Delightful and heartwarming

Judd Markley was right beside his brother when the mine collapsed and killed his brother and left him with a broken leg that would cause him to limp.  Never again does he want to feel that sense of darkness so it would seem that a job with the forestry service a good distance away from his West VA home would provide a stable job and allow him to escape the memories.

Larkin Heyward, daughter of Judd's boss, has a life in Myrtle Beach that many would envy today with status and wealth but it wasn't enough to satisfy her soul.  Larkin volunteers at the local hospital and enjoys outings with friends but her heart longs to make a difference to, what she considers, the underprivileged of Appalachia.  Meeting Judd puts her face to face with someone who lived in the mountains and, needless to say, he doesn't see things exactly as Larkin does.  While there is an attraction between the two, Larkin is totally out of reach to Judd as a poor manual laborer from her father's business.  A Sound of Rain is a story of seeking God's plan for your life and filled with sweet innocent romance.

Initially, I was drawn to this book simply because of the fact that Judd left the coal mines longing for a better life, a story sounding much like that of my husband who worked in the KY mines just out of high school.  The time period of the mid 20th c. is one not commonly published  in Christian fiction either.  It would appear that the author did her homework in trying to understand the people of eastern KY, having lived there much of my life.  They are a proud people but kind beyond measure.  Just like in this story, oftentimes those we long to help end up blessing us in unexpected ways.

I loved the author's portrayal of the places I have lived and visited.  The Sound of Rain is an easy read in a day and a story you will hesitate to put down. Thomas has a knack of painting pictures of her settings in my mind and made we want to look for more of her writings as I believe this is my first of hers.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and am in no way obligated to write a positive one. Thank you, Sarah Loudin Thomas, for representing the Appalachia area with dignity and truth.