YEAR OF NO RAIN

Eleven-year-old Stephen lives a traditional life in modern rural Sudan, tending cows and learning tribal customs. In his village of round mud homes with thatched roofs, families struggle to survive a drought without losing too many cattle. But Stephen's world is violently shattered by the arrival of modern-day guerrilla warfare. The village's only survivors, Stephen and two other boys, are left with insufficient food and water to cross the bleak, parched land on foot to seek a humanitarian aid camp. Lisette Lecat's elegant and sensitive narration is true to this touching story. A native of South Africa, she has a voice that carries a beautiful accent especially suitable for the vulnerable boys. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]