Who is Crispin's father? |

Beware-- here comes a spoiler for the story! The question of Crispin's father is one of the driving conflicts in Avi's Crispin and the Cross of Lead.

Crispin has spent his whole life in a small village which caters to a manor house. He has never known his father, or even his own name, and his mother paid him very little attention. Everyone in town simply knew him as "Asta's Son," and when his mother...

Beware-- here comes a spoiler for the story! The question of Crispin's father is one of the driving conflicts in Avi's Crispin and the Cross of Lead.

Crispin has spent his whole life in a small village which caters to a manor house. He has never known his father, or even his own name, and his mother paid him very little attention. Everyone in town simply knew him as "Asta's Son," and when his mother died, Crispin's identity changed overnight. After Crispin is falsely accused of thievery and declared a Wolf's Head, he must go on the run. His one friend, Father Quinel, intends to prepare him for the journey by telling him some things about his mother and that his true name is "Crispin." Father Quinel is quite mysterious in talking about Asta and Crispin has the sense that he is not sharing the whole truth. But before Crispin can ask him for more detail, Father Quinel is killed.

Crispin carries with him both the new knowledge about his mother and a small, lead cross that once belonged to her. Though he cannot read the inscription on the cross, during his journey he meets several people who can read. One of them, Widow Daventry, explains that the cross reads, "Crispin-- Son of Furnival," meaning he is the heir to Lord Furnival's estate! Crispin comes to realize that he never knew his father because Asta and Lord Furnival could not be together in marriage.