the pair, and Bear becomes seriously injured, leaving Crispin in charge of both their futures. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) Picking up directly where Crispin: The Cross of Lead (rev. 9/02) left off, this tale finds Crispin and his newly rescued mentor, the minstrel Bear, making their way across the English countryside, one step ahead of Bear's former confederates in revolution, who are certain he has sold them out. When Bear is wounded in a hostile encounter, the two are forced to seek shelter with Aude, an old wise woman, and Troth, her cleft-lipped apprentice. Avi plays the metaphor of the edge of the world deftly: the literal edge -- the coastline -- offers false hope of escape, while Crispin finds himself continually expanding his own conceptual edges. The deeply Catholic Crispin struggles with Aude and Troth's adherence to older gods; then with the possibility that Bear, like all humans, has feet of clay; and finally with the necessity of living life without his protector. Like its predecessor, this offering fairly reeks with fourteenth-century detail, the offhand brutality of the age showing itself again and again. The inevitably somber ending yet leaves Crispin with a friend -- Troth -- and the determination to live free. An author's note provides historical context. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
An orphan boy continues searching for freedom amid the social and political chaos of 14th-century England in this swiftly paced sequel to Crispin: The Cross of Lead (2004). After discovering his true identity, Crispin and his fierce, but genial, protector Bear seek refuge in the countryside. Pursued as an informer by members of a secret brotherhood, Bear is wounded. Alone and desperate, Crispin is forced to trust an ancient healer and her disfigured young companion Troth. Bear survives, but is greatly diminished. Crispin, Bear and Troth journey to Rye, a coastal city pillaged by the French. But with the brotherhood still tracking Bear, they must flee again, this time aboard a seafaring cog to Brittany. As the tightly bonded trio faces life-threatening events, Crispin "must think and act as a man" to protect those he loves and preserve the freedom he and Bear cherish. This moving, history-packed adventure leaves Crispin on the edge of the world and readers on the edge of their seats. Super storytelling. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 10-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Avi's engrossing follow-up to his Newbery-winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead (2002) begins with Crispin and his father figure, Bear, tasting freedom briefly before Bear is recognized and shot with an arrow. Fleeing into the forest, they meet Troth, a girl shunned because of her cleft lip. Her protector, old Aude, nurses Bear's wound, but when villagers brutally turn against Aude, Crispin and Bear must flee again, this time with Troth. The three, now a family, make a stormy voyage to Brittany, where English soldiers force them to help in a ruthless attack on a church. Unlike many stories set in the Middle Ages, this novel doesn't romanticize the era; instead, it portrays England and France as places where poverty, superstition, and violence were commonplace. Crispin, Bear, and Troth face each new situation with dread born of painful experience, well aware that the people they meet are as likely to harm them as to help them. The love connecting the three main characters is so vital that maintaining the bond and protecting each other become driving forces in their choices. Along with plenty of action and adventure, this displays a solid emotional base. The combination will make fans eager for the final installment. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2006 Booklist