The Rainwater Secret by Monica Shaw

Release:30th March 2017
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Monica\Shaw
Source: Zooloos Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon

“The Rainwater Secret” is a deeply moving, historical fiction novel about a woman who becomes a missionary in Africa after the death of her mother.

Single and feeling there is nothing left for her in small-town England, Anna embarks on an adventure as a volunteer with the Medical Missionaries of Mary to teach the leper children in Africa.

Anna’s life changes forever, as she learns the culture that would banish its sick, disfigured, and crippled to the jungles. There are Sights of dying babies on roadsides, children living on their own by whatever means they can find. Also there are abandoned aged people

Anna’s daily life is an adventure as she travels from one village to another across a hostile land. There are few passable roads. And rickety bridges threatening to fall apart and cast its occupants on the jagged rocks far below. More so, weather that turns a calm river into a roiling death trap.

In spite of the trials, Anna also manages to find love and family in this godforsaken land.

Follow this adventure through disease, weather, strife, death and determination to turn a few acres of land into a loving home for the outcast lepers of Nigeria

About the Author:

Monica Shaw is a native of Dallas, Texas where she has been a successful entrepreneur. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson Highschool and got her Geology/Petroleum Engineering degree from UT Austin. Her debut novel, The Rainwater Secret, started off as a personal research project looking into the life of her great aunt who became a missionary teacher. Monica has 3 children.

A portion of the proceeds from the book goes to The Medical Missionaries of Mary who are still doing great work all over the world.

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The Rainwater Secret Review:

“The Rainwater Secret” is a beautiful historical fiction with strong characters and a compelling premise that absorbed me into Anna’s world as she finds her calling in Nigeria.

Let me start by saying I enjoyed how the author narrated the story. Anna, our main lead, experiences a lot of conflicting situations and culture shocks as she finds herself as a missionary in Nigeria to help the children fight leprosy. The author writes the story in a simple yet strong manner that made me feel like I was standing next to Anna. She realistically depicts the cruel yet beautiful life that the natives live, and I was fascinated to see how she progressed. Also, the author tells parts of the story in an epistolic style of letters between Anna and Molly, which I thought added nicely.

Anna is outstanding in the lead. She has a strong yet vulnerable side. On the one hand, she tries to do as much as she can for the natives, and on the other hand, she opens her heart to people like Thomas and Grant. I enjoyed how the author incorporated the romantic angles and was surprised by what happened to some core characters. Moreover, I adored Anna’s relationship with Clarence and how they bonded. Some of my favorite moments are when Anna finds out about Grant or her feud with Sister Flores.

The story, in general, is motivating and powerful because it shows the sacrifices people make to make a difference and how life is short and you have to make the most of it and do something meaningful. Overall, “The Rainwater Secret” is a lovely story worth reading.