The worst drought in recorded history has left the small rural town of Havensburg, Kentucky in isolation and despair. Reserves are drying up, local officials have failed to enforce water-rationing regulations, and the relentless heat is causing panic and unrest among the town's citizens. The Drought follows an eclectic cast of characters through a volatile two weeks of greed, lust, and violence, leading to an inevitable and extraordinary climax no one will see coming. And it all begins with Willie Strasbourg stealing a pair of underwear from the girl next door . . .