Okay – I finished this book and returned it to the library three weeks ago and still haven’t written the review! Why? I’m not sure. Of course I could blame the fact that we’re on school vacation. Or that my husband was stuck in Europe for a week due to the volcano erupting. Or that I’ve been really busy with my “real life”. But honestly, I just couldn’t get up the excitement to write! Not sure why… maybe just a case of the blogger blues.
Anyhow – this novel centered on Ella, a single mother with a son with special needs, who runs a boarding house in a small town in the 1930’s. Ella works hard to have a good business and to make a good home for her son, Solly. The local doctor asks her to take in his cousin, David Rainwater, as a boarder, and Ella is shocked to discover that Mr. Rainwater is actually dying and has only a short time to live. What develops is a relationship between Ella and David, and a change in her son for the better. (Along the way there is also a major subplot concerning racist, violent town members and the town bully who fancies Ella and whom she detests).
I found this book to be well-written, but I did have trouble having it keep my interest. I also found some of the characters – especially the bad guy – to be clichéd. It reminded me a bit of “Bridges of Madison County” – ‘a stranger comes and no one is ever the same’ theme. Unfortunately, I didn’t like “Bridges” – I did like “Rainwater” better.
I would give this book 3 Stars.
Let me know what you think!