Be it on a couch during a rainy day, or a hammock on the perfect summer afternoon, or beside a roaring fire when the weather outside is frightful, most of us would love to spend the day with a book in our hands. Here are three novels where inclement precipitation can be just as heartbreaking as their main characters’ tears:
WEATHER
by Jenny Offill
When librarian Lizzy Benton’s mentor asks her to monitor the mail to her popular podcast, little does she expect to be caught in the crossroads of the zeitgeisty topics that worry the average individual. Key among these is climate change, but all the world’s ills abound. Though Lizzy soaks up the angst like a sponge, Offill is adept at finding humor in even the angsty of concerning topics. Otherwise, wouldn’t those of us who populate Mother Earth find them unbearable? Learning to laugh in the face of adversity is a great message in any era, and Offill pulls it off with aplomb.
L.A. WEATHER
by Maria Amaro Escandón
Weather is the litmus for the Alvarados’ marriage. Since they live in perennially parched Los Angeles, the fact that it bothers Oscar means less loving attention for Keila, which is why she finally asks for a divorce.
Their daughters see their breakup as a reflection of their own relationship failures. Patricia may know how to get her social media clients tens of thousands of followers, but she can’t find one lovable guy. Claudia, a popular TV chef, may concoct the sweetest desserts, but she’s sour on love. Finding ways to weather life’s storms is more than a metaphor in Escandón enchanting novel.
THE FOUR WINDS
by Kristin Hannah
The Great Depression’s Dust Bowl beginnings are the backdrop for one woman’s fight to save her farm—and her family. Its similarity to, and differences from, John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath work for it. As with the Joad family, you’ll be rooting for Elsa Martinelli and her brood because you’ll have already fallen in love with their loyalty, bravery, and need to survive against all odds.
