Her eyes were fastened on the prey and her leg muscles bunched and quivered ready to spring. Nagel screamed. "Was it too late...?'' His life was split between homelessness and slavery. Can he with no one to really care about him, become an honorable man in outlook and stature in such a wild primitive land as Ancient Babylon? All ages of readers will enjoy learning how his experience with animals and especially his knowledge of horses became a lifesaver for him. Will the faithfulness of his blind friend Jarro or the honesty of big black Neo be enough to save him from his life of not belonging anywhere? The interesting characters are too many to mention. The witty sayings and honest human emotion make this engaging coming-of-age story worth reading. Much of the beauty of Forester's work is the author's own illustrations designed to look like ancient mosaics and paintings. -The US Review of Books- The needs and desires of the human spirit are very much the same world over, no matter what age you were born. This book of course is fiction. I couldn't have known Nagel. However, I have researched the time, location, and culture and attempted to make it fit as if I was there. The triumph of the humans spirit is ageless. If we could magically look back in time, you may have to change the name but I believe Nagel was there! This book is dedicated to my sons, grandsons and great grandsons and the free spirit of young boys and girls the world over. WILMA R. FORESTER