Drought is a celebration of life and human commitment. The hero decides to move to one of Indonesia's outer islands, in a government-run program called "transmigration", to start a new life as a farmer. His near-failed effort takes him to meet various inspired madmen--bureaucrats, bandits, psychiatrists, religious teachers, and a beautiful woman known only as the V.I.P. The combination of these characters will make us question what is considered "normal" in a conventional society. The book is a lyrical testimony of the strength and unpredictability of human character.