Miracle in a Dry Season

June 23, 2014
In 1954, rumors swirl when beautiful Perla and her five-year old daughter, Sadie, arrive in small-town Wise, W.Va., during a terrible drought. Not only does Perla lack a husband, but her unusual “way with cooking,” which turns meager rations into abundant feasts, also comes under suspicion as witchcraft. Church elder, carpenter, and community pillar Casewell Phillips tries to maintain a balance between friendship and distance with Perla because of her obviously sinful past. Cruel gossip, inflamed by hypocritical Pastor Longbourne’s Sunday morning tirades against harlots, interferes with the townfolks’ willingness to accept Perla’s culinary gifts as the miracle they are, even at the threat of their own survival. Casewell’s struggle to discern whose behavior is truly Christian leads him to examine his own judgmental nature, while Perla’s suspicion “that God wasn’t really all that interested in her” inhibits her ability to accept her own worthiness to be loved. Thomas’s fiction debut offers sympathetic, wholesome protagonists seeking to live faithful, prayerful lives and engaging supporting characters in subplots that explore the overarching themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the wideness of God’s love. Agent: Wendy Lawton, Books & Such Literary Management.

Starred review from July 1, 2014

Living in the small town of Wise, WI, in 1954, Casewell Phillips is content to take one day at a time and has no idea what the year holds in store. His life takes a turn when he meets Perla Long and her daughter Sadie. Soon Casewell is crafting furniture for dolls and wondering about the gift of never-ending food that seems to come whenever Perla cooks a meal. Throw in a mix of small-town gossip, the illness of a loved one, a minister bent on judgment, and the opportunity to see God work in the hearts of charming townfolk, and readers will stay up all night reading to see what happens next. VERDICT Fans of Karen Kingsbury's feel-good stories of heartfelt lessons will love Thomas's debut. They'll need a box of tissues and to be willing to hunker down, because they won't want to miss a single word. Once in a while a new author comes along with a work that makes you sit up and take notice. Thomas has crafted a tale of this proportion.--Jane Blue, Prince William Cty. Lib. Syst., VA

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