1976. Europe is in the grip of the worst drought in living memory. The Sutter household teeters on the brink of ruin. The farmer and father of the family has invested his entire fortune in 10,000 chickens and a modern barn. But the barn's cooling systems are failing, and the chicks are dying off in the heat. Meanwhile his wife invites the mysterious Cecile to stay at the farm. Their son, 13-year-old Gus, observes helplessly as both his family and his carefree childhood dissolve in the heat. With poignancy and humour, Year of the Drought evokes several worlds of childhood, of traditional farming, of patriarchy at the very moment of their destruction. SELLING POINTS: . LEAD TITLE. A multiple prize-winner in Switzerland, including the Swiss Literature Prize (the 'Swiss Booker') . Comp title: A WHOLE LIFE by Robert Seethaler