SOS Children ambassador Stella Duffy recommends 'Animal Dreams' by Barbara Kingsolver.

'I read this many years ago, but I still have a clear recollection of a book about a family - twin daughters, a father doing his best (and better than many); the strength of siblings; the politics of America and Nicaragua a generation ago. Like many of Kingsolver's books the threads of political engagement are tightly aligned with those of family, ancestry and land'.

About the book

'Animals dream about the things they do in the day time just like people do. If you want a sweet dream, you've got to live a sweet life'. So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What they find is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments. With this work, the acclaimed author of The Bean Trees and Homeland and Other Stories sustains her familiar voice while giving readers her most remarkable book yet.

Find out more about our work in Nicaragua here and share the country information with your group.

You can support our work in Nicaragua and around the world by sponsoring a child or making a donation to support the vulnerable children in our care.

About Stella Duffy

Stella Duffy is an award-winning writer of novels, short stories and plays. She is also an actor and theatre director. She was born in the UK, grew up in New Zealand, and now lives in London.