Beautifully and economically written, this is one of those books that touches your heart, stays with you long after you’ve finished the final page and says so much about the human condition – and all through three endearing and memorable characters.

Heat. Drought. Dust storms. More people missing every day. The city turning into a ghost town. These are not the only dangers for George and his little brother, Beeper. There’s also Emily, a girl who moves like a shadow, slides through locked doors, and seems determined to push two stranded boys ever closer to disaster.