Nothing but the Rain
Ratings8
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings8
Average rating3.9
A sleepy little town discovers its memories have become part of the water cycle in Naomi Salman's debut novella, Nothing but the Rain. The rain in Aloisville is never-ending, and no one can remember when it started. There’s not much they can remember. With every drop that hits their skin, a bit of memory is washed away. Stay too long in the wet, and you’ll lose everything you used to be. By the time Laverne begins keeping a journal, the small town she calls home has been irreparably changed. Every drop of water is dangerous, from leaky faucets to the near-constant rainfall, and a careless trip outside can mean a life down the drain. With mysterious forces preventing escape, calls for rebellion seem to be on every resident’s lips. But Laverne has no interest in fighting. She has no interest in rebellion. She just wants to survive.
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“Welcome to Aloisville, rainiest town in the rainiest state. Population: we don't recall.” Laverne has lived here for... well, a while. She knows she moved to Aloisville with her husband before their divorce, and at some point, it started raining, but when? There's no way to know for sure, because there's something in the rain water that erases the memories of the people of Aloisville. One drop, and you might lose just a moment, but the more time you spend in the rain, the more you forget until you're just a husk that starves to death because you don't remember how to eat. The town's been blocked off, and the citizens of Aloisville try to plan an escape, but Laverne wants no part of it. She just wants to stay home and stay alive.
I happened upon the audiobook of this novella randomly while looking for something short to listen to last night after I finished a long book. I decided to start it on my nightly walk with my dog, and when I stepped outside, it was raining. I have to say, walking a block in the rain while listening to the journal of a woman who is terrified that the nearly never-ending rainfall outside her house will strip her of her memories was, uh, quite the experience! The narrator, Soneela Nankani, is partially responsible for that, as she really did a great job capturing Laverne's personality and constantly shifting emotions.
It was interesting to see how the people of Aloisville adapted to the rain and how it affected Laverne mentally. The mystery of the rain was my favorite part of the book and I enjoyed coming up with theories about its origin along with Laverne. Her theories were better than mine, though. Because the story is so short, it's hard to say more without giving too much away, so I'll stop here with this: I think the ending was perfect.
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Nice little story. I want more. But I like the letters and the end was a gag even though it felt more like an intro. I love stories that jump right in and don't tell you anything and you have to get on board or get left behind.
