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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781439172773
ISBN: 1439172773
Label: Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: November 03, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: November 03, 2009
Studio: Simon & Schuster
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
The year is 1934. With the country in the stranglehold of drought and economic depression, Ella Barron runs her Texas boardinghouse with an efficiency that ensures her life will be kept in balance. Between chores of cooking and cleaning for her residents, she cares for her ten-year-old son, Solly, a sweet but challenging child whose misunderstood behavior finds Ella on the receiving end of pity, derision, and suspicion.
When David Rainwater arrives at the house looking for lodging, he comes recommended by a trusted friend as "a man of impeccable character." But Ella senses that admitting Mr. Rainwater will bring about unsettling changes.
However, times are hard, and in order to make ends meet, Ella's house must remain one hundred percent occupied. So Mr. Rainwater moves into her house...and impacts her life in ways Ella could never have foreseen.
The changes are echoed by the turbulence beyond the house walls. Friends and neighbors who've thus far maintained a tenuous grip on their meager livelihoods now face foreclosure and financial ruin. In an effort to save their families from homelessness and hunger, farmers and cattlemen are forced to make choices that come with heartrending consequences.
The climate of desperation creates a fertile atmosphere for racial tensions and social unrest. Conrad Ellis -- privileged and spoiled and Ella's nemesis since childhood -- steps into this arena of teeming hostility to exact his vengeance and demonstrate the extent of his blind hatred and unlimited cruelty. He and his gang of hoodlums come to embody the rule of law, and no one in Gilead, Texas, is safe. Particularly Ella and Solly.
In this hotbed of uncertainty, Ella finds Mr. Rainwater a calming presence. She is moved by the kindness he shows other boarders, Solly...and Ella herself. Slowly, she begins to rely on his soft-spokenness, his restraint, and the steely resolve of his convictions.
And on the hottest, most violent night of the summer, those principles will be put to the ultimate test.
From acclaimed bestselling author Sandra Brown comes a powerfully moving novel celebrating the largess and foresight of a great bygone generation. It tells a story that bears witness to a bittersweet truth: that love is worth whatever price one must pay for it.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
Brown departs from from her recent stories by delving into historical fiction. Though this book contains some mystery, suspense and a bit of romance, the approach is less direct and not as much the focus as some of her other books. By that I mean that there is romance, but it simmers and brews before coming to its inevitable conclusion. There is some mystery about a few characters and suspense leading up to a large incident. The story moves along at a quick pace and though at times disturbing it is an easy read.
Given that the story takes place in the 1930's, Brown portrays her characters to match the times, so their conversations and thoughts seem appropriate to what I have learned about the depression era. There are some surprises with the details of certain actions, such as the government cattle program and how people responded, which made for interesting reading. A bit of the story is predictable, especially toward the end, which is why I gave it four and not five stars. The very end though is satisfying for the reader.
Rating:  -
I haven't read any other of Brown's books before Rainwater and read it in two days. As other reviews mentioned, the characters have stayed with me. I only wished Ella and David had the opportunity to see each other while he was in jail. It ended too quickly after he was arrested...still, I loved it.
Rating: -
Read this book. Sandra Brown has written a beautiful and brilliant story that will transport you to a small town in Texas in 1934. Her characterizations and dialogue are true to the place and time. This story reminds one of Harper Lee. I hope Sandra Brown has more like this one coming.
Rating: -
RAINWATER is by far one of the best books I've read by Sandra Brown.
I wasnt sure I would like the story being set in depression era.
I was hooked from page one.
Amazing story!
Rating: -
Rainwater is not the sort of book that I usually read these days. It's a book by a bestselling author which is bound for the mass market supermarket shelves. However I saw the author Sandra Brown on a morning "news" show, and couldn't resist this story set during the Depression that is based on her grandparents' own experiences.
If you are a fan of Sandra Brown's thrillers, don't buy Rainwater just because she wrote it. From what I understand, it differs greatly from her normal style.
But for me this book was just what I needed.
I received the book a few days after seeing Sandra Brown talk about it, and uncharacteristically, I dug right in the day I received it. Two days later, I had finished it.
This is a sweet love story, rich with historical details, and with surprising story lines about such things as parenting an autistic child (before doctors had a diagnosis for it). I highly recommend it.
I'm planning to give this book to my grandmother, who lived through the Depression. Because she's older now, she doesn't read as much as she used to. I think it requires concentration that she doesn't always have. However, this book's length (only 256 pages) and familiar subject matter makes me think that she will enjoy it.
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