The Land of Little Rain

Ellen Parker's fine narration of this classic collection of meditations on the arid reaches of California is by turns intimate and inspiring. Her nuanced approach--deliberately paced, thoughtfully delivered--fits the the tone and style of this personal exploration of the Owens Valley, which is bounded by the Sierras, near Death Valley and the Mojave Desert. Parker's narration gives the listener a personal look at this lesser-known domain of coyotes, buzzards, foolish rabbits, and the thick-skinned folks who inhabit this place of heat, washouts, and wannabe miners. Originally published in 1903, Austin's words, poetic yet pragmatic, become even more vivid through Parker's elegant performance. Austin's observations of desert ways live on in this rewarding, if all too brief, audiobook. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine