Rain Song (Paperback)

~ Alice Wisler (Author)
Key Phrases: kimono doll, cotton doll, southern etiquette, Mount Olive, Aunt Lucy, North Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Wisler's likable debut, a young woman is offered a chance to find romance and make peace with her past. After her missionary mother dies under mysterious circumstances in Japan, young Nicole Michelin returns to North Carolina to live with her depressed father and loving grandmother. Now 31, and a middle school English teacher, Nicole bears the scars of a time she can't remember. She sleeps with her cloth kimono doll and nurses phobias ranging from anxiety about flying to a fear of commitment. But when she meets an intriguing man through a Web site column, her yearning for love encourages her to risk getting to know him even though he lives in Japan. Wisler's cast of Southern women is lightly sketched but no less charming for this, and her development of the relationship between Nicole and her three-year-old autistic cousin strikes poignant notes throughout. Faith fiction fans will appreciate the strong faith of Nicole's influential grandmother, Ducee Dubois, who helps Nicole face her fears. (Oct.) ""
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Review

"...an astonishing debut ... Wisler writes with a tremendous amount of talent." -- Annabelle Robertson, Crosswalk.com

"Alice Wisler tells this story of Rain Song in the slow, deliberate style of Southern tradition." -- Kim Ford, NovelReviews.blogspot.com

"Wisler's debut novel.... leaves one feeling good about God's limitless ability to provide strength, courage and answers to prayer." -- Susan Miura, FaithfulReader.com

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764204777
• ISBN-13: 978-0764204777
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #306,157 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming, authentic family relationships, October 7, 2008

By	Jane Latta - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Absolutely delightful! This book brims with interesting characters set in a small Southern town, some of whom you may recognize from your own family experience. I enjoyed following Nicole through her major decision to return to Japan, something she had firmly avoided. Her family trials were believable and heartwarming. Her visit to Japan answers questions and allows her to experience a bit of her past which had been lost to her.

An excellent first novel from this author and I eagerly await the next one!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Already Waiting For the Sequel!, September 14, 2008

By	Susan A. Palumbo (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Rain Song was an absolute pleasure to read and absorb. Alice Wisler does a marvelous job taking the reader to Nicole's world in N. Carolina. I couldn't wait for each new chapter to see what would happen next. It was a refreshing change from so many Christian novels that are, let's be honest, full of nothingness.

Each character came alive for me while I read. It reminded me a lot of my own family. I believe that everyone has an Aunt Iva in their family, a Monet, and if we're lucky enough, a Harrison.

As a middle school English teacher in N. Carolina, I appreciated every facet of the book. I am actually going to see about having it read by my eighth graders in the spring. With the discussion questions at the end of the book, it's perfect! The questions are initially posed with regard to the book, afterwhich, they tie into the reader's personal life. An opportunity for personal growth are at hand if one is wise enough to respond with an open and honest heart.

I only have one thing that I didn't really like about the book ... when it ended. I am ready for the sequel, Ms. Wisler! Thank you for sharing this part of you with the world. We await the next, impatiently!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sure to be a bestseller, September 9, 2008

By	DC (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Rain Song captures all the elements of an entertaining novel. Set in a small town in NC, there is plenty of family tradition and charming characters. Nicole, the main character, has tried to hide from her past, a place she wants nothing to do with. But when she starts to correspond with Harrison, who lives in Japan, things can't help but change her heart and mind.

Alice Wisler does a wonderful job creating a novel that keeps the pages turning. Her writing style is fresh, poignant, and threaded with humor. Having lived overseas, I particularly enjoyed the Japan references.

There is a recipe for the McCormick family pineapple chutney at the end of the book. After all, traditions are what unite us, according to Nicole's grandmother Ducee.

I hope this is just the first of many more novels by this talented author.