Book excerpt: A young Caribbean boy must learn to survive by himself after the death of his grandmother and disappearance of his mother, while trying to stay one step ahead of corrupt police. A twelve-year-old Caribbean boy wakes up to discover his grandmother, his only relative on the island, has died during the night. On his way into town to tell the authorities—and call his mother in America—he becomes the lone witness of a police execution. Worse, when he calls his mother’s phone number, he gets a message saying the number has been disconnected. As he struggles to survive on his own, the boy finds himself holding secrets that could have devastating consequences—not only for his own survival, but the island’s as well. Darkness lies beneath the idyllic image of the Caribbean island. The Thirsty Earth is about the global struggle for human dignity amidst corruption, isolation, and the grim realities of life.