Chengli is an orphaned errand boy who lives in Chang��n China in 630 A.D. His mother has died from illness and his father is presumed dead after disappearing into the desert when Chengli was
a baby.
Now thirteen, Chengli feels ready for independence. He is drawn to the desert, beckoned by the howling of strange winds and the hope of learning something about his father��ho he was and how
he died.
Chengli joins the caravan to travel down the merchant route known as the Silk Road, but it is a dangerous life, as his father knew. The desert is harsh, and there are many bandits,
particularly drawn to Chengli�� caravan because a princess, her servants, and royal guards are traveling with them. This story invites readers to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of
this fabled desert route.