The sound of the trees

the long version

"Set in the 1930s, The Sound of the Trees tells the story of Trude Mason, a boy escaping from a brutal father and a violent past. Without a vehicle or the knowledge of how to operate one, Trude and his mother set out on horseback on a grueling journey through the extreme desert and mountainous terrain of southwestern New Mexico. Their destination: Colorado, a place Trude imagines to be abundantly fertile, wild, and free. Yet the wilderness proves to be as threatening as the boy's father, and Trude must stop to recuperate in a remote township along the way. There he becomes involved in the plight of a young girl whose life is hanging in the balance, and is forced to face an explosive collision between self-preservation and conscience."--BOOK JACKET.