The Water Thief

September 1, 2018

In this latest from the author of Ishmael's Oranges, Nick is engaged to marry Kate and launch a career as a structural engineer in England when his estranged father dies, and he further feels responsible for the death of a young refugee friend named Madi. He therefore volunteers to help build a hospital in a remote village in Kenya. After some months in his small corner of Africa, severe drought leads to numeorus fatalties as people resort to using a polluted lake for drinking water. Desperate for money, Nick diverts funds for the hospital project to build a well, which brings down the wrath of the corrupt governor of the region, whose soldiers damage the well, burn homes and crops, and do permanent harm to the family Nick lives with and cares for deeply. Nick eventually returns to England and starts a new life, utterly changed by his experience. VERDICT While the use of italics can be somewhat confusing, as they represent more than one voice, this is an unpredicatable and compelling work that will generate many conversations.--Lisa Rohrbaugh, Leetonia Community P.L., OH

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