The Dead Wander in the Desert

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From Kazakhstan's most celebrated author comes a powerful English-language debut about a fisherman's struggle to save the Aral Sea and its way of life from ecological disaster. Set in the vast grasslands of Kazakhstan before its independence from the USSR, this haunting novel explores the world through the eyes of Nasyr, a simple fisherman and village elder, and his determined son, Kakharman. They confront the impending doom facing the poisoned Aral Sea, once the fourth-largest lake on earth, now an environmental catastrophe. Starved of water by Soviet agricultural schemes, the sea is drying up, turning the surrounding land into a salt desert, and collapsing the livelihoods of local fishermen. As their way of life vanishes, Kakharman battles an indifferent bureaucracy, while Nasyr seeks guidance from Allah. Isolated from neighbors who have lost hope, Kakharman fights alone to save what sustains them. Despite the mounting challenges and the sea's distress, the unwavering convictions of these soulful individuals offer a glimmer of hope. Rollan Seisenbayev takes readers on a cautionary and compassionate journey into the essence of humanity—caring and fighting against overwhelming odds. May humankind heed this warning cry.