4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Adkins wins one over with this book..., January 26, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: A Storm Without Rain (Paperback)
I have been a fan of this author since almost my birth, and this book is one of his best. Jan wrote this book in a personal, touching way that will find the adventurer and the dreamer in all of us. His books are magic, but this one makes my soul sing...
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be considered a classic., September 18, 2009
This book is a real gem and should be considered a minor classic. It is written in a poetic New England style in language steeped in the vernacular of sailing and woodworking, that lends a convincing aura of authenticity to the first person account of a fifteen year old boy inexplicably stranded in his home town of 1904, 72 years prior to his own time of 1982. Here he meets and gets to know and love his own family including his great-great-grandfather and his own grandfather who is only fifteen years old at this time.
It is impressive that the story uses the science fiction convention of time travel not as an end in itself, but to explore the deeper and more fulfilling themes of family and friendship.
Jack Carter has taken a day off from the obligations of his grandfather's birthday party to go sailing when he stumbles into a "storm without rain" and realizes he has somehow ended up in a different world. Not knowing who he is, his family, owners of the Carter & Son Boatworks business takes him on as an apprentice. Here he becomes close friends with John Carter, and falls in love with fifteen year old Rita, who, it is revealed later, becomes his own grandmother who he had never met since she had died before he was born.
One of the pleasures of this story is that it is filled with facinating details about what life was like in the Massachucetts Bay Area of 1904; everything from how boats were built without power tools, how funerals were conducted, to what kind of toilet paper people used. Also, significantly, how people seemed less able to talk about and express their feelings.
This is a book that Mark Twain might have been proud to have written, and, fittingly, he makes a guest appearance towards the end of the story.
This book is written for ages fifteen and up, but the language is so rich and interesting that younger children would probably love it read to them. One of the things I love about this book is that the author respects the reader enough to use the real terminology of sailing and woodworking. I don't know the first thing about sailing, but the descriptions are so specific and vivid that you get to really experience it just by listening: Here's an example:
"I pushed out and got the sails up. Number One had the gaff rig on her. I dropped the centerboard. The main went up first, pulling on the peak and throat halyards together until the throat was up. Then the peak halyard got cleated, leaving the gaff swinging horizontal until I swigged the throat good and tight with the gaff hoops rattling. Now the peak but not so tight. The mainsheet was free, the boom and gaff slatted back and forth as I snapped on the little jib. The rain sputtered on the canvas. My hands were working well and the little coils of line fell behind them like Corbin's. I pulled in the sheets and put the tiller over. The wind leaned into the sails and Skiff One spun around and shot away."
Here's my only criticism: The front cover illustration and the way the book is bound gives the unfortunate impression that this is a book only for young children. It is not - it is a book for anyone and everyone - like I said - it should be considered a classic.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Pleasant Surprise, April 13, 2009
I spotted A Storm Without Rain on the shelf of a local thrift store, which I was browsing in the hopes of finding hidden gems. How fortunate that I found one in Jan Adkin's Young Adult novel about a 15-year-old boy who inadvertently travels back in time and befriends his future grandfather.
While A Storm Without Rain obviously involves an element of time-travel, the real story is Jack's reconnection with the family he'd always taken for granted. By getting to know his grandfather as a boy, as well as his great-grandparents and even his great-great-grandfather, Jack learns to appreciate his lineage and who and where he came from. The story is beautifully drawn, overflowing with detail and abundant character that brings New England and its inhabitants to life. Adkins writes Jack with sensitivity and a keen attention to nuance, which makes him that much more enjoyable to follow.
An excellent book for kids and adults alike, A Storm Without Rain is a sweet tale of family, love and second chances. Highly recommended!
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