Scott Southard is an author with a delicate touch. The plotline of Permanent Spring Showers has the potential to turn maudlin. There are about a dozen central characters, each uniquely impacting the story, and each with their own set of somewhat extreme problems. There are no perfect people in Permanent Spring Showers but there is a perfect balance of personalities that aid in keeping the story a light and easy read.
Permanent Spring Showers has the feeling of a soap opera episode. There are organic shifts in the story taking us from scene to scene. We meet a rich man with secrets, a builder looking for a unique project and many more characters. All of these characters are connected to a central character named Vince, the object of Rebecca’s affection. While mostly told in third person, the perspective of the narration depends on the character. In some cases, the story is told through poetry and journal entries. The mixed style approach to narration is a special experience allowing the reader to engage more fully with the subject.

When we meet Vince he’s perfection. He is the embodiment of art in the story line. That he would be Rebecca’s choice for a revenge affair is not a surprise. He is handsome, sexy, romantic and filled with passion. That he would latch on to her as the inspiration for his art is perhaps a little hard to comprehend. Vince is a little off as a character. While I know it won’t make sense until you read the book, he’s perhaps larger than the story. As Permanent Spring Showers unfolds and we see the influence of the character, anything he does can be taken as the driving force. There were times in “Permanent Spring Showers” that I wondered if we would have a “Shutter Island” sort of moment at the end of the novel (I won’t explain that reference because if you haven’t read the book by Dennis Lehane, go read it now).

Southard exposes the sometimes illogical nature of human interactions while questioning many of the concepts that are considered absolutes in our daily lives. When is the cost of the choices we make too high? Is that a consuming feeling love or attraction? Southard’s writing style is smooth and lyrical so that a subject that might be incomprehensibly difficult becomes plausible. Southard writes men and women and their motivations with an equally light hand.

If you’re interested in a read that is artistic and engaging,Permanent Spring Showers is the novel for you.