This is a remarkable book-full of humor, compassion, hope, and vision. Jacques Gaillot was dismissed as Bishop of the diocese of Evereaux in January 1995 and subsequently transferred to Partenia, a "lost" diocese in what is now Algeria which, "in the Vatican files, is still listed among the fictive properties for which a titular bishop is responsible." In his more than ten years as Bishop of Evereaux, Gaillot established a reputation as an advocate for the poor and outcast, a critic of church policy regarding contraception and abortion, an advocate for persons with AIDS, a defender of immigrants, and a champion of gay and lesbian rights. His dismissal led to massive popular protest and an outpouring of support at all levels inside and outside the Roman Catholic Church. Gaillot responded to his transfer with characteristic humor and media savvy by establishing a "cyber-diocese" on the World Wide Web and adopting as the motto for his episcopal coat of arms a selection from the Qur'an: "No coercion in matters of religion." Voice from the Desert is a pastoral letter to his new diocese which, because it is nowhere, has no boundaries: "as vast as the world, Partenia does not begin or end anywhere," Gaillot writes. "Even though I didn't look for it, the destination suits me, and that's where I'm going." He goes with style and grace, and the result is more than a pastoral letter to all Catholics: it is a truly catholic post-modern vision radiant with hope for a human world in which peace and justice embrace.