After the Rain

by Jane Lorenzini

Can Belle Carson reinvent her life by moving in next door to Thomas Edison’s winter estate?

It's January 1888. The small town of Fort Myers is buzzing about a possible visit from famous winter residents Mina and Thomas Edison. When the local newspaper reports that the couple needs a gardener for their riverside estate, nearly everyone lines up to apply.
For twenty-five-year-old Belle Carson, a painful childhood secret has kept her world — and her hopes for the future — small. But with lush gardens already sprouting in her imagination, Belle decides to fight for the job and the opportunity to move from a cramped storage room to a charming cottage next door to the Edison homes and laboratory. Yet, when her dark past threatens to destroy everything she has so carefully cultivated, she must battle harder than ever for her best life — and the chance to live it.

Genres: Historical Fiction

252 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2018

About the author

JANE LORENZINI has written professionally for nearly forty years, a third of which she spent as a television news anchor and reporter. She then became a freelance writer and a four-time New York Times bestselling author, cowriting five nonfiction books with dear friend and Today cohost Hoda Kotb. In 2018 Jane released After the Rain, her debut novel. The Growing Season, released in 2024, explores another year in the lives of her characters. Jane lives in Tennessee and writes everywhere.

Reviews

[Jessi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book because of the setting but it was actually pretty boring (sorry). I feel like I kept waiting for something to happen. I stopped reading it with less than 100 pages left.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big historical fiction fan, so when I heard Jane Lorenzini talk about her book at the Southern Festival of Books this year, I knew I needed to pick this one up. I really didn't know much about Thomas Edison and his winter estate in Florida, and I love to learn new things, so this sounded like a really fun read! 

I loved the setting of this story. I felt very immersed in the world, and could picture it very vividly in my mind. I love when I feel like I can fall into a setting and feel totally at home there. It was descriptive without being too much. 

The characters were very well drawn. Belle was intriguing and I really did enjoy how I kept discovering new things about her as the novel went along. She was like a beautiful onion, with all of the layers ;) The supporting characters of Merle, Abigail, and Boone helped to round out the story and make it feel complete. I enjoyed how the supporting characters helped to reveal more of the story bit by bit. I thought the storytelling in this novel was very well done. 

I will say, for a novel that purports to be about Thomas Edison, we find out remarkably little about him. I thought that this would bother me, but I was so wrapped up in the lives of the other characters that I didn't really mind in the end. 

This book does deal with some tough topics, including rape, abortion, single-motherhood, death in childbirth, murder, and abuse. I thought that all of these topics were handled with grace and care. I also found it very interesting to see these topics discussed in a historical context, which is not always done. So, if any of these topics trigger you, proceed with caution, but they are handled well. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I learned a lot about this era of history and the western coast of Florida. I loved the characters and wanted to know even more about them when the book was finished. That is always the sign of a good book for me! :) 

My Rating:
4.0/5.0

I gave After the Rain 4 STARS! If you enjoy historical fiction with some great moral takeaways, this is the book for you! 

[Barbara Loggia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story set in Fort Myers Fl in the late 1800s peaked my interest. A young woman is hired to work at the gardens of the Edison estate-a site well known and enjoyed by me. She had a rough beginning in life but found her true home as a young girl and prospered in love. Her new job provides independence, new friendships and explorations. An old enemy brings fear and a life saving experience that could ruin her life. New and old relationships bring truth and hope.
Perhaps too simple a story for me and I'd expected more vision of the towns history.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the Rain

As a resident of Fort Myers this was a good read. The Edison Ford Estates is truly a great place to visit and learn on the beautiful setting of the river. The story, itself was good, but a part of it I was very uncomfortable with, not the historical part but that of the character,Belle and decisions she made.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet enough story but reads in fits and starts. The story tends to jump around. Belle Carson is a sweet girl but lets life carry her until she decides to make some changes. You can tell that Belle has an inner strength but you wish that she weren't so passive.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about some historical figures who did horticulture on the Thomas Edison estate in Fort Myers, Florida in 1888.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story line and the characters but I think it lacked emotion.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Makes me want to visit the Edison and Ford estates in Ft. Myers down the road from me.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't great. Characters were bland. I barely felt immersed into story. The plot was all over the place sometimes. Took me much longer to finish than others because there are many boring scenes.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t great. I kind of slogged through the meh plot and didn’t get terribly invested in the meh characters. Lots of the characters have made mistakes, but somehow still seem to have really bland personalities without any interesting flaws or complexities.

I enjoyed it because I’m from fort myers and I loved the historic look at my hometown. The writer does do a great job of setting the scene.

[Amy Hobby]

Hoda recommended