A Hard Rain

by Steven Lewis

The narrative (told in second person, present tense) begins in a beach cottage on remote Hatteras Island, North Carolina, in the midst of a long-standing marital dispute between Peter and Brenda Hudson. Brenda desperately wants to save their children (and herself) from the questionable values of life in suburban Virginia by moving the family to the simpler existence they have found while vacationing on Hatteras. Peter is simply happy where they are. The argument eventually spills out of the bedroom and Brenda storms out of the cottage to walk the beach. And disappears. Peter and the three children eventually survive the harrowing ordeal of losing a wife and mother--and remain on the island. Just as Brenda had wished. Along the way they come to understand some harsh though redemptive truths about an uncaring universe, the cold wind, the hard rain.

172 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2018

Reviews

[Ali]

3.5/5 stars.

If this book was any longer than 161 pages, I probably wouldn't have finished it. The story opens with an argument between the husband and wife; the husband wanting to leave their Hatteras Island vacation home to return to their life in the Virginia suburbs, the wife wanting to stay and start a new life on the island for them and their three children. Peter, the husband, refused to agree with Brenda's suggestion, so Brenda stormed out of the cottage and down the beach never to be seen again. There, the family must navigate the ups and downs of life with the disappearance of their wife/mother at the forefront of their thoughts, ultimately staying and living on the island just as Brenda had wanted. The irony. This is where the story got boring and monotonous for me.

About 2/3 into the book, when I was ready to DNF, I flipped to the end; what I read was a surprise, and that compelled me to finish. I'm very glad that I did. I won't spoil anything for the reader, but if you read through to the end, you will find closure in the story and be surprised by what you read. Just when you think you see where the story is going, something startling happens.

For those that find it important, there is a happy ending and the story does not end on a cliff-hanger. If you're a fan of the Outer Banks, Hatteras Island to be more specific, you will enjoy reading about all the place you're familiar with and the family names to go along with them.

[Reyna Gentin]

This slim novel is riveting, at times so emotionally fraught and beautifully rendered that I had to put it down to catch my breath. Lewis manages to craft a meditation that treats both evil and redemptive love with reverence, and leaves the reader wondering which is the greater power. When you reach the end, you will want to start all over.

[Dvora Wolff]

Elegantly written, painfully poignant and ultimately heartwarming tale of a woman’s disappearance, its effect on the husband and children she leaves behind, and the redemptive power of familial love and loyalty, however flawed. Closely observed characters and events, evocative sense of place and surprising twists and turns, all in a strong, clear second-person voice. Masterful.