This is one of those books that I spent my own money on and I’m glad that I did. Call of the Desert: Crossing is set in Saudi Arabia in 1970; the main character is a young girl from the States that experiences changes in the desert beyond adapting to cultural differences and getting older.
Claire has a magical relationship with a snake that she discovers as she leaves her safe compound and ventures into this new world. Claire goes on to make many new friends and has several different adventures, not all of which turn out the way that she originally hopes.
Here’s why I enjoyed the story, it is very well written and it is like going back into a time machine to the 1970’s in the desert. There are no 1979 pennies in your pocket to pull you out of the story. (If you get that reference, send me drop me a line so we can talk movies sometime!) And while there is a romantic storyline it’s not the major one, in some ways it takes a back seat to Claire’s other trials. Vogel does a great job of weaving in the story of the ten commandments and imagining what they would be like in the modern world. She also does a great job of exploring the concept of the parting of the Red Sea without the Red Sea actually parting again. I also enjoy the fact that even though this is appears to be the first in a series we as readers aren’t left with a cliff hanger, just a feeling of having heard the story of a new friend who has more adventures to share.
Targeted for ages 10-18, this story will also be enjoyable for older readers for the time setting. There are some themes that may be beyond younger readers. I’m looking forward to reading additional works from Vogel.