Little Rains by Author Bob Cherry

Little Rains

276 page hard cover
ISBN 0-9665430-9-2

276 page trade paper
ISBN 0-9665430-8-4

Awards and
Recognition:

Runner-up, TCU Press TEXAS BOOK AWARDS

Finalist, MOUNTAIN AND PLAINS BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION ADULT FICTION AWARD

DENVER POST- listed as one of 10 notable books for the year

Little Rains explores the myths and realities that define the contemporary rural West. It is a haunting novel of loss and redemption, secrets and revelations, the hard labor of growing up, and the struggle to stave off the modern world from one of the last bastions of the American West. Hard as barbed wire and embittered, Truman "Tru" Pierce casts his shadow over the rock hard earth he inherited and those who would protect him. Eighteen year old JD Mitchell longs to escape the drudgery of his small hometown and becomes a hand on his uncle's ranch. Like Tru, JD's dreams for the future are weighted by his past, but reluctantly he learns from the odd assortment of eccentrics on the ranch: Linc, a hard and weathered veteran cowhand; JD's aunt, the strangely devoted Jesse, haunted by a dark secret that JD may have the power to exorcise; and Santos, a Mestizo, who wades the Rio Grande carrying a broken-down fighting rooster and dreams of fortune. All are caught within the maelstrom of Tru's obsession, and JD learns that mistakes are sometimes paid for in blood and bruises and the terrible pain of silence. As stark and gritty as the southwest Texas landscape, Little Rains chronicles one of the final tragedies of the American rangeland-the demise of the independent cattleman.

Words of Praise:

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"Cherry transports the reader...a message of hope and redemption...an enduring image of the West, accessible to audiences of all regions...riveting fiction."
—ForeWord Reviews

"Emotionally searing as the desert sun..."
—Lynn Bama, Contributor Unbroken Spirit: The Wild Horse in The American Landscape

".a tale of the human condition, human frailty, and most importantly, human courage...rich in imagery and language...a must read."
—Sheldon Russell, Requiem at Dawn, WWA Award Finalist

"...a story wrought with grit and beauty..."
—Page Lambert, In Search of Kinship

"Little Rains is a powerful narrative reminiscent of Steinbeck in its heroic portrayal of man pitted against the brutal indifference of society. Bob Cherry's haunting courageous characters are as familiar as our own souls, yet as unique as snowflakes. His hands on details of life in the West vibrate with authenticity. Little Rains is contemporary western fiction with merged story line of a ranching family determined to hold on to their land and their extraordinarily wised hired man, a Mexican national, Santos, owner of a magnificent fighting rooster who has the greatest heart in the world. Cherry offers such a stunning integration of vigorous details that the reader knows Little Rains is the cold hard truth. Some books, such as Little Rains, contain information that is impossible to come by through mere research. Cherry's descriptions and intimate portrayal of ranch work leaves no doubt in the reader's mind that he has “walked the talk." His stunning talent for characterizing sparkles as depicts the lives of a desperate family fighting for survival...a positively awesome talent."
—Charlotte Hinger, Come Spring, WWA Award Winner