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Reviewed by Sandy Appleyard for Readers' Favorite
Jacob Miller is a young man, but older by his own standards. He feels he is a huge disappointment to all since losing his small printing business, and subsequently being chased by the IRS for failure to pay taxes. It seems like Jacob has become the latest victim of a pandemic economic snowball effect. Soon, Jacob meets Walter, a supervisor for a county park. Walter takes him under his wing and employs him at a vast public outdoor recreational area. Snubbed by present co-workers, Jacob finds himself getting demeaning jobs seemingly chosen for him by people Jacob would have once considered bottom-feeders.
Coupled with financial problems and a painful past, Jacob finds himself trudging along through each day with the use of drugs and cigarettes to numb his troubles. With the IRS still tailing him, Jacob becomes more and more agitated and miserable. The only thing that keeps him going is his loving and pregnant wife. When Andy is born, a ray of light slowly shines down on the Miller family. Barbie, his wife, looks past Jacob’s errors and sees only the good in him. Park co-workers begin warming to him and with each passing day, minuscule things seem to start guiding Jacob in the right direction. Then he breaks down and does the unthinkable after making a huge mistake…he prays for better things in life, and for a miracle.
A Season Without Rain contains many references to drugs and has a strong use of profanity. Readers may feel that Jacob’s life would be different if he perhaps gave up the drugs and lived a healthier lifestyle, instead of behaving in such a withdrawn, negative, and self-deprecating fashion. However, the realism in this novel will resonate with many readers. Author Joe Schwartz has written A Season Without Rain in a very raw, unique style that may offend some, but seasoned readers will realize that this method most effectively brings out the true human nature of the characters. The book has been done in an unsanitized fashion that most would shy away from. Well done.
