After the Rain
Suzanne Paris is a freelance photographer on the run from an abusive ex-fiancé when she unexpectedly lands in tiny Walton, Georgia, in White’s distinctively southern follow-up to Falling Home (2002). Uncertain about her future, Suzanne means to stop only briefly. Yet she is immediately sucked in by the homey warmth and personal stories of the townsfolk, particularly seemingly stern mayor Joe Warner and his six motherless children. Taken in by Joe’s well-meaning family and neighbors, Suzanne slowly begins to relax. Yet the sexual tension between her and Joe, who has made it clear from the start that he does not entirely approve of her for some reason, adds a pleasant seesawing to Suzanne’s days. Toss in a mystery about her mother’s locket, the ever-present threat of her ex catching up with her, and Suzanne’s struggle to avoid the ghosts of her past despite needing to lay them to rest, and the story line sweetly compels. Fun southern expressions (“I’m going to jar your preserves,” “God’s nightgown!”) add more zest to this title set firmly in the southern women’s fiction pantheon. --Julie Trevelyan