Mother of Rain
Mother of Rain tells the story of Maizee Hurd, a young woman beset by many problems: she loses her mother when she’s a mere ten years old and is sent to live with her aunt and uncle; she begins to hear voices in her head, voices that call to her as seductively and dangerously as a siren’s song; she falls in love with young Zeb but their son, Rain, becomes ill and loses his hearing in the first few months of his life; Zeb goes to fight in WWII and never comes home.
Though Maizee faces difficulties, she does not face them alone. Her aunt, Leela Mae, and Leela Mae’s husband, Doc, offer Maizee a stable and loving home. Burdy Luttrell becomes Maizee’s friend, and Zeb gives Maizee a sweet and tender love. But none of this is enough because Maizee continues to hear the voices in her head, voices that will not leave her alone.
Zacharias does a wonderful job of capturing the speech of the Appalachian mountain people and their ways. Every word rings true – as a daughter of Appalachia myself, I recognize the authentic ring of the words and the tragedy that often hides in the folds of the mountains. This is Zacharias’ first novel and a fine debut it is, indeed.
