Bridle the Wind

This is a further adventure of Felix Brooke, hero of Go Saddle the Sea; this time in the company of a deceptive, poetic waif--fugitive, Juan, whom he rescues from a lynching. Their adversaries as they make their perilous Pyrenean journey are the forest brigands and a malevolent devil-incarnate Abbot, Father Vaspasian. Fortunately God seems to be on the side of the angels and as usual He wins! There aren't too many recent stories around like this -- set in the old-fashioned high-adventure mould. I hope that there are some modern kids around who don't judge a book by its number of pages and have the stamina to stick with the lengthy twists and turns, right up to the final marvellous surprise -- which means don't read the last few pages until you've read the rest.