num_pages: 40
description: Clement and Hippolyte are handsome sharp-witted and as close as brothers. When Clement falls in love with enchanting Pauline he bids Hippolyte to join his quest to court her and the two friends set out toward danger and adventure.Pauline is ward of the mysterious Monsieur Zabocat -- a plantation owner reputed to be a quimboiseur a wizard -- and defying his wishes Pauline joins her new fianc and his friend on their trek home. But the fruited fields and forests they traverse hide dark forces plotting to destroy the couple...and one night -- Tam! Tam! Tamtamtam! -- the distant sound of a drum lures Hippolyte into a deadly trap that forces him to choose between his friend's safety and his own.Robert D. San Souci and Brian Pinkney again combine their talents to bring to life a West Indian folktale that draws upon African European and South American traditions and imagery. The result is an extraordinary tale of romance intrigue and incomparable courage in which the truest of friends remain faithful to the very end.
language: English
title: The Faithful Friend
publisher: Simon and Schuster