"Through Desert and Wilderness" by Polish Nobel Prize winner for literature Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846 - 1916) is a book full of dynamic tension and vibrant colors. The story centers around 14-year-old Stas and 8-year-old Nell. Stas is the son of Polish chief engineer Tarkowski, and Nell is the daughter of the English director of the Suez Canal Company, Rawlison. It is not just the plot, which is filled with a variety of interesting episodes between the kidnapping of the two and their rescue, nor the exotic African backdrop that elevates the work to the level of recommended children's and youth literature, but rather the deep bond between the two main characters. Stas and Nell's experiences on their arduous journey through desert and wilderness span a wide range from hunger and thirst to exhaustion, fever, and despair.