Set against the turbulent background of the Mexican War, this is the story of an unusual young woman and her final grasp of the complexity of true strength. Riding her stallion at top speed, racing and beating the neighborhood rancheros, and branding cattle, Carlota proves herself again and again. She is courageous and strong, surely the equal of all her dead brother Carlos could have been. In the conflict between Don Saturnino's need for a son and her proud grandmother's outraged sense of a woman's place, Carlota has always sided with her father. She rides out with the men to ambush Kit Carson and the Yankee army in what would be later known as the Battle of San Pasqual. There she wounds a young soldier with her lance, forcing her to come face to face with her own feelings of tenderness and compassion. At last she defines herself, and in so doing, defies her father.

From the reviews:

"The principal characters are realistically portrayed as unique individuals and as universal figures in an allegorical drama. Multi-dimensional, masterfully crafted, the novel is compelling in its powerful yet restrained emotional intensity."

Horn Book

"A vivid picture of California in the 1800s."

Publishers Weekly

"Carlota de Zuberan makes an interesting heroine ... appealing, sustaining."

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