HURRICANE

Terry Trueman draws on his knowledge of Honduras, gained when he taught there, to create a compelling story about the impact of Hurricane Mitch, which devastated the Caribbean in 1998. The story’s first-person narrator is 13-year-old Jose, who is thrust into the role of man of the house when the storm hits as a result of his father, older brother, and sister being away. Ramón de Ocampo builds suspense as Jose's village is destroyed by a mud slide and the survivors pool their meager resources to survive until help arrives. De Ocampo fills Jose's voice with all the fear, worry, and courage of a young man thrust too soon into manhood. The only weakness is that de Ocampo gives the Honduran protagonist a Spanish accent only when he speaks proper names. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]