The Book of Sorrows
by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

The title nails it - this is a sad book. A sequel to the brilliant "Book of the Dun Cow", this book again displays the author's great writing technique in an allegorical tale of animals fighting Evil. In the "Dun Cow", the climax was a great war, and the "Sorrows" deals with the psychological aftermaths of the war, especially on Chauntecleer the rooster-pastor.

Beautifully written, though lacking much character development except a few (common to sequels, I suppose, though in this case, the main character continues to be a dynamic one). The main themes are the survivors' guilt, and loss of active faith: both of which are experienced by Chauntecleer who eventually must die for his sins.