Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Summary
Delsie loves a good storm – except when the squalls are in her own life. Her summer friend, Brandy, is back on the Cape at last—but devastates her by dumping her for a new friend. And she could really use a mom right now – except hers left years ago and her loving Grammy won’t discuss her mom, saying it’s too painful.
So when she meets snarky Ronan, supposedly a liar and a thief, Delsie wonders if he’s another storm on the horizon. Turns out he’s caring and courageous – a fisherman’s son who’d rather protect sea life than eat it. But she recognizes something else, too. He is lonely just like she is. As they traipse around the island they uncover deep neighborhood secrets, stand up to cruelty and get into both good and bad trouble. But they also open up to each other and tackle complicated stuff like what it means to be angry versus sad, broken versus whole, and abandoned versus loved.
Book Setting: Yarmouth, Dennisport & Dennis, MA
The Cape Playhouse: Delsie’s friends Aimee and Michael are acting in Annie here
Seagull Beach: Delsie, Brandy, Ronan and Tressa’s favorite beach
Sundae School: Delsie, Aimee, Michael, Tressa and Brandy see Ronan getting in trouble here
Gray’s Beach: Delsie and Ronan go crab fishing here
Holiday Hill Mini Golf: Delsie and Ronan go mini-golfing here and Delsie thinks she sees her mom
Corporation Beach: Papa Joseph and Delsie found a diamond ring here with a metal detector
The Optimist Cafe: Esme and Delsie go out to tea here and Ronan shows up
Monomoy Island: Henry takes Delsie and Ronan here on The Reel
Reviews
“A richly embroidered cast of characters, a thoughtful exploration of how real friends treat one another, and the true meaning of family all combine to make this a thoroughly satisfying coming-of-age tale. Cape Cod is nicely depicted—not the Cape of tourists but the one of year-round residents—as is the sometimes-sharp contrast between residents and summer people. Hunt has crafted another gentle, moving tale of love and loss: the value of the one and the importance of getting over the other.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Endearingly blunt, stubborn Delsie lives year-round on Cape Cod. . . . In kid-friendly prose, Hunt balances Delsie’s unfettered sense of adventure with her tweenlike insecurities. . . . Her sweet desire for a family and her unexpected realization that she’s had one all along make this story well worth reading.”
—Publishers Weekly