I “read” the audio version of Rain Clouds and Waterfalls, by Piper Templeton. That in itself is a big plus for me! I frequently listen to audio books or the text-to-speech accessibility feature of books while I multi-task. Professional narration by Audible conveys the nuance of words and tone of the scene in a way that text-to-speech cannot. It really brings a book to life!
Rain Clouds and Waterfalls follows the life of Ellen, a school girl in the ’70s, to adulthood in 1990. The most notable and enduring of Ellen’s personality is her fanatical obsession with the Beatles, and that provides the thread connecting the chapters which are snapshots of her life. Given this, I half expected actual Beatles music to be present in the audio book. Alas, it is only present to the same extent as in the other forms of the book, with mentions of albums, songs, and Beatles history and trivia.
Ellen evolves as a person during the course of the book. She starts as a timid member of a dysfunctional family, and gives up the idea of college because she mistakenly believes her future is with the guy who has been using her for sex. We continue to see her as sexually abused in the 1980s workplace, in a way that would not be tolerated today. By the end of the book she has moved past that situation, and is considering furthering her education.
The ending wraps up some loose ends with a nice twist and a hopeful outlook. If you are a Beatles fan, and grew up during that era, you will enjoy this book. Try it on Audible!