The Black Pearl

　　雷蒙怎麼也沒想到「黑珍珠」會為他的家庭帶來重大的改變，這一點連他的父親也沒想到……

　　傳說中的大魔怪有什麼力量，讓大家對牠總是心存恭敬，而得到牠守護的黑珍珠真會讓人招致不幸嗎？

　　人與人、人與社會、人與自然、人與自我和人與神等五種衝突架構了這本《黑珍珠》。一個關於理智與迷信的故事，讓人在傳奇氣氛與緊湊力道下，思考自然的制衡力量與人的貪婪。

　　From the depths of a cave in the Vermilion Sea, Ramon Salazar has wrested a black pearl so lustrous and captivating that his father, an expert pearl dealer, is certain Ramon has found the legendary Pearl of Heaven. Such a treasure is sure to bring great joy to the villagers of their tiny coastal town, and even greater renown to the Salazar name. No diver, not even the swaggering Gaspar Ruiz, has ever found a pearl like this!

　　But is there a price to pay for a prize so great? When a terrible tragedy strikes the village, old Luzon’s warning about El Diablo returns to haunt Ramon. If El Diablo actually exists, it will take all Ramon’s courage to face the winged creature waiting for him offshore.

　　★本書中譯版《黑珍珠》由小魯文化出版。

作者簡介

史考特．歐代爾（Scott O’dell）　

　　史考特．歐代爾（Scott O’dell）於一八九八年五月二十三日在美國加州的洛杉磯出生。 他的寫作生涯開始於一九三四年，直到了一九五○年代末，他才開始著手為兒童寫書。

　　史考特．歐代爾一生中獲得了許多獎項，包括一九六一年以《藍色海豚島》（Island of the Blue Dolphins）一部作品摘下紐伯瑞文學獎金牌獎（Newbery Medal Winner）。之後又以他的歷史小說三部曲獲得了紐伯瑞文學獎銀牌獎（Newbery Honor Book），這三部作品分別是：《國王的五分之一》（The King’s Fifth）、《黑珍珠》（The Black Pearl）以及《月落悲歌》（Sing Down the Moon）。

　　以他為名的史考特．歐代爾歷史小說獎（Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction）成立於一九八一年，他藉由這樣的獎項來肯定突出的著作。史考特．歐代爾於一九八九年十月十五日辭世。

　　Scott O'Dell (1898-1989), one of the most respected authors of historical fiction, received the Newbery Medal, three Newbery Honor Medals, and the Hans Christian Andersen Author Medal, the highest international recognition for a body of work by an author of books for young readers. Some of his many books include The Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Road to Damietta, Sing Down the Moon, and The Black Pearl.