“Renaissance Spain and the Mediterranean [are] made vivid . . . brings to life the real world behind the fantastic exploits of the knight of La Mancha.” —The Wall Street Journal The actual facts of Miguel de Cervantes’s life seem to be snatched from an epic tale: An impoverished and talented young poet nearly kills a man in a duel and is forced into exile. Later, he distinguishes himself in battle and is severely wounded, losing the use of his left hand. On his way back to Spain, his ship is captured by pirates and he is sold into slavery in Algiers. After prolonged imprisonment and failed escape attempts, he makes his way back home, eventually settling in a remote village in La Mancha to create his masterpiece, the first modern novel in Western literature: Don Quixote. This biographical novel takes the bare bones of Cervantes’ life and paints a brilliantly vivid portrait of this enigmatic man and the era in which he lived. “Cervantes like we’ve never known him: the rogue, the lover, the soldier, the slave, and above all, the poet.” —Esmeralda Santiago “The comic mishaps are funnier for being based in fact. The romantic adventures are more affecting. Cervantes Street has sent me back to Don Quixote” —The Wall Street Journal “Ably captures the human qualities of the legendary writer, as well as his swashbuckling.” —Publishers Weekly “A well-written, well-researched, fast-paced narrative . . . An entertaining book . . . and a superb retelling of Cervantes’s life.” —Library Journal “Historical fiction at its best. . . . A gripping, adventuresome novel with profound insight into the ways in which we choose our destiny.” —New York Journal of Books “Exciting, paced well, interesting and with a literary mystery to boot.” —Seattle Post-Intelligencer