Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

You hug the moon, you know that

"I've thought about my mother, of course. I've wondered where she went to and where's she been. But I guess Aimee is; right I was abandoned ... and I am an orphan. But is it dumb to say I never thought about it like that?  Until now."

It is the summer and Delsie McHill lives on Cape Cod with her Grammy. Each summer several things always happen.  First off the local theatre put on a summer production with island kids in the cast - this year it is Annie. Second, Delsie always meets up with her summer friend Brandy. They have fabulous times exploring the beach and catching up. This summer, though, things will be different and disrupted, awful and really hard for Delsie.

Brandy has a new friend, Tressa, who has also come to stay on Cape Cod for the Summer. You have probably guessed I'm heading for the saying "two's company, three's a crowd."  Tressa is mean and excluding and over the weeks of sunshine and swimming, Delsie watches her special friend Brandy change into someone she no longer recognises.

Delsie's Grammy works cleaning holiday houses at Seahaven. A new guy is managing the place and he has bought his son. Just like Delsie, Ronan is adjusting to change in his life - he going through some very tough times. So now we have four kids - Delsie and Ronan, who over the summer become friends who trust each other enough to share stories and feelings, and Brandy and Tressa who over the summer learn, hopefully, that there are other people in the world, like Delsie, who have feelings and who can be hurt by meanness.

I adore the grandmother in this book. She is wise, she is patient, she cares so deeply about Delsie and she shows a beautiful understanding of the needs of others especially people who have been rejected by conventional society.

You may be wondering about the title. Delsie is a weather expert. She loves storms and she can read the sky. The layer of storms across this story also serve as a metaphor for the ups and severe downs of this summer.

This is a book that will linger with me for a long time. I would follow Shouting at the Rain with Beyond the Bright sea by Lauren Wolk; The Girl who bought mischief by Katrina Nannestad and Jubilee by Patricia Reilly Giff. The kindness of Delsie reminded me of one of my favourite book characters - Hazel Green (Odo Hirsch) and also, of course, the kindness of Opal in Because of Winn Dixie.  On Lynda Mullaly Hunt's web site you can watch a video of her reading part of the story and find other useful links.

I am now getting ready to read another book by Lynda Mullaly Hunt:

On the publisher (Penguin) web site you can listen to an audio sample from Chapter one. Make sure you watch Colby Sharp and his video review of this book. He explains beautifully why this is such a special book.  Here is a trailer with some plot details.


A richly embroidered cast of characters, a thoughtful exploration of how real friends treat one another, and the true meaning of family all combine to make this a thoroughly satisfying coming-of-age tale. Kirkus