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What Grows in Heavy Rain
Two Americans, two Costa Ricans and two Nicaraguans struggle through the rainy season in a small gated community in La Garita, Costa Rica. Through the rain and budding fruit, they battle through terminal illness, poverty, boredom, ex-husbands, theft, and sexual assault. The Costa Rican air has a way of turning even the most logical mind wild with passion.
147 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2015
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Martens
10 books7 followersNew Yorker, writer, just finished my MFA in Creative Writing. Living in Harlem but that may change if you have a comfy couch.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 14, 2015
I thought ‘What Grows in Heavy Rain’ was an incredibly unique read. I always love reading stories that draw out relationships across cultural boundaries. With two Americans, two Costa Ricans and two Nicaraguans as the main characters, this engaging book does just that.
It’s plain to see what potential Lisa Martens has as a writer. The characters she created were so diverse, but also carried considerable depth. Their pasts colored their present feelings, decisions and actions; making them just as believable as any person you may know. I found Clara to be the most relatable character for me, but I can see how a lot of people might find a bit of themselves in these unique individuals.
Aside from great character development, ‘What Grows in Heavy Rain’ finds a way to really pull on your own emotions as you dig deeper into story. It’s one of those reads that you keep thinking about after you’ve put it down. I personally flew through the book but was left dreaming about Martens’ Costa Rican ‘paradise’ long after. It really was a rich, one-of-a-kind world.
The book is very dialogue-driven, which seemed natural to me, and covered a lot of difficult aspects of life, death, poverty, and the trials of complex relationships. This may be a piece of Hispanic American literature, but I think the story speaks to the general human condition in a meaningful way. Everything is complex, interrelated, and almost real. You might have to read it yourself to see what I really mean.
I think the best part about eBook publishing is that the world gets access to some true gems that otherwise might not have seen the light of day. Martens’ book is definitely one of those works—one for the bookshelf.
It’s plain to see what potential Lisa Martens has as a writer. The characters she created were so diverse, but also carried considerable depth. Their pasts colored their present feelings, decisions and actions; making them just as believable as any person you may know. I found Clara to be the most relatable character for me, but I can see how a lot of people might find a bit of themselves in these unique individuals.
Aside from great character development, ‘What Grows in Heavy Rain’ finds a way to really pull on your own emotions as you dig deeper into story. It’s one of those reads that you keep thinking about after you’ve put it down. I personally flew through the book but was left dreaming about Martens’ Costa Rican ‘paradise’ long after. It really was a rich, one-of-a-kind world.
The book is very dialogue-driven, which seemed natural to me, and covered a lot of difficult aspects of life, death, poverty, and the trials of complex relationships. This may be a piece of Hispanic American literature, but I think the story speaks to the general human condition in a meaningful way. Everything is complex, interrelated, and almost real. You might have to read it yourself to see what I really mean.
I think the best part about eBook publishing is that the world gets access to some true gems that otherwise might not have seen the light of day. Martens’ book is definitely one of those works—one for the bookshelf.
March 21, 2016
full review can be found at http://thegraduatedbookworm.blogspot.ca/
So I received this book from Lisa herself asking me to do an honest review of her novel
After a certain point, I found that there were a lot of names going around in the book. I do really like the fact that she used Third POV instead of first for only one character. This way I was able to get more of an understanding of each individual character, and all aspects.
The entire novel was definitely interesting, and there was a lot of aspects that you could honestly feel the emotion being written of these characters. I really did like it, however I just found that there could have been more to the story, like something just wasn't clicking.
Overall I think she did a great job writing. The style was great, and I especially loved the fact that there were current events put into the story (like celebrities, music, etc.) The development of the characters was great, and I loved each and everyone's story, even through the not so happy parts. I am really glad that I was able to read and write a review for What Grows In Heavy Rain.
So I received this book from Lisa herself asking me to do an honest review of her novel
After a certain point, I found that there were a lot of names going around in the book. I do really like the fact that she used Third POV instead of first for only one character. This way I was able to get more of an understanding of each individual character, and all aspects.
The entire novel was definitely interesting, and there was a lot of aspects that you could honestly feel the emotion being written of these characters. I really did like it, however I just found that there could have been more to the story, like something just wasn't clicking.
Overall I think she did a great job writing. The style was great, and I especially loved the fact that there were current events put into the story (like celebrities, music, etc.) The development of the characters was great, and I loved each and everyone's story, even through the not so happy parts. I am really glad that I was able to read and write a review for What Grows In Heavy Rain.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews