An older book by Charles Martin, but i am just getting to it. As with all of Martin's books, the characters are well-developed and the story extremely engaging. I loved the sweetness of Allie and Joseph's relationship and the thread of redemtion that runs through the story. Give me all the Charles Martin books!!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5

The condition of a heartbreak.

In this novel all the heroes are living brokenhearted. The main characters Joseph, Allie and Josephs´s brother Bobby are somehow getting by, yet there is a hole in the shape of a heart in their bodies. Every one of them copes differently - yet maybe they need each other and a big dose of grace and courage to finally better the past and to enter the future.

Charles Martin is on my auto-read list (together with Billy Coffey and couple of others). He speaks straight to the heart, to recognize the pain and is massiver and forceful and gentle and understanding with bettering and healing the very real pain, guilt, shame and hopelessness.
His books are larger-than-life and always going deep.

This story is powerful. Very deeply hidden pains, silence, lives limited (by choices made by others and by their own choices, too) and hearts and souls suffering. And I love how authentic the pain is! Don´t get me wrong, what I want to express is that very often books tell the story, but the story does not touch these deep places in your heart. Here - the novel shoot straightly to my heart (even if my circumstances are totally different, yet some things are universal). And the redemption is the same.
And I love that the characters are older :) Fingers crossed for everyone changing their lives in their sixties and beyond and just everything else. The journey might be very difficult, yet the hope exists.
And Joseph is still the Rambo character!

But also - the novel might be handled with a bit of lighter hand. The simplicity is an art - and in some places the simpler, sharper words might be better for the story than the poetical beautiful sentences (because even if the beauty of these sentences shine, but this shine overshadows the true pain and other emotions).

Having said that, I still very much recommend this novel. It is a slow-burning food for thought, you should walk with this story and slowly let it enter your heart and go deeper and deeper. Because this story of pain and redemption might be the story of everyone of us (realities may differ, but emotions might be of the same family).

This is one of those books that I was given from Netgalley a while ago and didn’t have the chance to read and review it. I’ve read another book from Charles Martin that I found to be okay, so I was a little worried about this one. However, I did find myself enjoying most of the book!

The protagonist, Joseph (Jo-Jo), is one that would be extremely challenging not to like. He is a man in his sixties that have experienced some devastating events while being at war and feels the need to make up for the times that he felt he did wrong. Therefore, he ends up being this kind, selfless person who is hard to love while at the same time there are things he is capable of doing if the ones he loves are in danger. As a reader, we get to know some of the secondary characters more than others, which fits in nicely with the story since we are really following Joseph and his experiences.

For most of the plot, I was invested and interested to find out what would happen next. Learning about Joseph’s harrowing background tied well with the current timeline in the book. Also, I liked how his story unfolded throughout the book rather than learning about his background all at once. It created curiosity within me. However, toward the end part of the book there were a couple of lulls in the plot that I could’ve sworn the author was wrapping his story up when he wasn’t. Then, one of the final scenes when Joseph speaks a lot, though full of maturity, my attention span was dwindling. I ended up skimming through some of these monologue moments.

The writing flowed nicely throughout most of the book. It was easy to read and picture what the characters were experiencing. I especially enjoyed the couple of twists the author provides in the book. One in particular I did not see coming, while the other I had a suspicion toward. I really appreciate it when authors do this successfully.

Overall, this was a book that I enjoyed, with the exception of a couple of plot points. I can easily see myself picking up another one of Charles Martin’s books in the future. I would recommend this to those who enjoy a contemporary story that follows a war veteran and his journey to healing and finding love.

One simply can't go wrong with Charles Martin. This title, like his titles of the past, evoke such a sense of emotion,. Grief and loss and hope intermingle to present beauty in the ashes. Thoughtful and poignant, it is a title that will stay with me for a very long time.

This is my second book by this author and while i am always captured right away from the opening line, two or three chapters into the book i start to lose interest, feel the need to put the book down or not just not want to continue reading for some undescriable reason.
I think there are just some authors that no matter how great the books they write might be and how wonderful their stories are... you personally just don't click with them and their books never mean that much to you as they seem to others... this author seems to be that for me.
I want to like them, i want to write raving reviews... but all i can come up with after finishing the book is that it felt long, way to dragged out and was not something i overall enjoyed but i can see that others might.
Its neither helpful nor saying much about the book itself but it is all i can give since even just shortly after finishing it i already feel as if the entire book and its story just slips away from me and i can barely remember how it started.

So clearly this was not a great read for me, but i defiantly see an audience for this that will love it, so if you are interested. give it a try.

To what lengths will a child go to protect his brother? How long will the pain of a father's abandonment live on into adulthood? Can love survive when a person is continually surrounded by violence and evil? Can it push aside a past darkened with betrayal, hatred, and self-loathing? Charles Martin, the masterful story teller, perhaps best known for his novel THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US tackles these questions and more in his newest novel SEND DOWN THE RAIN. Sixty-something Joseph has been keeping a low profile -- hiding from his past, enduring the night terrors and sweats, with only his stray dog and a voice on the radio to comfort him. Then two events happen almost simultaneously that rip open his heart and pull him back into a life he believed had long ago been taken from him.

As in his other novels, Martin provides new plot twists and unexpected side stories at almost every juncture. While each may add something to the book, as a whole I think in this novel they were overwhelming, forcing me to read ahead, expecting to be surprised by another "turn" rather than slowing down and sinking into the actual message of the story. At some point, it began to feel like one of those campfire stories we tell with our kids and grandkids - with each person at some point taking over the story and taking it on a new path. Of course, Martin does a much better job of keeping everything unified, but still I felt a bit overwhelmed by the action at times.

Still SEND DOWN THE RAIN should appeal to a wide array of readers. Joseph's Vietnam past and its traumatizing after effects should draw in male readers. Of course, the love story that survives decades of pain and loneliness will bring in romance readers. Clearly, Joseph's sacrificial life has religious overtones. Personally I was drawn in by the young immigrant mother and her children who are rescued early in the book. I received an e-copy of this title from Netgalley and all opinions are mine. I was not required to write a review.


ADDED NOTE: THIS review has been submitted to Christian Books (CBD) and to Barnes and Noble. Thank you for the opportunity to review new titles.

Joseph has kept a secret for a very long time - 45 years in fact. A secret if told could destroy the life of several people he loves. He himself is scarred to the bone by the atrocities of a war he never wanted to fight and a love lost, but never forgotten. Can he go back home knowing that so much pain and sorrow are waiting for him there?
Once again Mr. Martin succeeds on so many levels. Compassionate, heartbreaking and so emotional. You shouldn't miss his newest novel..

The woman hadn’t let her guard down in a long time. I’d been there. You can kill my body and you’d be doing me a favor, but kill my soul and there’s no remedy for the pain. And when you’re in that place, and the pain is real bad, and you’ve been leaning into the thing causing it so long that you don’t know how to do anything other than lean, hope and hopelessness blur and you lose sight of who’s trying to hurt you and who’s trying to help. Sometimes you need somebody to stand between you and the sharp thing that hurts. To lean for you.

The 3 R’s- Rescue, Reconciliation, and Redemption always spells out sacrifice. The story of one man and those that are impacted him whether they know it or not.

Joseph has isolated himself in mountain cabin. Running from evil, the pain of a broken heart. He rescues a mother and her two children as they are running from a Mexican drug lord. Here illegally, her only option is to run. It helping them from his mountain home to Florida, that he is compelled to the beach where he finds his childhood sweetheart Allie. Allie has just lost her second husband in a horrific crash. Her first husband was Joseph’s brother Bobby who is now a State Senator. Together they piece the broken parts of their life. Each learning to trust the other. To find the innocence they once had.

Thru the narration, Allie and Joseph had difficult childhoods that they were drawn to each other as friends. When Bobby was drafted to Vietnam, Joseph’s mother had asked him to take his brother to Canada. Joseph left Allie behind with a promise to return. Upon entering the military and protecting his own brother, he did several tours that did him emotionally and physically. Upon coming back, he found his Allie married to his brother and to heal his broken heart he started many ventures. He also started to listen to Suzy on the radio. Suzy spoke to his soul as she too was hurting from the Vietnam war. She had lost a father she never knew.

A crescendo of fate that brought redemption thru sacrifice. Charles Martin is so good in communicating the broken heart. How they find each other and heal from each other. With Joseph, I felt he was a contradiction in his retaliation with his adopted family, however, he somewhat paints a picture of the condition of man and the gospel. Not a full picture but the need of the gospel. Of forgiveness and the value of others. What love really means in sacrifice. In the novels I have read so far, Martin hardly mentions God, salvation but his words hit home with our condition for something more. Which always leads me to wanting to read more of Charles of Martin.

A Special Thank You to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

this one just didn't really do it for me. it's my 3rd by this author, i read Where the River Ends years and years ago and remember loving it. i also read The Mountain Between Us last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.

so i expected to like this one as well, and barely read the synopsis before i requested it. unfortunately, i started it several times and could never get more than a page or so in before switching to something else. couple months went by, the published date long since passed, oops.

finally i forced myself to sit down and get through the hump of the first 30% or so, by then it starts to flow and make more sense. unfortunately, it was never more than 'okay' for me. i never really connected with any of the main characters, there was a lot going on, almost too much. i saw the twist coming a mile away, but maybe you're supposed to. it all seemed very unrealistic to be honest. i rolled my eyes several times with the words that came out of some characters mouths, like this is supposed to be a super serious moment and i should be weeping, but instead all i can think is as if.

overall, i did not hate it, once i finally got stuck in i finished it in one sitting. it was not exactly compelling but i was curious. it flowed well enough to keep me reading. it did read quite chick lit-y, even if written by a man and told from a man's POV. i just got the vibe that it was trying to hard to teach me a lesson, you know? a bit too preachy for my taste.

Joseph, a Vietnam war vet and his brother Bobby, now a US Senator led a tough childhood. Bobby also stole away Joseph’s high school sweetheart while Joseph was serving. This led to years of anger from Joseph, compounded with war nightmares.
The story opens will an illegal immigrant family in the hands of a drug dealer who won’t let them go. Joseph, ever the crusader for someone in need of help, becomes the helping hand.
Remember that high school sweetheart? Allie and Bobby couldn’t make a go of it, but Allie remarried and her long-distance truck driver husband encounters an unexpected end. Again, we have Joseph to her rescue.
This story was filled with Vietnam war remembrances, people at unrest, immigrants, drug dealers and retaliation, migrant workers, hard workers, love long lost, and on goes the list.
Charles Martin once again spins a complex tale that engages the reader to the very end.

I went with 5 stars because Charles Martin's writing evokes emotion in me, and Send Down The Rain is another rollercoaster ride for me. The theme of redemption and reconciliation runs deep under this story. I can tell you that the characters arent perfect, but they certainly are human. Complex and layered doesnt even begin to do them justice. There were a few scenes that were hard to reconcile, and some were quite graphic. The stark violence of those scenes made the book hard to read at times, but fit within the framework of the story and moved the whole along well. I especially appreciate Mr Martin's ability to take characters I might not like and make them grow enough through the story to change my mind. I am heartened by the fact that he doesnt paint everyone as saint or sinner, but only as human. and that the resolution of the story while imperfect is satisfying. Charles Martin writes for the humanity in us all, and I am a believer.

The writing gift of Charles Martin never fails to amaze me. There are only a handful of writers I have discovered who can craft a story like he can. I have read several of his novels, and each of them is completely different from the others. This one moved me deeply. Martin exposed the real pain of Vietnam vets, and the long-term burdens they carried. He expressed the regret of lost love, of painful yet unavoidable decisions, and the price a person pays to keep a secret he feels he is not allowed to reveal.

The fate of Joseph and Bobby Brooks, the young brothers we meet at the beginning of the novel, whose father walks out on them with no explanation. We read the tales of these two lives, one whose pain is external, and one whose pain is internal. And just with a wound that hurts as it heals, neither could heal without real pain. And the courage it takes to grapple with those pains makes a compelling story.

This story took so many twists and turns that kept me reading. The message? The love of God will pursue those who hurt -- He will chase them down, and will not relent until He brings them the wholeness and peace He longs for them to experience. This novel is filled with rage, but also mercy. With despair, but also with hope. With betrayal, but also with trust and loyalty. It will capture your heart and hold it.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. These are my words, and my thoughts.

Send Down the Rain is an unusual story in many ways. It starts decades ago with two brothers the day their father moves out, then jumps forward to the present. The first part shows three different characters, and it wasn’t until about a quarter of the way through that it became clear who the main character was.

Joseph is a 63-year-old Vietnam war veteran who has been running for more years than seems possible. We get to know him only gradually, as the story bounces back and forth between his past and his present, highlighting his failures (and sometimes his successes), his weaknesses and sometimes his strengths. He’s a strong narrator because he is weak: he’s humble and unpretentious and focuses more on what he’s done wrong than what he’s done right.

I got to about the 90% point in this book and thought it was good, but it hadn’t reached the heights of The Mountain Between Us (now a major movie starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba) or Long Way Gone (a modern retelling of the story of the Prodigal Son).

But by the time I finished Send Down the Rain I had changed my mind.

It’s at least as good as these, but the power builds up and up and only bites at the end. There isn’t an obvious Christian thread or an overt parallel with a Bible story (as there was in Long Way Gone). Send Down the Rain is more of an exploration of love, loyalty, and family, a story of sacrifice and second chances. And that pretty much sums up the gospel.

An outstanding novel of love and faithfulness, in Martin’s trademark understated yet compelling style. Recommended. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

I've heard so many great things about Charles Martin and his books. Send Down the Rain is the third or fourth book of his that I have read now. With an opening scene that immediately captured my attention, I expected to be gripped by a fantastic story.

Although I've read a few of Martin's books now, I've struggled to fall in love with them. I enjoyed this book more than his last release, and this story started with a very promising scene.

We find Allie still recovering from the loss of her family's waterfront restaurant to find out that her second husband is killed in a horrible highway accident. The accident is so bad that it registered on military satellites. I found this part of the story to capture my attention as I was shocked and wanting to find out, along with Allie, why the accident happened.

We also meet Joseph, who has a past with Allie. Joseph is struggling after his time in the Vietnam War. As he is traveling, he witnesses the accident that took Allie's husband.

This story, like some of Martin's other books, seem to be missing that one element that takes it from a good book to a great book. He wove a number of plots and subplots together, but I didn't connect with the characters in the way other books allow me to do.

I was hoping this book would be the one that turned me into a raving fan of Martin's, but that didn't happen.

Charles Martin is one of my favorite authors. Each of his body of work is exemplary writing and this one is outstanding in every way. This is a book to be savored, to be enjoyed until the last page is turned. What a story this is in every way of human emotion. A truly wonderful author this book will make you think long after the last page is done. I highly recommend this book.
I received a ARC for review. My opinion is my own.
In this riveting novel we meet two people. One a widow who just lost her business when her husband then died in a tractor trailer explosion. One a damaged,, tortured Vietnam vet who did two tours with special ops with PTSD. When their lives converge it is not for romance, it is for the depth of emotions they each are experiencing and the circumstances that bring them together. After circumstance brings them back together after years apart it is seen through the eyes of their heartbreak and the possibility of what could be again.
This is fantastic human storytelling at its best. This book runs the range of emotions and human circumstance. My only regret is when it ended. What a fantastic read The mark of a good book is how the author draws the reader into the emotions of the story and the charcters. Charles Martin does both admirably.
A excellent read.

Loved the compelling premise, kept me reading well into the night! A great storyteller I've recommended to library patrons many times.

The Charles Martin touch is at work again in this tale weaving together stories of family, sacrifice, PTSD, the Vietnam experience (and aftermath), illegal workers and so much more. As the stories of Jo-Jo, Allie, Catalina and others unfold and converge you are taken on a journey through pain into hope and inspiration and transformation.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. Book is available June 19th.

Charles Martin is a storyteller beyond comparison. First was "The Mountain Between Us" and "Where the River Ends," and now there's "Send Down the Rain," an emotion-laded tale of redemption and salvation. It's a tale of solitude, reconnections and doing the right thing for the right reasons. Joseph just wants to be left alone, to lead a solitary life in a mountain cabin. To escape his past rights and wrongs. When a young mother and her two children, Joseph goes the extra mile to help them, even though it puts an end to his lonely lifestyle. Far away in Florida, a truck driver's death sends ripples that reach Joseph, bringing a tidal wave of regrets, remembrances and "what ifs." He no longer can escape from his past, his brother and his childhood sweetheart Allie. In this novel, Martin has brought to life fictional characters those stories tear at the heart. Yet, the writing is n''t sappy; it's just powerful. It's a story of second chances, responsibility and consequences.

Send Down the Rain is one of this authors’ best. I was hooked to this story from the first start, “Witnesses say the phone call occurred around seven p.m. and the exchange was heated.” This story is engaging, heart-felt filled with twists, turns and surprises.

I was captivated by the richness of the characters development, depth of human emotions, all of which quickly swept me into the novel and .I couldn’t put it down. This author is an exceptional story teller. I recommend this for book club. The author includes 13 discussion questions.

This was such a great read!! I was pulled into the story immediately and just loved it. A wonderful story about a man who's past is the stuff nightmares are made of. Following a sad, difficult childhood and four years in Vietnam, he returns home and is unusually lucky in his business ventures amassing a comfortable fortune. But his sense of self worth doesn't even begin to compare with his net worth until he takes on a challenge that will change everything around, for him and those he loves. Such a good story!! Do not miss this one.