Tuesday, July 17, 2018

SEND DOWN THE RAIN by Charles Martin, Review by Rebecca Maney

It was amazing


" . . . . .I built myself a cabin . . . . on a property that shouldered Mount Mitchell. And there I have spent my days quietly, trying not to think about the life I left behind."



Decorated Vietnam War veteran Joseph Brooks planned to live out the remainder of his days deeply secluded within the mountains of North Carolina, until the primal scream of a young child awakens his senses. After rescuing a mother and her two children from a ruthless drug lord, Joseph returns to the place where memories of long walks on the beach, and the love of his life, slithered away with the ravages of war.

Allie Gibson has just lost her second husband in an horrific highway accident just miles from their home on Florida's Gulf Coast. Her entire life has literally gone up in smoke; she has no money, no family, and very few friends. When Joseph finds her, she has collapsed on the beach, looking nothing like the girl he left behind.

Charles Martin has the uncanny ability to paint his stories with the swath of a very wide brush, bringing characters to life who manage to outlive themselves. This beautifully written book has enough strategically thrown curve balls to fill nine innings of baseball, but oddly enough they are quite comforting, rather then confounding, because of the messages they carry .. . . "evil won't kill evil . . . . not ever" . . . and "love rushes in where others won't" . . . . and "thank you . . .for giving me what I needed. . . . And not what I deserved."

Yes Lord, "please send down the rain". 

BACK COVER BLURB:
Allie is still recovering from the loss of her family’s beloved waterfront restaurant on Florida’s Gulf Coast when she loses her second husband to a terrifying highway accident. Devastated and losing hope, she shudders to contemplate the future—until a cherished person from her past returns.

Joseph has been adrift for many years, wounded in both body and spirit and unable to come to terms with the trauma of his Vietnam War experiences. Just as he resolves to abandon his search for peace and live alone at a remote cabin in the Carolina mountains, he discovers a mother and her two small children lost in the forest. A man of character and strength, he instinctively steps in to help them get back to their home in Florida. There he will return to his own hometown—and witness the accident that launches a bittersweet reunion with his childhood sweetheart, Allie.

When Joseph offers to help Allie rebuild her restaurant, it seems the flame may reignite—until a 45-year-old secret from the past begins to emerge, threatening to destroy all hope for their second chance at love.

In Send Down the Rain, Charles Martin proves himself to be a storyteller of great wisdom and compassion who bears witness to the dreams we cherish, the struggles we face, and the courage we must summon when life seems to threaten what we hold most dear.

*I purchased this book and was under no obligation to review it.

Available in paperback, digital ebook, hardcover
BUY Send Down the Rain on Amazon 
BUY Send Down the Rain on Christianbook.com

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this review, Rebecca. It's a good one. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I will probably one day binge my way through Charles Martin's books. Thanks for reviewing, Rebecca!

    ReplyDelete

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