The son of respected judge Cayetano Trevino, El Güero—the Blond One—never suspects that his comfortable life will change when Mexico's president, Lerdo de Tejada, is deposed by General Díaz during the Mexican Revolution in 1876. But his father's loyalty to the old government sends El Güero and his family into exile almost overnight. Allowed only to bring a few treasured possessions and a change of clothing, they set off on horseback first to Acapulco and then by sea to the wild, bandit-infested territory of Baja, California.
Along the way, they encounter scorpions and highway men, and are cast ashore by pirates. When they finally arrive at the isolated town of Ensenada, they have no house and must shelter under an oak tree. Before long, though, El Güero's family settles into a routine: his father establishes a court of law, his aunt starts teaching the local children to read and write, and El Güero makes friends with two boys his own age. But Ensenada is in grave danger, and when El Güero's father is jailed for trying to uphold the law, El Güero must travel through unknown wilderness on a dangerous mission for help.
This compelling, courageous story is based on the exciting boyhood of Elizabeth Borton de Treviño's father-in-law, the real El Güero.
Did you find this review helpful?