Title: Only the Rain
Author: Randall Silvis
First published December 1, 2017
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 3.74
Overview
After losing his job as a construction worker, Russell’s life seems to be falling apart. With a new baby on the way and bills piling up, he feels like he has hit rock bottom.
But when he stumbles upon a naked woman dancing in the rain, he can’t help but offer his assistance. Little did he know that this one act of kindness would lead him down a path of danger and deceit.
When he discovers a large amount of cash in her home, he sees it as a way to save his family’s future. But soon he realizes that the money belongs to some dangerous people who will stop at nothing to get it back.
As the stakes get higher and the risks become greater, Russell finds himself in a desperate situation where he must choose between his family and his moral values. Only the rain can wash away the sins of his past, but at what cost?
About the Author
Randall Silvis is an accomplished author with an impressive body of work. He has written over a dozen novels, a collection of short stories, and a book of narrative nonfiction.
In addition to his success in writing, he has also won awards for his work as a playwright and screenwriter, and has written essays and articles for a variety of publications including Discovery Channel magazines, The Writer, Prism International, Manoa, and various online and print magazines. Silvis’s work has been translated into ten different languages.
Silvis’s literary achievements have not gone unnoticed. He has received two writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize, a Fulbright Senior Scholar Research Award, and six fellowships for his fiction, drama, and screenwriting from the Pennsylvania Council On the Arts.
He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree for his “distinguished literary achievement.”
Editoral Review
Only the Rain by Randall Silvis is a gripping novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Silvis is an accomplished author with an impressive writing career spanning over three decades, and Only the Rain shows off his considerable talent in full force.
This book is a work of literary fiction that explores themes of love, family, loss, and redemption, presented through an intricate plot with well-developed characters and a haunting setting. The story is set in a small Pennsylvania town called Harding, where the rivers have flooded, destroying homes and businesses, and taking lives.
The protagonist, a middle-aged man named Noah, has lost everything in the flood his home, his wife, and his son. He had been volunteering to help others in the community during the flood when he received the news about his family’s tragic fate.
Noah is devastated, haunted by his past mistakes, and blames himself for the tragedy. As Noah struggles to come to terms with his loss, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes him across the flood-ravaged landscape.
Along the way, he meets several characters who have also been affected by the natural disaster, including a teenage boy named Alex, who is searching for his missing father, and a retired police officer named Charlie, who is determined to solve a decades-old murder case that has haunted him for years. Silvis’s writing style is poetic and lyrical, with vivid descriptions of the flooding and its aftermath that transport readers to the heart of the disaster.
He uses the flood as a metaphor for the characters’ emotional turmoil, exploring how they’re each struggling to stay afloat amidst the chaos. The characters are all multi-dimensional, with complex backstories and motivations that drive the plot forward.
Noah, in particular, is a sympathetic and relatable hero, whose pain and grief will resonate with many readers. One of the strengths of Only the Rain is how well Silvis balances the various plotlines and subplots.
The murder mystery that Charlie is investigating adds an additional layer of intrigue to the story, without overwhelming the main narrative. The characters’ personal struggles and relationships are also depicted with sensitivity and nuance, making them feel like real people rather than mere plot devices.
If there is one criticism of Only the Rain, it’s that the ending feels somewhat rushed and abrupt. Without giving too much away, the climactic events feel like they could have been given more breathing room, and the resolution lacks the satisfactory emotional payoff that readers may be expecting.
That being said, it’s a minor point in an otherwise excellent novel. Overall, Only the Rain is a must-read for fans of literary fiction, particularly those who appreciate well-crafted characters and settings.
Silvis’s prose is masterful, and the novel’s themes of loss and redemption are handled with grace and compassion. Even though the book is set in the aftermath of a natural disaster, its themes of hope and resilience are timely and profound, making it a perfect read for anyone looking for a glimpse of light in dark times.
I give Only the Rain a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys thought-provoking literary fiction.
