Shadow of a Bull

Eleven-year-old Manolo Olivar has a painful secret: He's terrified of bulls. Unfortunately, his father was Juan Olivar, the greatest bullfighter in all Spain. How can Manolo find the courage to face his first bull and live up to the expectations of the townspeople of Arcangel? Manolo's personal quest for manhood in the looming shadow of a father whose memory has faded into folklore becomes both a fascinating adventure and glimpse inside the bullring of the Spanish torero. Francisco Rivela, an actor and native of Spain, reads with an intimacy perfect for young Manolo's darkly pained tone. At the same time, his crisp, haunting Spanish accent propels the reader into the world of fear and death that shrouds the dreams of every torero. Listening Library is to be commended for reviving this 1965 Newbery Medal-winning classic. P.E.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine