Customer Reviews

Raising Rain

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's a reason why Debbie Thomas's last book, Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon, was a finalist for a Christie award, and why I expect this one will be, too: It's one of a new genre of literately-written and thoughtful women's novels. Its central character deals with an increasingly-common situation-- the urgency of wanting a baby, of dealing with the fear of waiting too long. "Why did it have to be like this? She hadn't stopped loving Hayden, she just wanted a baby. She didn't want to kick herself years from now because she hadn't tried hard enough." (page 178.) True, this isn't a fast-paced suspense novel. It's a book to savor and think about long after you close the last well-written page.

I have been so lucky with reading good books lately and Raising Rain by Debbie Fuller Thomas was no different. I really enjoyed it. It's a story about secrets, regrets, love, friendships and most of all forgiveness and finding peace within yourself.

The story is about four college roommates Jude, Bebe, Toni and Mare and mostly told in the present time thirty-some years later. In addition there is Rain who is Jude's daughter but really ended up being mothered by all these women especially Bebe as Jude was deep into almost any kind of cause she could find in college. There are flashbacks to the 70's when the girls were roommates so along the way you're enticed by the secrets and regrets that have happened in the past but you only get to learn of them gradually.

The women are all forced to confront their pasts when Jude, who is terminally ill, decides that she wants to have a Celebration of Life before she dies. Jude is quite the character really. She's not very nice and hasn't been much of a mother to Rain at all yet at the same time does love her in her own way. The whole point of this celebration for Jude is for the women to find some way to mark her passing while at the same time stirring the pot of emotions that everyone is feeling for one reason or another.

Rain was raised by Jude to be `a new woman'. To be a woman who didn't need a man to survive and a woman who should strive to have a career and make something of herself. Yet Rain fell in love with Hayden but they separate when Rain wants a baby and he doesn't. Rain begins to look into options for having a baby as a single woman. But is this really what she wants at forty years old? Does she really want Hayden out of her life? Does she want to end up like her mother - bitter and angry at the end of her life? These are all things that Rain is up against throughout the novel. I liked Rain. She's a character who seemed very real to me in her emotions and thoughts.

Bebe was another of my favorite characters. She was really more of a mother to Rain than Jude ever was from the time that Rain was a baby and this was something that Jude had been envious of to the point of limiting Rain's visits to Bebe's and her husbands when she was growing up. Bebe is dealing with her own emotional upheaval. Her son Scott is heading to boot camp and Dylan is heading off to college. She hasn't spoken to her brother in years because of an incident when she was in college and that is beginning to wear on her as well.

When they all meet for Jude's Celebration of Life some past secrets are revealed and the women deal with the deep seated emotions they have over things they did in the past especially Bebe where Rain is concerned. What you see is how the past affects the future in so many ways; ways you couldn't even imagine. Bebe learns that God is there for her showing her the way to forgive herself and move on and Rain realizes before it's too late that sometimes letting go is the best way to go.

Raising Rain is a novel that carries story lines that could happen to any of us. That's its appeal; you could easily see yourself in these situations and you wonder what you might do if it were you. This book would make such a great book club selection as there are so many issues addressed within it's pages that would keep your members talking for hours. I enjoyed Raising Rain enough that I downloaded Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon; the author's first novel and I'm really looking forward to it.

I don't think I could write a better synopsis that what is printed on the back cover of the book so my friends, for this time, that is exactly what I'll leave you with.

"Jude laced her fingers and rested her elbows on the armrests like a queen on a throne. "I want us all to go away for a weekend somewhere to plan one last contribution. One last chance to make a difference."

But what's to celebrate? Rain, the "new woman" they all helped raise, is now in her thirties and back on her own after her longing for a baby sent her boyfriend packing. And the rest have left their protest-loving days behind-all except Jude.

Award-winning novelist Debbie Fuller Thomas weaves together the feelings of the times and the realities of life in this tale of five women brought together not by fate, but by God. As they grapple with the choices they've made and the consequences that ensued, each woman is forced to examine where her faith lies-and if all they've done can ever be forgiven."

This was a story that I enjoyed immensely!

Debbie Fuller Thomas pulls off a great story that delves into the lives of women who were in college during a very tumultuous time in America, and how their experiences and choices helped to shape their lives. It also does a fabulous job of looking at female relationships -both the good and the bad. I found it easy to relate to the characters and could see pieces of myself in each one. The story flashes back and forth between the past and present day in a seamless fashion that is easy to follow. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

I loved her first book and was a little disappointed in this one. It's got a good story but is written poorly in my opinion. However, I'd read her next one.

Debbie Fuller Thomas' writing always rings true. She resists the easy answer and gives us real characters living real lives. I love her take on contemporary issues. In this novel, she moves fluidly between the 60's and the present day, and it's like looking at two pictures of the same people taken at different times: you're fascinated by the way the characters have changed, the way the choices of the past have made them who they are today. This is a compassionate, tender story of real women wrestling with their angels.

This was an enjoyable read with a strong story line, and the reverse chronological flash backs added an interesting touch. The characters were quite diverse and the growth opportunities for the main characters were nicely developed.

"Raising Rain" is a story of four college roommates who raise a child together in a time of great upheaval and change, both politically and personally. It addresses the impact of the times on future generations and weaves in the personal growth that happens when an individual extends grace to herself and others. It also explores the characters' spirituality, but is not heavy-handed or preachy. I recommend it without reservation as a well-written, insightful novel that is structured masterfully to keep a reader's attention. The book provides thought-provoking situations as well for the perceptive reader.

"Raising Rain" is an excellent contemporary Christian fiction novel.

The characters were interesting, realistic, and varied. The problems they struggled with were complex and realistic. Four of the women were in their late fifties and Rain was in her late thirties. There were some flash backs to their college days in the 1970s. I suspect that women who are dealing with a newly empty nest or fertility issues will enjoy this book the most, though the characters were written well enough that I (who couldn't relate to the specific problems they faced) came to care deeply about them.

I liked the atmosphere of the novel and the nuances of how the characters related to each other. The pacing was a bit slower than is typical of modern novels, but I didn't feel like any particular part dragged or was boring--it was just part of what created the atmosphere.

The author often put off revealing the full reasons behind why certain characters acted the way they did, but either the necessary information was explained soon afterward or enough information was given that I could figure out the general gist so that this didn't bother me.

Christianity was an underlying current in this novel. The character's beliefs (whether feminism, their religion or lack or it, etc.) were motivating forces behind their actions. The novel didn't have a lot of God-talk and I didn't find it preachy, but I suspect many non-Christians wouldn't enjoy this novel due to some of the issues that were raised.

There was no bad language. Sex (including unmarried encounters) was hinted at or referred to, but it wasn't graphic. Overall, I'd highly recommend this novel as well-written, clean reading.


Review by Debbie from Genre Reviews (genrereviews. blogspot. com)

This is a story of four completely different young women who form an unlikely friendship during a time of rebellion,confusion and change.What holds them together is their love for Rain.
Now Rain is an adult and needs some answers.
It's a story of family,love and forgiveness,tolerance and acceptance, faith and hope.
It encourages us to take a look at our past and to make peace with it.