Shadow of a Bull is a novel by Maia Wojciechowska that was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1965. After Spain’s favorite matador Juan Olivar dies from being gored by a bull it is up to his 3 year old son Monolo to live up to his father’s name. Six men tell Monolo he will have his first bullfight when he is 12 years old. But there is one thing Monolo won’t tell a soul, he is a coward. He doesn’t have the passion to be a bullfighter. He wants to become a doctor. All the people in the town of Arcangel are expecting him to be... just as good as his father was at his first bullfight. Monolo’s friend Juan wants to be a bullfighter but can’t get anyone important to watch him. At Monolo’s tentena he realizes that he can’t be a bullfighter and he gives his bull and the ring to Juan and a doctor tells him “I knew you were no bullfighter, so how would you like to come work with me for a while?” Monolo says yes. The story takes place in the province of Arcangel, Southern Spain, but it never tells the year to date the book but you can get a pretty good idea from reading it.
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| Author: | Maia Wojciechowska |
| Genre: | Children's literature, Fiction |
| Year published: | 1964 |
| Number of editions: | 12 |