"Set in a hospital for crippled children, this novel tells the story of young Tortuga, who strives for the courage to transcend the tragedy of pain, neglect and disfigurement."
""Anaya's first book, Bless Me, Ultima, was a ground-breaking novel of the life and folklore of Chicanos in southeastern New Mexico. Tortuga, his third novel, far supercedes all ethnic and geographical boundaries. His children are all mankind. ... it opens our eyes to the depths and heights of feeling within us ... the accomplishment of a major novel."--Frank Waters."
"A sixteen-year-old boy, nicknamed after the mountain Tortuga because he is encased in a full-body cast, embarks on a journey of spiritual and physical recovery in a hospital for crippled children after being paralyzed in a swimming accident."
"Rudolfo Anaya is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico. He has received numerous literary awards, including the Premio Quinto Sol and a National Medal of Arts. He is the author of the classic work Bless Me, Ultima, which was chosen for the National Endowment for the Arts' Big Read. Anaya's other books for adults include Tortuga, Heart of Aztlan, Alburquerque, Rio Grande Fall, Shaman Winter, Jemez Spring, Serafina's Stories, The Man Who Could Fly and Other Stories, and Rudolfo Anaya: The Essays. His children's books include Farolitos of Christmas, My Land Sings, Elegy on."@en