This novel is so depressing, I almost quit reading it several times. But the characters kept me engrossed. Set in Oklahoma of the 1930s Dust Bowl, it’s the tale of two sisters. The younger sister, Kathryn, was born with a club foot. After her mother died giving birth, the older sister, Melissa, raised Kathryn to believe there was nothing wrong with her. She often read to her from The Wizard of Oz, Kathryn’s favorite book.
As the story opens, Melissa is marrying into the wealthiest family in town, quite a step up for a girl who has lived in a dugout cabin all her life. She finds it difficult to adjust to the expectations and attitudes of privilege. In addition, her marriage is not the blissful state she hoped for.
Kathryn is understandably upset about her sister’s marriage, especially when her stepmother persuades her father to leave their homestead for Indianapolis. Stubborn and adamant about not leaving her home, Kathryn is at last persuaded to join them only on the promise of having her foot corrected.
And so begins a marvelous retelling of The Wizard of Oz.
I admit I’m slow to pick out symbolism and theme and other literary devices in novels. I become too engrossed in the story, and the hopelessness this novel stirs makes it difficult to read. Not until after I’d finished and pondered it for several days did I waken to the parallels between Kathryn’s journey and Dorothy’s adventure in the Wizard of Oz. The author does a masterful job of using characters and events to symbolize Dorothy’s trek to Oz and her encounter with the wizard. I plan to read it again, watching for all the delicious details I missed the first time.
If It Rains is available through Kindle Unlimited and is well worth reading.
