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賵丿丕毓賸丕 噩丿賷 賰賳鬲 兀丨亘賰
Rachel feels she should talk more to Izzy, but every conversation with him is a trial. Then Izzy falls in the street, and the doctors discover he has cancer. He can no longer go on his beloved walks alone, and Rachel becomes his reluctant companion. The after-school visits begin as a chore, but gradually Izzy becomes the most important thing in Rachel's life--even more important than her friendship with Lewis Olswanger.
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First published May 29, 1987
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About the author
Norma Fox Mazer
58听books104听followersNorma Fox Mazer was an American author and teacher, best known for her books for children and young adults.
She was born in New York City but grew up in Glens Falls, New York, with parents Michael and Jean Garlan Fox. Mazer graduated from Glens Falls High School, then went to Antioch College, where she met Harry Mazer, whom she married in 1950; they have four children, one of whom, Anne Mazer, is also a writer. She also studied at Syracuse University.
New York Times Book Review contributor Ruth I. Gordon wrote that Mazer "has the skill to reveal the human qualities in both ordinary and extraordinary situations as young people mature....it would be a shame to limit their reading to young people, since they can show an adult reader much about the sometimes painful rite of adolescent passage into adulthood."
Among the honors Mazer earned for her writing were a National Book Award nomination in 1973, an American Library Association Notable Book citation in 1976, inclusion on the New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year list in 1976, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1978, an Edgar Award in 1982, German Children's Literature prizes in 1982 and 1989, and a Newbery Medal in 1988.
Mazer taught in the Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults Program at Vermont College.
For more information, please see
She was born in New York City but grew up in Glens Falls, New York, with parents Michael and Jean Garlan Fox. Mazer graduated from Glens Falls High School, then went to Antioch College, where she met Harry Mazer, whom she married in 1950; they have four children, one of whom, Anne Mazer, is also a writer. She also studied at Syracuse University.
New York Times Book Review contributor Ruth I. Gordon wrote that Mazer "has the skill to reveal the human qualities in both ordinary and extraordinary situations as young people mature....it would be a shame to limit their reading to young people, since they can show an adult reader much about the sometimes painful rite of adolescent passage into adulthood."
Among the honors Mazer earned for her writing were a National Book Award nomination in 1973, an American Library Association Notable Book citation in 1976, inclusion on the New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year list in 1976, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1978, an Edgar Award in 1982, German Children's Literature prizes in 1982 and 1989, and a Newbery Medal in 1988.
Mazer taught in the Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults Program at Vermont College.
For more information, please see
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
April 3, 2010
One of my favorite things about this book is how believeable it is. I don't mean that in the sense that it's realistic fiction rather than fantasy, either- I mean the characters. Despite the fact that they are all distinct and very diverse, there isn't a single person I would describe as unrealistic, nor do any of the relationships feel strained or fake in the slightest. Rachel, in particular, is a perfectly average teenage girl
After the Rain has very little flair, but it doesn't need any. This is the very embodiemnt of the phrase "simplicity is the finest form of sophistication"; it gets its message across without bells or whistles, and though it may not shatter your worldview, the changes it does bring about are going to stick.
That message? Time can never be too precious, and you just might find yourself loving someone if you give them a chance.
A beautiful book with lovely writing.
After the Rain has very little flair, but it doesn't need any. This is the very embodiemnt of the phrase "simplicity is the finest form of sophistication"; it gets its message across without bells or whistles, and though it may not shatter your worldview, the changes it does bring about are going to stick.
That message? Time can never be too precious, and you just might find yourself loving someone if you give them a chance.
A beautiful book with lovely writing.
November 28, 2010
When I was a kid, by was one of my favorite books. I can鈥檛 tell you about the first time I read it or the effect it had on me. But I can say that I read it many, many times. When I rediscovered it as an adult, it still managed to entertain the heck out of me. Mazer didn鈥檛 write any other fantasy novels, but I鈥檝e been (slowly!) working my way through her YA books anyway hoping to find something as good as Saturday. So far, I鈥檝e been disappointed, but I finally struck gold with After the Rain.
Reading this book initially took a lot of patience. So many times I wanted to put it down due to boredom. It just moved slowly and seemed old fashioned. Granted when I checked the publication date, it was 1987. And although that doesn鈥檛 seem so long ago to me (ahem!) it is 23, now almost 24 years ago鈥�. Anyhow, it struck me how much YA literature has changed. After the Rain doesn鈥檛 involve a palpitation inducing drama, conflict, love interest or mystery. There is little action and the dialogue is not witty or fast paced. But I am so very glad I stuck with it. Mazer tells a story about family, death, sickness, friendship and first love. Her talent is that she has the ability to tackle some very heavy subjects without making it sound like a very special episode of a bad 1980鈥檚 sitcom. It鈥檚 so hard to praise a good coming of age novel without sounding clich茅, so I鈥檓 going to quit trying. I definitely recommend this for YA readers of any age.
A final note ~ as we learn in the synopsis, grandpa is diagnosed with a terminal illness. I have to say that I was appalled by the way his doctor treated him. When the doctor decided on a diagnosis, he told the family but insisted grandpa be kept in the dark, which is pretty fucked up. Grandpa is an independent, alert and oriented person; he deserves to know he is dying. Then, when grandpa鈥檚 disease is progressing the family calls the doctor who shrugs his shoulders and says there is nothing to be done. Uh, hospice consult, anyone? Portable oxygen, PRN ativan, roxanol, breathing treatments, nutritional supplements and home health visits. Uh鈥� anyway鈥� the thing is, as a nurse who works with elderly, terminally sick and dying patients I kept reading about grandpa鈥檚 disease and automatically thinking of what needed to be done to make him more comfortable but none of these steps were taken. Were things really so different in 1987? The worst was when grandpa got really bad and was admitted to the hospital. The doctor jovially said, 鈥淲e鈥檒l run some tests and have you out of here in a few days.鈥� Then turned to the family (when grandpa was out of earshot) and said he won鈥檛 be leaving the hospital鈥�ever. What the hell? Grandpa is literally on his deathbed, and that fuckwad of a doctor still doesn鈥檛 have the balls to be straight with him. Poor grandpa.
Reading this book initially took a lot of patience. So many times I wanted to put it down due to boredom. It just moved slowly and seemed old fashioned. Granted when I checked the publication date, it was 1987. And although that doesn鈥檛 seem so long ago to me (ahem!) it is 23, now almost 24 years ago鈥�. Anyhow, it struck me how much YA literature has changed. After the Rain doesn鈥檛 involve a palpitation inducing drama, conflict, love interest or mystery. There is little action and the dialogue is not witty or fast paced. But I am so very glad I stuck with it. Mazer tells a story about family, death, sickness, friendship and first love. Her talent is that she has the ability to tackle some very heavy subjects without making it sound like a very special episode of a bad 1980鈥檚 sitcom. It鈥檚 so hard to praise a good coming of age novel without sounding clich茅, so I鈥檓 going to quit trying. I definitely recommend this for YA readers of any age.
A final note ~ as we learn in the synopsis, grandpa is diagnosed with a terminal illness. I have to say that I was appalled by the way his doctor treated him. When the doctor decided on a diagnosis, he told the family but insisted grandpa be kept in the dark, which is pretty fucked up. Grandpa is an independent, alert and oriented person; he deserves to know he is dying. Then, when grandpa鈥檚 disease is progressing the family calls the doctor who shrugs his shoulders and says there is nothing to be done. Uh, hospice consult, anyone? Portable oxygen, PRN ativan, roxanol, breathing treatments, nutritional supplements and home health visits. Uh鈥� anyway鈥� the thing is, as a nurse who works with elderly, terminally sick and dying patients I kept reading about grandpa鈥檚 disease and automatically thinking of what needed to be done to make him more comfortable but none of these steps were taken. Were things really so different in 1987? The worst was when grandpa got really bad and was admitted to the hospital. The doctor jovially said, 鈥淲e鈥檒l run some tests and have you out of here in a few days.鈥� Then turned to the family (when grandpa was out of earshot) and said he won鈥檛 be leaving the hospital鈥�ever. What the hell? Grandpa is literally on his deathbed, and that fuckwad of a doctor still doesn鈥檛 have the balls to be straight with him. Poor grandpa.
November 9, 2018
"I guess, really thinking about it, I always assumed when you missed someone, it was tangible...something real you could grab and hold on to, but it's a not-there feeling."
鈥搁补肠丑别濒, After the Rain, P. 243
This book doesn't have a lot of flair to it. It certainly jumps out at the reader much less than most young adult books that I have read, but you'll find the real power of After the Rain in the utterly compelling, totally realistic feel that it brings to all of the relationships enclosed within.
Rachel is a regular girl in many ways, but she also has her own way of viewing the world, and her own take on family and relationships and the way that things should work, giving her basic idiosyncrasies like everyone has.
If After the Rain had focused almost entirely on only the relationships between Rachel and her grandpa and Rachel and her unexpected new companion Lewis Olswanger, it would have been a noble triumph, a book of rare depth and insight to be treasured for its glowing strength and remembered always. Norma Fox Mazer takes the concept of relationships much further than that, however. We see Rachel experiencing dynamic, living, breathing relationships with almost everyone who enters into the narrative's course, setting forth while slowly realizing what each of these personal connections mean to her as she grows into a wise, thoughtful teenager.
The scenes between Rachel and Lewis are bulging at the seams with some kind of understated magic, special and sweet and perceptive, warming the heart and bringing light to the mind's eye. The scenes with Rachel and her grandpa bring about the same effect but in a wholly different way, allowing us to experience the full spectrum of the quality of relationships for ourselves. It is a rare and wonderful book that accomplishes these subtle objectives with such true graceful goodness.
After the Rain will stay behind in one's thoughts long after finishing the book. You will remember the characters and think on them, wanting to know them personally, to see what it would mean to you to interact with Lewis and Rachel and Helena and Jeremy and more. In my mind, this fine novel is a true and rich success, and I liked it very much. I would give three and a half stars to After the Rain.
鈥搁补肠丑别濒, After the Rain, P. 243
This book doesn't have a lot of flair to it. It certainly jumps out at the reader much less than most young adult books that I have read, but you'll find the real power of After the Rain in the utterly compelling, totally realistic feel that it brings to all of the relationships enclosed within.
Rachel is a regular girl in many ways, but she also has her own way of viewing the world, and her own take on family and relationships and the way that things should work, giving her basic idiosyncrasies like everyone has.
If After the Rain had focused almost entirely on only the relationships between Rachel and her grandpa and Rachel and her unexpected new companion Lewis Olswanger, it would have been a noble triumph, a book of rare depth and insight to be treasured for its glowing strength and remembered always. Norma Fox Mazer takes the concept of relationships much further than that, however. We see Rachel experiencing dynamic, living, breathing relationships with almost everyone who enters into the narrative's course, setting forth while slowly realizing what each of these personal connections mean to her as she grows into a wise, thoughtful teenager.
The scenes between Rachel and Lewis are bulging at the seams with some kind of understated magic, special and sweet and perceptive, warming the heart and bringing light to the mind's eye. The scenes with Rachel and her grandpa bring about the same effect but in a wholly different way, allowing us to experience the full spectrum of the quality of relationships for ourselves. It is a rare and wonderful book that accomplishes these subtle objectives with such true graceful goodness.
After the Rain will stay behind in one's thoughts long after finishing the book. You will remember the characters and think on them, wanting to know them personally, to see what it would mean to you to interact with Lewis and Rachel and Helena and Jeremy and more. In my mind, this fine novel is a true and rich success, and I liked it very much. I would give three and a half stars to After the Rain.
June 17, 2015
There are quite a few Newbery honor books (and a couple winners) that I really didn't like, but I could make some guesses as to why they were chosen.
This book is the exception. I don't know why it was chosen. Let me explain why it shouldn't have been.
First, it is fairly modern, i.e. written since I was born, so it doesn't have that as an excuse for not great grammar and horrible placement of commas.
Second, the book uses some fowl language that I have only seen in rare occasion, and at those times only a few times per book, in other Newbery winners or honors.
Third, none of the characters are likable, though it is clear that the author wants them to be:
- The main character is a loser teen. The author calls her 'a worrier,' but she's more of a selfish snob. The author calls her smart, but she appears stupid to me.
- The boyfriend is immature. The author calls him smart and funny. Also quite a stupid and conceited character.
- The grandpa, (who is the other main character, not the boyfriend like you'd think from the cover - which is clearly a way to try to get teenage girls to buy the book), is mean and cold. Yes, the author did this on purpose, but she tried to shine light into him to make him seem like a good guy underneath. I think the author's idea of what good people are is a little messed up. Maybe she hasn't really known any good people.
- The uncle is a loser. The author makes his running around from job to job, girl to girl, late into his thirties, seem like he's just an adventurer. Then she gives him a hippie beard and attitude to improve his character. Seems like a loser to me.
- The best friend is a prissy fool. She's had a boyfriend every year since she was like 9 years old or something, and her whole goal throughout the story is to try to improve the main character's life by getting her a boyfriend because that's all life is to her. Lame-o.
- The lady that lives on a hill is underdeveloped. The author seems to think having her in the story is this big deep thing. Nope, sorry.
Fourth, the last chapter of the book is a short little one-pager. Usually means kind of a roll-over into life after the story. But the chapter before that did okay; this chapter didn't seem to belong (note the semi-colon instead of the comma the author would have used). The book wasn't great, but it would have been less bad if it was one page shorter.
Anyway, I guess the main idea of the story is okay. Her grandfather is dying, so she starts getting to know him better. Maybe that's why this book won an honor. Moral of the story: get to know grandpa before he kicks the bucket.
P.S. I did feel a little embarrassed reading this book on the bus. That front cover really looks like it's meant to shun anyone who is NOT a preteen girl. I tried to hide the cover while I read it. But if you look real closely, blending in to the shadow of the bridge is the grandfather - the next main character. :-)
This book is the exception. I don't know why it was chosen. Let me explain why it shouldn't have been.
First, it is fairly modern, i.e. written since I was born, so it doesn't have that as an excuse for not great grammar and horrible placement of commas.
Second, the book uses some fowl language that I have only seen in rare occasion, and at those times only a few times per book, in other Newbery winners or honors.
Third, none of the characters are likable, though it is clear that the author wants them to be:
- The main character is a loser teen. The author calls her 'a worrier,' but she's more of a selfish snob. The author calls her smart, but she appears stupid to me.
- The boyfriend is immature. The author calls him smart and funny. Also quite a stupid and conceited character.
- The grandpa, (who is the other main character, not the boyfriend like you'd think from the cover - which is clearly a way to try to get teenage girls to buy the book), is mean and cold. Yes, the author did this on purpose, but she tried to shine light into him to make him seem like a good guy underneath. I think the author's idea of what good people are is a little messed up. Maybe she hasn't really known any good people.
- The uncle is a loser. The author makes his running around from job to job, girl to girl, late into his thirties, seem like he's just an adventurer. Then she gives him a hippie beard and attitude to improve his character. Seems like a loser to me.
- The best friend is a prissy fool. She's had a boyfriend every year since she was like 9 years old or something, and her whole goal throughout the story is to try to improve the main character's life by getting her a boyfriend because that's all life is to her. Lame-o.
- The lady that lives on a hill is underdeveloped. The author seems to think having her in the story is this big deep thing. Nope, sorry.
Fourth, the last chapter of the book is a short little one-pager. Usually means kind of a roll-over into life after the story. But the chapter before that did okay; this chapter didn't seem to belong (note the semi-colon instead of the comma the author would have used). The book wasn't great, but it would have been less bad if it was one page shorter.
Anyway, I guess the main idea of the story is okay. Her grandfather is dying, so she starts getting to know him better. Maybe that's why this book won an honor. Moral of the story: get to know grandpa before he kicks the bucket.
P.S. I did feel a little embarrassed reading this book on the bus. That front cover really looks like it's meant to shun anyone who is NOT a preteen girl. I tried to hide the cover while I read it. But if you look real closely, blending in to the shadow of the bridge is the grandfather - the next main character. :-)
March 12, 2014
Did not really care for this one--not entirely sure why it was a Newbery Honor.
September 18, 2015
賯乇兀鬲賴丕 賲賳匕 爻賳賷賳 賵賰丕賳鬲 丕乇賵毓 賯氐賴 丨賷賳賴丕 賵丕毓鬲丿鬲 賯乇丕卅鬲賴丕 賲乇丕鬲 毓丿丞 賵賱賰賳賷 丕賮鬲賯丿賴丕 丕賱丕賳 賵亘卮丿丞 賵丕鬲賲賳賶 丕賳 丕噩丿賴丕 賷賵賲丕 亘賷賳 丕睾乇丕囟賷 丕賱賲亘毓孬乇丞 賱丕毓丕賵丿 賯乇丕卅鬲賴丕 賵丕賱毓賷卮 賮賷賴丕 賰丕賱爻丕亘賯
賵丿丕毓丕 噩丿賷 賱賯丿 丕丨亘亘鬲賰 丿賵賲丕
賵丿丕毓丕 噩丿賷 賱賯丿 丕丨亘亘鬲賰 丿賵賲丕
March 25, 2021
Rachel doesn't really know or like her grandfather much, despite spending every Sunday at his house with her parents. But when he starts having trouble breathing and gets a grim diagnosis from the doctor, she starts taking his daily walks with him and gradually comes to recognize the love between them.
A Newbery Honor book that, as it seems to me, won the Honor on the basis of tackling the subject of a family death. It's an honorable idea, but not very well executed here. The writing's okay, but none of the characters are all that likeable. I think for something like a treatment of this topic to work, the author needs to make the characters sympathetic enough that the reader can slide right into their shoes and easily try to imagine what they're feeling and thinking. This story, however, leaves the reader half-interested and wholly on the outside of the events; I just didn't feel invested at all.
A Newbery Honor book that, as it seems to me, won the Honor on the basis of tackling the subject of a family death. It's an honorable idea, but not very well executed here. The writing's okay, but none of the characters are all that likeable. I think for something like a treatment of this topic to work, the author needs to make the characters sympathetic enough that the reader can slide right into their shoes and easily try to imagine what they're feeling and thinking. This story, however, leaves the reader half-interested and wholly on the outside of the events; I just didn't feel invested at all.
April 28, 2016
If this were written by a 15 year old, I'd say "Nice job! I like how you showed the progression in the relationship between Rachel and her grandfather. That's the part of the book where your writing really shines."
But it wasn't written by a 15 year old (although it often felt that way). It was written by a Newbery Honor author. And I'm left wondering why I had to muddle through page after page about an awkward teenage romance, poorly written characters (aside from the grandfather), and pointless nicknames (Jerems? Really?), cultural references with a feeble attempt to be relevant (Emilio Estevez), and clothing descriptions.
Yes, the heart of the story - Rachel and Izzy - was touching. But if I had read this as a teenager in 1987 I would have given up on the book long before it got to that part.
But it wasn't written by a 15 year old (although it often felt that way). It was written by a Newbery Honor author. And I'm left wondering why I had to muddle through page after page about an awkward teenage romance, poorly written characters (aside from the grandfather), and pointless nicknames (Jerems? Really?), cultural references with a feeble attempt to be relevant (Emilio Estevez), and clothing descriptions.
Yes, the heart of the story - Rachel and Izzy - was touching. But if I had read this as a teenager in 1987 I would have given up on the book long before it got to that part.
March 23, 2019
Loving the unlikeable character.
Rachel is a typical teen. She wants to be like her best friend, funny, happy, popular, and to have a boyfriend. Rachel worries she won't have her first kiss before the time she's 16.
But all these worries pale when compared to the worry of her dying grandfather. Izzy isn't the sweet, kind, stereo-typical grandfather, quite the opposite actually. He's rough, prickly, and sometimes just downright mean. But as Rachel grows throughout this book, so does her love for Izzy, as well as the readers.
Izzy is grumpy and trying, like many people we'll meet in our lives, but this book guides you through the rough parts of Izzy's personality, and shows you the hidden, but beautiful side of this tough Grandfather. After reading this book I looked at the trying people in my life in a new, and more understanding light.
Rachel is a typical teen. She wants to be like her best friend, funny, happy, popular, and to have a boyfriend. Rachel worries she won't have her first kiss before the time she's 16.
But all these worries pale when compared to the worry of her dying grandfather. Izzy isn't the sweet, kind, stereo-typical grandfather, quite the opposite actually. He's rough, prickly, and sometimes just downright mean. But as Rachel grows throughout this book, so does her love for Izzy, as well as the readers.
Izzy is grumpy and trying, like many people we'll meet in our lives, but this book guides you through the rough parts of Izzy's personality, and shows you the hidden, but beautiful side of this tough Grandfather. After reading this book I looked at the trying people in my life in a new, and more understanding light.
October 9, 2014
I first read this book in 2005 and I thought I had no recollection of it. But sometimes a scene would come to mind, of an old man trying to prove he was still strong by lifting up a girl at a birthday party. That scene, so heartbreaking and awkward. And it was from this book.
I used to have no interest in reading YA novels where a grandparent was the central figure, rather than a love interest being the central figure. I have more of an appreciation for this kind of story now than when I was young. The writing was beautiful, the characters and the dialogue refreshingly believable and real.
9/60 tbr box.
I used to have no interest in reading YA novels where a grandparent was the central figure, rather than a love interest being the central figure. I have more of an appreciation for this kind of story now than when I was young. The writing was beautiful, the characters and the dialogue refreshingly believable and real.
9/60 tbr box.
February 23, 2011
I like this book because I really understand how the main character Rachel feels about the relationship between friends and family. She is 15 years old, and she does not have self-confidence. She worried about her appearance and difference from other girls. She eventually fell in love with Lewis. However, she begings to concerns more about her grandfather because she found that he has ill. After I finished reading this book, I learned that family is really important to my life. This book is very enjoyable because all the setting is believable, not fantasy. I think many girls can feel sympathy with Rachel's feeling. Therefore I recommend this book to espesially teenage girls.
October 27, 2009
This book made me extremely happy. It was a normal relateable plotline, with normal, relateable characters, in a normal relateable town. Usually, this would infuriate me to no end, but curiously, I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were perfectly relateable. The relationships and the ending of the story were very nice and easy, not to sugary sweet like some stories like this tend to be.
Good book overall.
Good book overall.
August 4, 2016
賯乇丕鬲賴丕 賯亘賱 丕賰孬乇 賲賳 毓卮乇賷賳 爻賳丞 賵賲丕夭丕賱鬲 兀丨丿丕孬賴丕 賵卮禺氐賷丕鬲賴丕 賮賷 賲禺賷賱鬲賷 賰丕賳賳賷 賯乇丕鬲賴丕 丕賱亘丕乇丨丞.. 丕乇賵毓 賲丕 賯乇兀鬲 丨賷賳賴丕 賵賲賳 乇賵丕卅毓 賲丕 賯乇兀鬲 丕賱丕賳 .. 丕購爻賱賵亘 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 爻賴賱 賲賲鬲賳毓.. 丨賷丕丞 賷賵賲賷丞 賱毓丕卅賱丞 賰亘賷乇丞 鬲毓賷卮 賮賷 卮賯丞 氐睾賷乇丞 賮賷 賵爻胤 賲丿賷賳丞.. 丕丨丿丕孬 賰賱 賷賵賲 鬲毓賷卮賴丕 賲毓賴丕 賵禺氐賵氐丕 賲毓 噩賷賳賷 亘胤賱丞 丕賱賯氐丞 .. 賷賲賰賳 丕賱賯賵賱 毓賳賴丕 丕賳賴丕 乇賵丕賷丞 賰賱 賷賵賲 賵鬲卮毓乇 賲毓賴丕 丕賳賰 鬲毓賷卮 丨賷丕丞 丕禺乇賶 丨丕賱 鬲賯賱賷亘賰 賱氐賮丨丕鬲 丕賱賰鬲丕亘
May 4, 2012
I had to read this book for school and it didn't wow me. I found the main character to be a bit annoying and truthfully rather insufferable at times. If it wasn't for school I would have never picked it up.
April 10, 2022
A parent's Book Review
2/5 stars
After the Rain,
Norma Fox Mazer
"Not all that relatable for young sons"
This was a Newberry book and I had been going through several Newberry books so that I had things to give to my sons to read later on that I had already pre-read (to make sure that it was kosher / clean).
It turns out that winning a newbery award is an imperfect predictor of how good a book will be. (It's kind of the opposite of how Oprah's Book club endorsement is an imperfect predictor of a book that will be trash.)
I have to say that this book only took one day to read, and I'm even sorry that I wasted that much time.
鈭嗏垎鈭員he first problem is that there are a lot of things that are factually wrong/not consistent with medical treatment today.
1. When a patient is dying, it is emphatically not the case that the doctor tells everyone except him. (I think everybody has noticed that every time you go to the doctor you have to fill out a telephone book of HIPAA privacy paperwork.)
2. No, doctors are not people that you can just call up anytime you need to talk to them and they drop everything and come running.
3. End of life issues are treated by hospice, and if the exact same events of the book happened today-- then that is exactly where Grandpa would have been.
鈭嗏垎鈭員here were also some problems with the philosophical points of the book:
1. The family was a bunch of non-Jewish Jews.
To an insider, there are clues all over the place - - even though the author does not specifically come out and say it until probably about page 154.
-Nobody modifies their life in any way on a Saturday.
-People serve a dinner of chicken with sour cream and potatoes. (Oops)
-The grandfather is cremated at the end of his life.
If you want your children to stay observant and you want to give them positive images of an observant family, you will not find that in this book.
2. The book has a family that just has way too much melodrama going on. I get sick of books where characters have the same issues as 40-year-old triply divorced alcoholics - - even though they may only be 15. (This book was written 34 years ago, but it is the harbinger of what passes as young adult fiction today.)
Everybody who raises a number of children has some number of difficulties, and you don't need to read a book to hear about imaginary / someone else's difficulties.
3. I'm raising sons, and this book has an excessively chick-ish feel to it.
4. The book is too far back in time for any of the details to make the book relatable.
鈭嗏垎鈭員here were some plausibility problems.
1. A 15-year-old has nothing like a relationship with this surly grandfather, and then all of a sudden when he's going to die then they become best friends in the world.
2. This is not the normative Jewish way to deal with death. (In the Orthodox conceptual space, death is just a part of life and dealt with in a matter of fact way; When people die, the funeral and burial are completed within 24 hours and services usually take about 30 minutes.)
3. The protagonist does a lot of whining about not having a boyfriend. (It's almost like she doesn't realize that Jewish women are at the top of the dating market and don't have to wait for anybody.)
4. She has friends and hang out with her and an 83-year-old grandfather because of course any 15-year-old is going to put all of her friends aside in order to do just that so they figure that if they want her contact then maybe they better come for a visit.
The last problem is that the book kept switching back and forth between first and third person.
Aggravating.
I think that any of the Beverly cleary Leigh Botts bildungsroman are more relatable. Or, maybe anything by Gary Paulsen.
Verdict:
Not recommended.
Save your time.
This book is going to be donated to the library within the next several hours.
2/5 stars
After the Rain,
Norma Fox Mazer
"Not all that relatable for young sons"
This was a Newberry book and I had been going through several Newberry books so that I had things to give to my sons to read later on that I had already pre-read (to make sure that it was kosher / clean).
It turns out that winning a newbery award is an imperfect predictor of how good a book will be. (It's kind of the opposite of how Oprah's Book club endorsement is an imperfect predictor of a book that will be trash.)
I have to say that this book only took one day to read, and I'm even sorry that I wasted that much time.
鈭嗏垎鈭員he first problem is that there are a lot of things that are factually wrong/not consistent with medical treatment today.
1. When a patient is dying, it is emphatically not the case that the doctor tells everyone except him. (I think everybody has noticed that every time you go to the doctor you have to fill out a telephone book of HIPAA privacy paperwork.)
2. No, doctors are not people that you can just call up anytime you need to talk to them and they drop everything and come running.
3. End of life issues are treated by hospice, and if the exact same events of the book happened today-- then that is exactly where Grandpa would have been.
鈭嗏垎鈭員here were also some problems with the philosophical points of the book:
1. The family was a bunch of non-Jewish Jews.
To an insider, there are clues all over the place - - even though the author does not specifically come out and say it until probably about page 154.
-Nobody modifies their life in any way on a Saturday.
-People serve a dinner of chicken with sour cream and potatoes. (Oops)
-The grandfather is cremated at the end of his life.
If you want your children to stay observant and you want to give them positive images of an observant family, you will not find that in this book.
2. The book has a family that just has way too much melodrama going on. I get sick of books where characters have the same issues as 40-year-old triply divorced alcoholics - - even though they may only be 15. (This book was written 34 years ago, but it is the harbinger of what passes as young adult fiction today.)
Everybody who raises a number of children has some number of difficulties, and you don't need to read a book to hear about imaginary / someone else's difficulties.
3. I'm raising sons, and this book has an excessively chick-ish feel to it.
4. The book is too far back in time for any of the details to make the book relatable.
鈭嗏垎鈭員here were some plausibility problems.
1. A 15-year-old has nothing like a relationship with this surly grandfather, and then all of a sudden when he's going to die then they become best friends in the world.
2. This is not the normative Jewish way to deal with death. (In the Orthodox conceptual space, death is just a part of life and dealt with in a matter of fact way; When people die, the funeral and burial are completed within 24 hours and services usually take about 30 minutes.)
3. The protagonist does a lot of whining about not having a boyfriend. (It's almost like she doesn't realize that Jewish women are at the top of the dating market and don't have to wait for anybody.)
4. She has friends and hang out with her and an 83-year-old grandfather because of course any 15-year-old is going to put all of her friends aside in order to do just that so they figure that if they want her contact then maybe they better come for a visit.
The last problem is that the book kept switching back and forth between first and third person.
Aggravating.
I think that any of the Beverly cleary Leigh Botts bildungsroman are more relatable. Or, maybe anything by Gary Paulsen.
Verdict:
Not recommended.
Save your time.
This book is going to be donated to the library within the next several hours.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
Read for Newbery club, notes below copied from the comments there.
I am particularly enjoying the fact that Rachel seems unlikeable at first, self-centered, immature, hormonal. Too many books marketed to tweens and young teens these days have such precociously insightful young characters that it's clear that it's the author's way of communicating what the young readers should see in the situation. But as we read about Rachel, we learn *with* her all the insights, all the growth of understanding other's perspectives. She is maturing into a very nice young woman... though still being a very realistic teen.
There are lots of things to discuss about the book, too.
For example, what is going on with Jeremy? The book is apparently set contemporary with publication (1987) so do we readers think that he should 'get over' his experiences in Vietnam (not discussed), or is there another reason he's so distant?
How would you interpret Jeremy's behavior or character?
For another example, should a very old terminally ill person be told how much time they have left? Izzy is not being given a chance to do anything like write legacy letters, give away his mementos to the people of his choice, accomplish anything on his bucket list, burn his secrets.... Obviously I think he should he should have been told. Of course, he didn't ask....
What do you think?
---
Done.
It just got more and more interesting to me. I have no idea what I would have thought when I was a young girl. But I do recommend it to all of you.
I am particularly enjoying the fact that Rachel seems unlikeable at first, self-centered, immature, hormonal. Too many books marketed to tweens and young teens these days have such precociously insightful young characters that it's clear that it's the author's way of communicating what the young readers should see in the situation. But as we read about Rachel, we learn *with* her all the insights, all the growth of understanding other's perspectives. She is maturing into a very nice young woman... though still being a very realistic teen.
There are lots of things to discuss about the book, too.
For example, what is going on with Jeremy? The book is apparently set contemporary with publication (1987) so do we readers think that he should 'get over' his experiences in Vietnam (not discussed), or is there another reason he's so distant?
How would you interpret Jeremy's behavior or character?
For another example, should a very old terminally ill person be told how much time they have left? Izzy is not being given a chance to do anything like write legacy letters, give away his mementos to the people of his choice, accomplish anything on his bucket list, burn his secrets.... Obviously I think he should he should have been told. Of course, he didn't ask....
What do you think?
---
Done.
It just got more and more interesting to me. I have no idea what I would have thought when I was a young girl. But I do recommend it to all of you.
August 5, 2017
This 1988 Newbery Honor book is the story of teenaged Rachel who has all of the problems of a 15 year old girl and then some. Rachel was written very well, typically insecure about just about everything and as rebellious as she dared to be. The main thrust of the story is the relationship, or lack therof, between herself and her crusty old grandfather. When he develops terminal Mesothelioma Rachel becomes his unwilling caregiver. As time goes on, predictably, grandpa becomes less crusty and Rachel develops a strong emotional relationship with him. Mazer examines all of Rachel's feelings; her emerging love for her grandfather, her curiosity, her anger, her grief, her confusion, everything she feels before, during, and after her grandfather's death. It would have been a very touching story had Mazer stayed focused on just that aspect of Rachel's life.
Unfortunately too many other characters were drawn into the story and as a result there were too many loose threads and unfinished story lines when all was said and done. It was just, and more to the point, unnecessarily, all over the place.
After the Rain is probably too dated for today's young readers but it is a good story with a valuable moral lesson - it's never too late to develop familial relationships and how much those relationships can teach you about yourself and those close to you. The rest of the characters might have made a good sequel.
Unfortunately too many other characters were drawn into the story and as a result there were too many loose threads and unfinished story lines when all was said and done. It was just, and more to the point, unnecessarily, all over the place.
After the Rain is probably too dated for today's young readers but it is a good story with a valuable moral lesson - it's never too late to develop familial relationships and how much those relationships can teach you about yourself and those close to you. The rest of the characters might have made a good sequel.
Read
January 3, 2020 from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and everything.
This one surprised me, actually. First off, let鈥檚 get this out of the way. The cover is awful. While the 80s fashions are hilarious, it looks like Rachel is about to be kidnapped. It also doesn鈥檛 suit the book at all.
However, this is pretty good. The book is a combination of third person present tense narration and letters and journal entries (obviously in first person). Third person present tense is a little odd, honestly, but you get used to it after a while. And this is a little dated, and there鈥檚 occasionally some language that at the time was fine, but has since become offensive.
But despite that, it鈥檚 a good book. It talks about death in a very franky and emotionally honest way. Rachel and her family are also Jewish, which is cool. I鈥檓 actually going to keep this one, because I liked it, and I honestly think that you could reprint this one and put it out with a new cover and it鈥檇 be cool.
This one surprised me, actually. First off, let鈥檚 get this out of the way. The cover is awful. While the 80s fashions are hilarious, it looks like Rachel is about to be kidnapped. It also doesn鈥檛 suit the book at all.
However, this is pretty good. The book is a combination of third person present tense narration and letters and journal entries (obviously in first person). Third person present tense is a little odd, honestly, but you get used to it after a while. And this is a little dated, and there鈥檚 occasionally some language that at the time was fine, but has since become offensive.
But despite that, it鈥檚 a good book. It talks about death in a very franky and emotionally honest way. Rachel and her family are also Jewish, which is cool. I鈥檓 actually going to keep this one, because I liked it, and I honestly think that you could reprint this one and put it out with a new cover and it鈥檇 be cool.
March 13, 2020
This is a very good book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read what life is all about. This book explores the life of a fifteen year old who wants to grow up and be an author. She wants to inspire others, but she worries. She has a whole lot of worries for a whole lot of invalid reasons. She worries about what her family thinks of her, after all she is the youngest by a lot. She worries of what other people outside her family think of her. Whether she looks cute enough or her clothes aren鈥檛 to flashy. She worries about every detail of her life. This book tells a story that could be realistic, because don鈥檛 we all have worries, self doubts and other point less thoughts. That鈥檚 what makes us human. This book made me realize the beauty of life and how it doesn鈥檛 matter what others think. As we go through our are daily lives things happen. In After the Rain, Rachel has a sick grandpa who is stubborn. She loves him and wants the best for him and her family. Once again brings us to real life. He changes her life, and for the better. It鈥檚 everyday life events that make us enjoy the little things. Our choices decide our destiny, so what are you gonna do to make life better?
April 21, 2021
This book was hard for me to get into. However, after reading and getting tied into the characters and their emotions I loved it. This story can be extremely relatable for adolescents who have lost a grandparent. The theme I really pick up on is to never leave anything unsaid or not fixed, don鈥檛 take your family and the time blessed with for granted. I know that I definitely relate! I lost two of my grandparents and there鈥檚 so many things I wish I could go back to and really live in those moments, not taking them for granted. This story uses several literary devices: flashback, imagery, similes, metaphors, symbolism.
Rachel Cooper is a young teenager who worries about her dating life and the lack of experience she has. However, she is extremely intelligent and loves writing. She writes several letters to her brother Jeremy who she barely knows. He never writes back but will send her a post card every three years or so. She also has another brother, a niece, a nephew, two loving parents, and a difficult grandfather. However, when her grandfather Izzy becomes extremely sick with mesothelioma, she begins walking with him everyday after a terrible fall. At first, this is the last way Rachel would prefer to spend her time. She just began dating her best friend鈥檚 boyfriend鈥檚 cousin Lewis Olswanger. As she continues to do this for months, she realizes she wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way. She loves spending time with her grandfather and is so concerned about his well being. Sadly, as Dr. North predicted, he got much weaker and his time was coming to an end. Rachel developed such a strong bond with him she never had in previous years for she was so scared of him. When the time of his passing came, she and her family were extremely devastated but thankful for the time they had. His passing brings everyone back together and Rachel gets to spend some time with Jeremy and talk about the letters she鈥檚 been writing to him. He tells her that he loves them, he doesn鈥檛 just toss them away. Jeremy just isn鈥檛 the type to write back. Then, at the end, Rachel and Lewis begin looking for Izzy鈥檚 handprint he left on one of the bridges he told Rachel about several years ago when he was an employed stonemason. After much dedication they finally find it. Izzy鈥檚 handprint that would I always reside there and have his initials. A special piece of him.
Rachel Cooper is a young teenager who worries about her dating life and the lack of experience she has. However, she is extremely intelligent and loves writing. She writes several letters to her brother Jeremy who she barely knows. He never writes back but will send her a post card every three years or so. She also has another brother, a niece, a nephew, two loving parents, and a difficult grandfather. However, when her grandfather Izzy becomes extremely sick with mesothelioma, she begins walking with him everyday after a terrible fall. At first, this is the last way Rachel would prefer to spend her time. She just began dating her best friend鈥檚 boyfriend鈥檚 cousin Lewis Olswanger. As she continues to do this for months, she realizes she wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way. She loves spending time with her grandfather and is so concerned about his well being. Sadly, as Dr. North predicted, he got much weaker and his time was coming to an end. Rachel developed such a strong bond with him she never had in previous years for she was so scared of him. When the time of his passing came, she and her family were extremely devastated but thankful for the time they had. His passing brings everyone back together and Rachel gets to spend some time with Jeremy and talk about the letters she鈥檚 been writing to him. He tells her that he loves them, he doesn鈥檛 just toss them away. Jeremy just isn鈥檛 the type to write back. Then, at the end, Rachel and Lewis begin looking for Izzy鈥檚 handprint he left on one of the bridges he told Rachel about several years ago when he was an employed stonemason. After much dedication they finally find it. Izzy鈥檚 handprint that would I always reside there and have his initials. A special piece of him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2020
This book won the Newberry Honor award, but honestly, I almost gave up on it in the middle. It was so slow, and the characters didn鈥檛 seem realistic to me. Part of this might be that the dialogue and actions of the characters seemed rather dated. I don鈥檛 think it transitioned well through the years. This book deals with a teenage girl getting to know her grandfather during his terminal illness and death. While that part is beautifully written, I think you would almost have had to experience the death of someone close to get the full emotion the author was trying to convey. I did end up liking the book okay after pushing past the midway point, but I doubt if I would recommend this to any young people I know.
January 11, 2023
Read for Popsugar: a book by a female author
Newbery Honor 1988
Meh? I was just saying how I'm trying to stop reading books I'm not enjoying, but that directly clashes with my goal of reading all the Newbery honor and award books because of some of these older ones, so I'm not sure how that's going to work out, haha.
It was okay. Imperfect characters almost to the point of unlikeable. The boyfriend was descibed as looking like Abraham Lincoln which made me even more diappointed in the misleading cover. I demand Abraham Lincoln! Oh gosh, I just realized Grandpa is sitting on a bench in the background. I never noticed - I'm terrible.
Newbery Honor 1988
Meh? I was just saying how I'm trying to stop reading books I'm not enjoying, but that directly clashes with my goal of reading all the Newbery honor and award books because of some of these older ones, so I'm not sure how that's going to work out, haha.
It was okay. Imperfect characters almost to the point of unlikeable. The boyfriend was descibed as looking like Abraham Lincoln which made me even more diappointed in the misleading cover. I demand Abraham Lincoln! Oh gosh, I just realized Grandpa is sitting on a bench in the background. I never noticed - I'm terrible.
December 7, 2016
This is a quiet, sweet story about a teenage girl and her relationships with her parents, her best friend, and her grandfather. I didn't care about some of the characters until quite far into the story, but by the end I really cared about them all. It wasn't as much about her relationship with a new boyfriend as I thought it would be based on the cover picture. But I should know by now that you can't depend on cover pictures to let you know what the story is about!
This was a Newbery Honor winner in 1988.
This was a Newbery Honor winner in 1988.
June 29, 2023
This book is early YA, when there's an understanding that YA is it's own thing, but not a separate award yet. It has an after-school special feeling to it, and felt a little clunky to me. I think there are better YA books from this era. This was a good story, though. Touching, about a girl losing her grandfather and the development of their relationship.
June 28, 2017
This, this book was amazing and sad. It is now one of my favorite books ever. The way that Ms Mazer captured the real,True emotions of a teenager was indescribable in a good way. If you like this I suggest reading A Begonia for Miss Applebaum by Paul Zindel. Just remember to bring the tissues.
July 20, 2017
An intense story about dealing with a loved one dying, written from the perspective of a teenage girl, who is also going through her own transition into adulthood. Somewhat melancholy, of course, but probably a good conversation starter when broaching the forbidden topic of how to handle death.
June 27, 2017
Really sweet book. Good story line. Good read especially for preteens to young adult.
July 3, 2017
I'm so glad I decided to pick up this book in my school library. I love old books with plots like these. This book needs to be read by more people. I know many people would love it. Amazing read.
August 15, 2017
I liked this story just fine. There are many reviews. I direct you to those. I can see why this won an honor.
August 15, 2018
It鈥檚 absolutely amazing and keeps you wanting more
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