The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind

Sonia Ocampo, born in a storm, is believed by her fellow villagers in an unnamed Latin American country to be a prophet from God. As a girl, she is burdened by the responsibility her community places on her during times of great need. Sonia also thinks the esteem of her peers is misplaced and feels like a fraud. Eventually, she flees to work for a wealthy woman in the city. But when a tragedy befalls her own family, she must return and confront what she knows is true about herself and the expectations placed upon her by others. Narrator Cristina Panfilio's performance is a treat. She ably brings to life each of the book's varied characters—even the tertiary ones. Her narration is equally good—her reading of the story (written mostly in close third-person) subtly indicates Sonia's anxieties, her uncertainties, and even the butterfly feelings she gets when she sees a boy she likes. Ages 14–up. A Candlewick hardcover. (Mar.)