A dramatic, suspenseful, atmospheric tale of a happy, normal teenage boy suddenly tormented by nightmares which fill him with fear and feelings of failure and inadequacy. His adopted mother takes him to Miriam, a counsellor friend of hers and very slowly Colum begins to open up about his early life pre-adoption. Naturally the solution lies there. How Miriam helps him face the past and build for the future is gently narrated in a beautiful, sad and disturbing story full of understanding, friendship and love with plenty of twists. A captivating read.
The Boy Who Loved Rain They Say That What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You. They're Wrong. Synopsis
The anger runs deep; from some untraceable darkness; and it is stealing his will to live. Colom had the perfect childhood, the much-loved only son of a church pastor. Yet he wakes screaming from dreams in which his sister is drowning and he can't save her. Fiona turns to her husband, desperate to help their son. But David will not acknowledge that help is needed - and certainly not help from beyond the church. Then they find the suicide pledge. Fiona, in panic, takes Colom and flees...but when will she acknowledge that the unnamed demons Colom faces might be of her and David's own creation? This beautifully written and searching novel by poet Gerard Kelly explores the toxicity of secrets, the nature of healing, and the ever-present power of rain.
'The reader is drawn ever deeper into a labyrinth of lies, truths and half-truths, of guilt, shams, of shallow-buried regrets, walled-up secrets and harsh recriminations. Before the stumbling in the gloom can lead out into the daylight where hope becomes a possibility, the dark places must be explored where psychosis, religiosity and faith jostle in disequilibrium. It is not only Colom who has to discover his identity; his parents and others at the centre of the tale have to face their own mirrors of truth. This is a compelling debut novel, written in a style that combines elegance and passion. Like all good fiction, it turns the reader's gaze inwards.' -- Derek Wilson
Author
About Gerard Kelly
Gerard Kelly is a writer, preacher-poet, mac lover, coffee drinker and twitturgist. He and his wife Chrissie have lived and worked in the UK, France and the Netherlands and are popular speakers at conferences in Europe. In 1995 they founded Cafe-net, the European missions project that became The Bless Network in 2004. In 2009 they wrote 'Intimate with the Ultimate': a book on prayer and spirituality drawn from their many years of teaching and leadership across Europe. They currently live in Basse Normandy, France, where Bless are establishing a missional community.
