"An Intimate Look into The Dust Bowl"
If It Rains
Genres: Christian | Inspirational Historical
Posted: July 22, 2021
It’s the 1930s in Oklahoma and dust storms have taken their toll on the land and its people. It seems everything is dying: grass, trees, livestock, people, morals, and even dreams. Even those who said they would never leave are packing up all they have and heading out. Such is the family of fourteen-year-old Kathryn Baile. Kathryn loves Oklahoma and is very reluctant to leave. Her father only manages to convince her to go willingly with the promise of helping her become normal. Kathryn was born with a club foot and has walked with a pronounced limp and been poked fun at all her life. The thought of a surgery that would correct her foot is very alluring to her. But, as they set out for Indiana, Kathryn becomes separated from her family during a dust storm. This story portrays her journey to reunite with her father whom she loves and her step-mother whom she barely tolerates.
IF IT RAINS is a moving story about the struggles of those who endured the Dust Bowl period in Oklahoma’s history. It is told from the point of view of two sisters: one who stays with her wealthy, but cruel, husband, and one who leaves with her father and stepmother. The story is so well told that the reader will find themselves completely engrossed in its unfolding. The trials the sisters face and the hardships they endure are an accurate and extremely touching portrayal of this most difficult time.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an excellent historical novel. The book is free of foul language, but there are a few instances where adult situations are portrayed and therefore might not be ideal for the young reader.
Book Summary
A story of resilience and redemption set against one of America’s defining moments--the Dust Bowl.
It’s 1935 in Oklahoma, and lives are determined by the dust. Fourteen-year-old Kathryn Baile, a spitfire born with a severe clubfoot, is coming of age in desperate times. Once her beloved older sister marries, Kathryn’s only comfort comes in the well-worn pages of her favorite book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Then Kathryn’s father decides to relocate to Indianapolis, and only the promise of a surgery to finally make her “normal” convinces Kathryn to leave Oklahoma behind. But disaster strikes along the way, and Kathryn must rely on her grit and the ragged companions she meets on the road if she is to complete her journey.
Back in Boise City, Melissa Baile Mayfield is the newest member of the wealthiest family in all of Cimarron County. In spite of her poor, rural upbringing, Melissa has just married the town’s most eligible bachelor and is determined to be everything her husband--and her new social class--expects her to be. But as the drought tightens its grip, Henry’s true colors are revealed. Melissa covers her bruises with expensive new makeup and struggles to reconcile her affluent life with that of her starving neighbors. Haunted by the injustice and broken by Henry’s refusal to help, Melissa secretly defies her husband, risking her life to follow God’s leading.
Two sisters, struggling against unspeakable hardship, discover that even in their darkest times, they are still united in spirit, and God is still with them, drawing them home.
Read an Excerpt
Tyndale House Publishers
July 1, 2021
On Sale: July 6, 2021
Featuring: Kathryn Baile; Melissa Baile Mayfield
384 pages
ISBN: 1496449304
EAN: 9781496449306
Kindle: B08MLJRZ24
Paperback / e-Book