Rain Reign

The effects of Hurricane Susan on Rain Reign’s elementary-school-aged characters allow Martin to explore the aftermath of trauma on children. The storm leaves a lasting and profound mark on Rose and her classmates; as Rose recounts, “when Mrs. Kushel asked what we would like to write about, every single one of us said, ‘Hurricane Susan.’ We are not finished thinking about our ruined homes and wrecked artwork, our washed-away bridges and lost dogs” (184). In this passage, Martin gives concrete examples of how the storm has disrupted the characters’ lives. The washout in their driveway impacts Rose and Wesley’s ability to leave their home, for example, and strands Rose with her borderline abusive father. Rose’s classmates experience other hardships because of the storm as well. Rose and Weldon’s excursion to Gloverstown also highlights the communal hardships of the hurricane as families are stranded or displaced, lose their homes, or lose access to basic necessities like electricity and phone communication. Rain’s past owners, who experienced displacement in a storm a year before the story, are still dealing with their losses. The lost pets who are brought to the animal shelters also demonstrate the fragility and disruption that families experience as they become separated from their beloved animal companions.