The Desert Cries: A Season of Flash Floods in a Dry Land

Rating:
Summary: Narrative Nonficiton At Its Best
Review: While on a recent trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park, I saw The Desert Cries: A season of Flash Floods in a Dry Land on the shelf in the visitor center. Since I knew a thing or two about flash floods, I flipped through the book. Yikes. I was in it, and it wasn't an entirely flattering depiction. But of course, I had to buy the book. That night, while camped in a desert wash, I read The Desert Cries by flashlight. "This is good!" I said to my husband who was waiting for me to stop reading so I would turn off the headlamp and he could get some sleep. The book was too suspenseful to put down.
In this harrowing tail of nature's beauty and wrath, Craig Childs vividly depicts the fates of people whose lives have been changed forever by five flash floods. Unfortunately, not all of them make it out alive. The illustrator, Regan Choi, provides grim and shadowy views that supplement the stories well. Even if you've never seen a flash flood, you will have "felt" one by the time you finish this book. The author's fine balance between detail and drama builds a cinematic tension that both satisfies and horrifies. Set in the stunning landscapes of the Southwest, these stories are outdoor adventure narrative at its best. And they are all true.