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Wrapped in Rain: A Novel of Coming Home

by Charles Martin (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 1,579 ratings · 239 reviews

""Tucker, I want to tell you a secret." Miss Ella curled my hand into a fist and showed it to me."

""Life is a battle, but you can't fight it with your fists. You got to fight it with your heart.""

An internationally famous photographer, Tucker Mason has traveled the world, capturing things other people don't see. But what Tucker himself can't see is how to let go of the pas...more

Paperback, 374 pages

Published April 18th 2006 by WestBow Press

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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

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Mar 17, 2012 Sid Frost rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of Tucker Mason and how he overcame growing up in the home of an abusive, strict, alcoholic father. His half-brother, Matthew, who goes by Mutt, didn't fare so well. When the book opens, Mutt is in a mental hospital being treated for schizophrenia. Their father Rex left the boys for long periods of time with a caregiver. When he was home, he mistreated the boys.

In flashbacks we learn about Miss Ella Rain, the black woman hired to care for Tucker and Mutt. She was forty-five, a...more This is the story of Tucker Mason and how he overcame growing up in the home of an abusive, strict, alcoholic father. His half-brother, Matthew, who goes by Mutt, didn't fare so well. When the book opens, Mutt is in a mental hospital being treated for schizophrenia. Their father Rex left the boys for long periods of time with a caregiver. When he was home, he mistreated the boys.

In flashbacks we learn about Miss Ella Rain, the black woman hired to care for Tucker and Mutt. She was forty-five, a childless widow, and daughter of the son of a slave. She helped her younger brother Moses get through college. He serves in the military and become a doctor.

When the story begins, we learn that Miss Ella has died and Tucker has taken her last name. Tucker Rain is an internationally renowned photographer with cover photos on all the major magazines. He is on his way back to the family home in a small Alabama town even as his agent tries to get him to go on jobs. The family home, which Tucker now owns, is called Waverly Hall. Tucker's father was a mean person, but he had a knack for making money. He was worth more than $50 million by the time he was forty.

On the trip home, Tucker meets a woman, Katie Wither with a child, first at a food stop and later when her car breaks down. It turns out she was a neighbor of the Mason's and a close childhood friend. She was a talented musician, who played the piano as a child at the Mason's home with encouragement from Miss Ella. She left to study piano at Julliard, and later married an unfaithful and abusive man, Trevor. She divorced him, but ran away to protect her five-year old son, Jase.

After rescuing Katie and Jase, and learning of their situation, Tucker talks her into hiding out at the Mason home. When they get there, Tucker finds out his brother has left the hospital where Tucker had taken him seven years earlier.

Katie, Jase and Tucker find Mutt and the three adults recall childhood memories and get together to plan a super Christmas. Moses is at there, too.

The background information is introduced gradually, as needed, without distracting the reader from the main flow of the story.

I loved meeting these characters. Tucker was able to forgive his father and that is what made him special. Mutt tried to control himself, but he couldn't. He was a good man, but unable to be like others. Katie was a good mother who let herself get tricked into marrying an abusive man. She would survive. Moses, set good examples for the brothers when they were children and when they were adults. Along with Ella, he helped them survive.

It was a satisfying story with characters you'll not soon forget.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."(less)

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Jan 19, 2012 Ben Zajdel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tucker Mason is an internationally renowned photographer with an eye for beauty, but a past littered with violence and hate haunts him daily. His father was alcoholic, abusive, and neglectful. The only good thing he did for Tucker and his brother Mutt was hire Ella Rain to look after them.

Tucker is content to let the hate for his father simmer, but when Mutt escapes from a mental hospital and an ex-girlfriend shows up with her child and a black eye, events are set into motion that will change al...more

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Oct 18, 2011 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the book:

An internationallly famous photographer, he has traveled the world and seen both the serious and the strange. But when his brother escapes from a mental hospital and an old girlfriend appears with her son and a black eye, Tucker is forced to return home and face the agony of his own tragic past.

Back in rural Alabama, Tucker comes to terms with the ghosts he left behind. Miss Ella Rain once loved Tuck and his brother like they were her very own. Hiring her to take care of Waverly H...more

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May 27, 2013 Jean Haberman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, adult

I read "Wrapped in Rain" for book club. It is not a book I would have chosen, but I enjoyed it enough to finish reading it. It is written from a Christian viewpoint and Miss Ella, the maid, is the voice of God. Tucker tells the story of his life with Rex, an abusive, mostly absent, rich father and step brother Mutt. The brothers handled their childhood in different ways. Tucker became engrossed in his photography and Mutt developed mental illnesses and had to be hospitalized. Miss Ella was alway...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Neer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Charles Martin's book has its heart in the right place. One of those books that renew our faith in love and humanity, the book is the story of two (step) brothers, Tuck and Mutt who have been brutalized by their father Rex Mason. In fact, the only person who cares for them is the maid, Ella Rain, who acts as a surrogate mother. However, Rex's brutalization damages them both: one is a loner, the other is confined to a mental institution.

Now, with Mutt escaping from his institute, and a former fr...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Pamela Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Light doesn’t have to announce its way into a room or ask the darkness to leave. It just is. It walks ahead of you, and the darkness rolls back like a tide.” This profound quote is one of many, in the voice of Miss Ella Rain, taken from this story about making peace with your past.

Tucker is a world renowned photographer who has spent most of his adult life alone, in remote places, engaging with the world only through his camera lens. He never knew his mother, his wealthy father was abusive, and...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some of the subject matter here is tough! I tend to steer clear of books dealing with abuse of women and children, mental illness and the whole concept of growing up "different". Some of this hits pretty close to home, and the rest you see on the news each and every night. I read to escape these things!

Yet this book reminds us that there is a way to deal with ugliness in the world. And that there is a Power mightier than we are that has the answers to all our questions. And that through this lov...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Kym McNabney rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had WRAPPED IN RAIN by CHARLES MARTIN sitting in my pile of books to read for a couple of months. Once I finally made the decision to read it, I did so with uncertainty, which is often the case with authors I’m unfamiliar with.

If I’m honest, I was a bit confused in the beginning, and a little disappointed with the absence of a love interest for the main character. At page sixty-two, to my utter surprise and delight, Katie stepped into the pages.

I was hooked!

Tucker Rain is a famous photograph...more

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Jun 20, 2009 Keiki Hendrix rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-christian, best-of-the-best

“Child, Love always wins, always has – always will!”

Timeless words of instruction from the memories of ‘Miss Ella’ float through “Wrapped in Rain” by Charles Martin and capture your heart, strike down your pride, and offer glimpses of the mystery of Grace.

This is a story of two abused boys, a self-absorbed money hungry father, a self sacrificing little black woman and how love wins over incomprehensible physical, mental, and emotional pain.

Tucker Rain providentially meets his childhood friend (K...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Kittybchelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beneath the moonlight, where neither the darkness nor the shadows bothered him. Like the voices, he had befriended both a few years ago.

The photographer in me began BUBBLING to the surface.
It was once a shadow of something dark.
These arms may be skinny, but they held a lot.
Some pretty harsh ribbing at school.
That’s really the first time I had any idea that life wasn’t supposed to be what it was.
That’s an even measure of give ‘n take in my opinon. She would play and it would sing.

Sometimes my c...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Kimba (Caffeinated Book Reviewer) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some books leave their mark on the reader and this one touched me. When I first started reading, Martin’s imagery captivated me. The story, places and people came to life with each word I read. Wrapped in Rain focuses on the turbulent childhoods of Tucker and Mutt Mason. It is a poignant look at a childhood, steeped in violence, and the woman who helped them through it. Tucker’s story is told in first person and Mutt’s in third. Martin does a great job of breaking these into chapters, so that th...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Catherine Costello rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this one for my book club. It was good, but too much of a Lifetime Movie theme for me. The main characters, two brothers brought up by an abusive and neglected father plus the nanny who raised them, are interesting and likeable. But there were a LOT of flashbacks to explain the characters and I found myself getting lost in the timeline. I also never understood where the boys' mothers went (yes, plural) or why the father took them in when he obviously never wanted them. Ultimately the stor...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took me quite a few chapters to get into this book. I felt the character development was a little slow and then like always, I hit about the 50 page mark and I was completely pulled in. Sometimes the subject matter in the book regarding abuse and mental illness was pretty tough to read. Martin has such a beautiful way of writing that it pushes you and pulls you and makes you feel many different types of emotions all at once. I felt such love from Miss Ella Rain and at the same time I complete...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 6/13 - The prologue is beautiful. Not that it's happy, but the imagery and so much about it extremely well written. I only hope it's a good omen for how the rest of the book will be.

6/29 - This book grabbed me from the first page. The writing at the beginning drew me right into Miss Ella's character and then Mutt's escape to Clark's and the food and the people-watching. It was so vivid I could taste the food (and made me want to eat some!!) and see everything Mutt could see. Beautiful, beautiful...more 6/13 - The prologue is beautiful. Not that it's happy, but the imagery and so much about it extremely well written. I only hope it's a good omen for how the rest of the book will be.

6/29 - This book grabbed me from the first page. The writing at the beginning drew me right into Miss Ella's character and then Mutt's escape to Clark's and the food and the people-watching. It was so vivid I could taste the food (and made me want to eat some!!) and see everything Mutt could see. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!!

However, while I could tell the author researched, he still messed up on the medications -- spelling, capitalization - minor things, but because I work in the medical field, I knew they were incorrect. Also, Tucker throwing the used syringe into the swamp - whoa, big no-no. He returns the plastic box to his pocket but can't dispose of a contaminated syringe properly??? Come on. The author also must not be too familiar with cesarean sections, because the majority of cesareans are done now with a Pfannenstiel incision, or a bikini incision, meaning they are very low to the pubic area and, um, the scene where Katie places Tucker's hand on her "C-section scar on her tummy" would only be likely if they had done hers with the classic abdominal incision, which are very rarely used anymore. (Both Pfannenstiel and C-section information is available on Wikipedia and other prominent medical websites.)

Also, I appreciated the message in the book being religious and the references to Jesus and Satan throughout the book, but they weren't overly preachy and almost seamlessly were a part of the story. I liked how Miss Ella said that in order for the devil to get to the boys, he'd have to go through her first. However, I didn't get when she said the devil and Rex had to ask her first, because Rex beat them, so what kind of message would that send? That she gave him permission? That didn't jive with me.

I thought the Judge was an interesting character, but I had a hard time believing he would be in the same room with a severely debilitated, advanced Alzheimer's patient in a nursing home. I don't know much about southern climate, but one minute they're outside riding the horse and playing baseball, the next it's Christmas morning and it's 12 degrees outside. That seems awfully cold to just happen all of a sudden. (Sorry to nitpick, but inconsistencies bug me in a story.)

However, there were lots of great imagery and messages throughout the book - lots of subtle interwoven aspects of the rain theme. I also liked the photography and when Tucker talks about the scratch on his lens messing up his photographs and the metaphor to life.

As different religions use different versions of the Bible, some of the quotes used were ones I was unfamiliar with and I assume because they're in a different version of the Bible than I'm used to, and unless the author mentioned specifically that it was a scriptural reference and where it was found, I was confused on where some of those things came from. I did like that Miss Ella was so religious that she had worn parallel lines into the hard floors at the church and at the foot of Tucker's and Mutt's bunk beds praying for them.

I loved Mutt's evolution with Tucker and how Tucker would just sit back and watch him clean (although at times he was also unkempt himself while making sure everything else around him was spotless) and even the ice cream truck at the end, which confused me because I certainly didn't think the kid wanted to sell the truck, but whatever. And Mose digging the hole for Tucker to fill in at the end saying he knew who it was for and something about the coffin - I didn't get those references either.

Someone at book club pointed out that Tucker was hearing Miss Ella too, so what made Tucker different from Mutt being schizophrenic when Tucker was hearing Miss Ella in his head and talking to her as well, although, Mutt had lots more voices warring inside of him, but it was an interesting thing to think about - what was different between the two brothers that made one have a psychological disorder and the other just have to war with bitterness and pain his whole life?

Overall, despite some of my comments above, I really enjoyed this book, probably more than the previous book by this author that I read.(less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Pat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Author Charles Martin seems to specialize in wounded souls...this one is a young man who had a very abusive father. The black housekeeper Ella Rain is more than caretaker to the house, but a mother to Tucker and his brother Mutt. Ella Rain guides Tucker to love in his youth, and even after she is dead, speaks from the grave to continue to guide Tucker on that journey of finding love and forgiveness.

I always have a favorite quote from his books...this one is on page 224. "(Catholic Priest)Father...more

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May 10, 2013 Anita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Two half-brothers, both internally scarred by their father's neglect and abuse, find solace under the tender care of their colored housekeeper. She was a praying woman, and constantly told the boys that life is battle not to be fought with fists, but with one's heart and being on one's knees. In their adult years, the boys each battled with their own demons, struggling and running from painful memories. Their housekeeper cum nanny passed on years before, but continues to live on in their memorie...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

I liked this book. I didn't love it. It read a little like an ABC Family Channel movie, a bit corny at places and a bit drawn out in others. The author does write very descriptively though and did a good job developing each character. I was a little bothered by the point of view since it was originally omniscient 3rd person when seeing Mutt in the home but then inexplicably shifted to 1st person from Tucker's perspective for the rest of the book. That was kind of weird. But a good read that was...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Krystal rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is not a book I would normally pick up. I like to read more light and fun books. Life it too heavy to spend my fun time dwelling on unpleasant subjects. That being said I really enjoyed this book. Parts of the book make you laugh out loud and others make you cry. The characters are well developed and real. The book is crafted in such a way that I quickly got lost in the story and was deeply moved by all the emotion the book possessed. The book's messages of love, forgiveness, and healing ar...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Sher rated it 2 of 5 stars

It seemed like it took me all summer to read this book. Oh, wait! It did! I so loved reading Martin's "When Crickets Cry" that I really looked forward to this book. It was so good at first, and the potential for another favorite was there, but the second half just left me a little empty. I had a hard time motivating myself to pick the book up. Many nights I could only squeeze out 2 pages before I lost interest and went to sleep. I just knew something startling, earth shaking, gripping or compell...more

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Oct 16, 2009 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow, another great book from Charles Martin. I didn't enjoy this as much as the others that I've read from this author, but it was still wonderfully poignant. This is a story about the healing power of love and the rough road to forgiveness. Absolutely painful and moving yet ultimatley beautiful in it's message. It left me in mixed tears of joy and sorrow as he explores the possibilities that arise out of the ashes of devestating experiences when we have faith enough to turn things over to the L...more

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May 04, 2011 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any reader that wants to be moved

Recommended to Pamela by: Tammy Kennemore

Shelves: christian-reads

"Wrapped in Rain" by Charles Martin was one of the best novels I've read in a long time. Mrs. Ella Rain will always have a place in my heart. She was created with the knowledge and wisdom that we can all learn from...she is the main character of this novel. At a young age, she takes a job as a maid and "unexpectant" mother of two young boys whose father is too wrapped up in his own life and business to take notice of them. As the years go on, the father becomes increasingly jealous of his boys a...more

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Mar 14, 2008 Kathy McC. Mc.C rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Charles Martin. I did not get as wrapped up in this novel as I did Chasing Fireflies. Wrapped in Rain was not reminiscent of Steinbeck's style, but was still an outstanding read. It is the story of two brothers, both abused by their father and raised by an African American housekeeper. One lives his life as a loner- a photographer hoping to change his life much in the same way a camera lens changes a picture. The other brother is confined in a mental health facilities trying to quiet the...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Liza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I like this book better than the first one I read of his The End of the River. There was too much graphic abuse of children and women but the fact of it was pivotal to the story. I do appreciate his talent for describing with beautiful detail and very descriptive words and how he wove the story in and out filling in necessary details like an old person would in remembering their life, one thought leading to another. I will read more of his books.

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Aug 23, 2012 Ella rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Miss Ella Rain and all of the other characters in this book. Charles Martin has a way of developing characters that makes them part of your life (if you let them). I love the descriptions of the places in this book, my favorite being the quarry lake with the boat at the bottom. I've read it twice and it was so much more memorable the second time! If you've ever lost someone but can still feel their presence, this is a great book!

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Jul 23, 2009 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent book. I absolutely love this author. This is the second book I've read. I also read 'Chasing Fireflies' and really cannot decide which I like better. Both are stories of facing your past and discovering yourself. Strong characters and a very good story. Martin can tell a story in the present and weave in the past and not miss a beat. His books are prose but read like poetry. I can't say enough good things about this book or this author. Can't wait to read his next one. Carol

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Sep 07, 2011 Raya Whitehouse rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: booksneeze

Great read. Good story line. Loved the descriptions in this book. This is not a fantasy type book, where a prayer will save you no matter what. This book writes of people who have issues, that need solving. After I started reading this, it took me only a day to finish (and less than that actually). I didn't want to stop reading once I began, cause this book really holds your attention with the problems and solutions thereof.

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May 02, 2010 MK rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wrapped in Rain is a thought provoking and beautifully written book about letting go of your past hurts and living your life in the present. This book spoke to me on many levels but the one thought I had when I read the final page is that God is greater than any hurt I may have.

Tuck and his brother Mutt grew up in the worst kind of home with a father that was physically and mentally abusive and who lived on a liquid diet of whiskey. Through the storm clouds God sent them a little black woman nam...more

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May 31, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Powerful and filled with emotional scenes that did their job and had me reaching for the tissue box more than once. Relatable characters and a tragic past, trying to make it through to tomorrow - just my kind of read! I'm not a huge fan of walloping the reader with a faith message, and I have to admit a couple of scenes toward the end of the story seemed a bit heavy-handed for me, (I am a Christian so I didn't care) and I wondered what a person who did not share the author's f...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Cj rated it 2 of 5 stars

I did not finish this book. I enjoyed some of the writing and story in the beginning. I thought it was going to go back and forth between Mutt and Tucker more than it did, and I felt from the scene when Tucker meets (whats her name...) on the side of the road that there would be more action. I just got a very creepy feeling from this book in a way or for a reason I cannot pinpoint....

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Jul 25, 2011 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was great. A good story of how we can make a difference in each others lives; while it keeps you reading to see how things will end. For me, this was one of those books that kept me picking up a pen and making note of some of the awsome statements....like " If anger takes root, it will latch on, dig in, and choke the life out of whatever heart carries it."

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About Charles Martin

I grew up in Jacksonville, FL, on the St. John’s river. Somewhat of a Huck Finn childhood. Most afternoons were spent mullet fishing, canoeing, pegging cars with overripe tangerines—it really got fun when the red tail lights lit and the reverse gears ground metal on metal, or the backyard Superbowl which we replayed most everyday. Through high school, football was my life. School was the avenue th...more

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Quotes from Wrapped in Rain: A Nov...

“We're all fallen people in a fallen world.

Where does a man find healing amid so many broken places? How does he find love in the ruins and vine-wrapped shattered pieces of his own soul?

Because love's springing up through the rocks.” — 26 people liked it

“To whom much is given, much is expected.” — 7 people liked it

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