A swashbuckling adventure reveals how Diego de la Vega became the iconic masked hero. Born in late eighteenth-century southern California, he is the son of a Spanish military man and a Shoshone warrior. Diego learns the ways of his mother's tribe from his grandmother, White Owl, while also mastering fencing and cattle branding from his father. His childhood is filled with mischief and adventure, during which he witnesses the brutal injustices faced by Native Americans at the hands of European settlers, igniting an inner conflict about his dual heritage. At sixteen, Diego travels to Barcelona for an education, where he becomes involved with La Justicia, a secret resistance movement fighting against the corruption of Napoleonic rule. Amidst this turmoil, he experiences love, saves the oppressed, and confronts a formidable rival from privilege. As he navigates between California and Barcelona, the persona of Zorro begins to take shape. After numerous adventures, including duels, pirate battles, and daring rescues, Diego returns to America to reclaim his childhood hacienda and seek justice for those unable to fight for themselves.
