First and Last Love

Rating: 4/5

Review: I thought I was in for a good cry by the end of this book, but I somehow held it together. It's a bittersweet love story, and it came to an end far too abruptly I must say. It was an interesting story, too. A little tragic at times. I could see the house where most of it takes place quite clearly in my mind. Mrs. Barrens hardships, her struggles to keep life going at a steady pace. She is a strong woman, left by her husband when he couldn't handle their autistic son, though there was no such word for the boy's condition back then. When Mr. Rainwater comes into their lives, things start to change. It's a slow transformation at first, but eventually erupts into a beautiful affair. Of course there's trials surrounding the peaceful existence at the boarding house. Racial tensions and the tragic results of what was referred to as The Dust Bowl. There are a few horrifying moments involving the mass slaughter of cows, but it shows the hard times many people suffered in those days. There's a story beyond all that, as I've mentioned before, which was quite wonderful to read.

Book Description: The year is 1934. With the country in the stranglehold of drought and economic depression, Ella Barron runs her Texas boardinghouse with an efficiency that ensures her life will be kept in balance. She also cares for her ten-year-old son, Solly, a sweet but challenging child whose misunderstood behavior finds Ella on the receiving end of pity, derision, and suspicion. David Rainwater arrives at the house looking for lodging but Ella senses that admitting him will bring about unsettling changes. However, times are hard, so Mr. Rainwater moves in - and impacts her life in ways Ella could never have foreseen.

The changes are echoed by the turbulence beyond the house walls. Friends and neighbors now face financial ruin and in an effort to save their families from homelessness and hunger, are forced to make heart rending choices. The climate of desperation creates a fertile atmosphere for racial tensions and social unrest. Conrad Ellis — privileged and spoiled and Ella's nemesis since childhood — steps into this arena of teeming hostility to exact his vengeance and demonstrate the extent of his blind hatred and unlimited cruelty. He and his gang of hoodlums come to embody the rule of law, and no one in Gilead, Texas, is safe. Particularly Ella and Solly.

In this hotbed of uncertainty, Ella finds Mr. Rainwater a calming presence. Slowly, she begins to rely on his soft-spokenness, his restraint, and the steely resolve of his convictions. And on the hottest, most violent night of the summer, those principles will be put to the ultimate test.