If It Rains

A story of resilience and redemption set against one of America's defining moments--the Dust Bowl.
It's 1935 in Oklahoma, and lives are determined by the dust. Fourteen-year-old Kathryn Baile, a spitfire born with a severe clubfoot, is coming of age in desperate times. Once her beloved older sister marries, Kathryn's only comfort comes in the well-worn pages of her favorite book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Then Kathryn's father decides to relocate to Indianapolis, and only the promise of a surgery to finally make her "normal" convinces Kathryn to leave Oklahoma behind. But disaster strikes along the way, and Kathryn must rely on her grit and the ragged companions she meets on the road if she is to complete her journey.

Back in Boise City, Melissa Baile Mayfield is the newest member of the wealthiest family in all of Cimarron County. In spite of her poor, rural upbringing, Melissa has just married the town's most eligible bachelor and is determined to be everything her husband--and her new social class--expects her to be. But as the drought tightens its grip, Henry's true colors are revealed. Melissa covers her bruises with expensive new makeup and struggles to reconcile her affluent life with that of her starving neighbors. Haunted by the injustice and broken by Henry's refusal to help, Melissa secretly defies her husband, risking her life to follow God's leading.

Two sisters, struggling against unspeakable hardship, discover that even in their darkest times, they are still united in spirit, and God is still with them, drawing them home.

My Review:

Not that I don’t ever go on book shopping sprees, but as someone who has been a book blogger for a few years now with a TBR stack mountain that can rival even the best of avid readers, it’s made me a bit pickier about the books I jump to purchase–particularly as a preorder from a debut author I haven’t heard of before. But that’s precisely what happened with this one, and boy, was I not disappointed! The cover of this one caught my eye and then the description moved it directly into my cart (well… my online one). I would have never guessed this one was written by a debut author if I hadn’t known already. I’m so glad this one caught my eye!

Historical fiction is forever my favorite, and I liked that this one stood out as something new and different. I liked that it was more than a romance. It was about family–particularly the complicated relationship between sisters and the truths unspoken between them, and about perseverance through hardship. The connections to the story of the Wizard of Oz were like icing on the cake–heartwarming and a familiar comfort amidst the muddy obstacles the characters faced. It fleshed out the concept that books are friends. I have no doubt other book lovers will adore this as well.

I liked that faith was not easy or cheesy in this story. Life was hard for these girls, and learning to look to God for their strength and healing wasn’t a piece of cake for them. Their struggles and reactions felt natural and made their journeys all the more believable.

I’m SO glad I picked up a copy of this one and can’t wait to see that this author comes up with next!