Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

In a drought, it's the darkest cloud that brings hope.

It's 1954 and Perla Long's arrival in the sleepy town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle.

Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor… until he meets Perla. She's everything he's sought in a woman, but he can't get past the sense that she's hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla's unique gift divides the town in two, bringing both gratitude and condemnation, and placing the pair in the middle of a storm of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith.

Sarah Loudin Thomas debuts with a spectacular and well-written novel: Miracle in a Dry Season. In this unique and beautiful story, Thomas revisits the rural community of Wise, West Virginia, first introduced in her novella, Appalachian Serenade, for another sweet, satisfying, but not quite simple romance.

The romance’s main characters, Perla Long and Casewell Phillips, are charming and dear. From the start, attraction draws them together as expected, yet burdens of the past keep them apart. Both Perla and Casewell prove to have many lessons to learn on judgment, forgiveness and gratitude before any happily-ever-after ending could even be considered. (Note: the narrative does focus much more on Casewell’s perspective than Perla’s. Originally, this surprised me, but it works for the story.) They face authentic, necessary challenges and grapple with difficult, relevant questions within their small community, and with many tender, moving and heartwarming moments, their individual growth intertwines with one another’s, as well as those of the fascinatingly flawed supporting characters and broader community. Slowly, they progress toward love, and as they do, I couldn’t help but cheer them on.

Overall, I loved reading Thomas’ Miracle in a Dry Season. It’s genuine, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable, and I definitely recommend it for readers of inspirational historical fiction. Thanks to Bethany House, I received a copy of Miracle in a Dry Season and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.