I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Camille Di Maio for the ARC of "Before the Rain Falls" by Camille Di Maio for my honest review.
The genres for this book are Fiction, and Women's Fiction. The story had suspense and an essence of history.
I loved Camille Di Maio's style of writing which had me so engrossed that I didn't want to put the book down. I also appreciated the descriptions of Puerto Pasar and Texas. I could imagine the stifling and suffocating heat. I found the descriptions of the church, and the local stores, and tantalizing foods amazing..
The characters in this story were complex, complicated and conflicted. Della Lee, has been released from prison after serving a seven decade sentence for the murder of her sister Eula. She arrives at her home in Puerto Pasar.
Paloma Vego, is a physician who comes home to Puerto Pasar, to see her grandmother, who is recovering from a heart attack and her younger sister who seems to have a way of finding trouble.
Mick Anders, is a suspended journalist, who has been sent to write a story about a painting in Puerto Pasar.
The timeline of the story alternates between the past and present. There are two storylines. One is of the hard life that Della Lee has faced in prison. The other is Paloma's and Mick's search to find their personal answers to what they are seeking..
The author describes the importance, love and sacrifice for family. The author also discusses betrayal, loyalty, support, and friendship.
This was a fantastic read that I enjoyed, and would recommend it highly. There are some Kleenex moments. I look forward to more of Camille Di Maio's books.

Clear your schedule before you pick up Camille Di Maio's new book, because it is simply unputdownable!

This is primarily the story of Della Lee, and her tale begins as she is released from prison, an elderly woman now, but it is also the story of Dr Paloma Vega, raised in Puerto Pesar and home to look after her recovering Grandmother, and of journalist Mick Anders, who travels to the tired, dusty South Texas town in search of a story that will resuscitate his career. Their lives cross and become intertwined, and the story is skillfully presented in a dual timeline format: Della Lee's story beginning in the '40s up until her release from prison, and in present day as their paths and goals knit together.

The book opens slowly, appropriately setting the mood for tired, worn down Puerto Pesar (which means "Port of Regret"). Di Maio's writing will slowly draw you in. She is wonderful with setting the scene and in telling a story that is tragic and fascinating, with characters that are sharply drawn and clever. She did a particularly wonderful job of bringing the Women's Prison and the convicts to life in a way that was sympathetic, vivid and simply interesting. Della Lee's life is a captivating tale, as sad and harsh as it was, and is told by Della Lee with an honesty and openness.

This is a wonderful story of families, love, faith and sacrifice set in two time periods in the same Texas border town. The advantages and disadvantages of small-town life are highlighted and are an integral part of the tale. The main historical figure suffers imprisonment at a time when it was about punishment rather than rehabilitation but has the strength of character to cope. Ultimately this is a book about redemption with a great plot twist at the end. Recommended.

Before the Rain is a well written story of family, love, loss and secrets.

All I can say is my heart was full at the end of this wonderful book! Camille DiMaio’s second novel is the tale of Della Lee’s journey through life. It was one of the most agonizing yet heartwarming stories that I’ve read in a while. Before the Rain Falls is set in the small Texas border town of Puerto Pesar, where almost seventy years ago Della Lee was convicted and sentenced to prison for the murder of her younger sister Eula Lee. At the end of her prison sentence she returns to her tiny hometown to live out the rest of her life alone. Also in this town, we meet Paloma, a doctor from New York, who returns for a few weeks to care for her ailing grandmother and get re-acquainted with her rebellious younger sister Mercedes. We finally meet the third important character, Mick, a reporter from Boston who is investigating the story of a painting that has some “miraculous” quality about it.
The story is told in alternating chapters, past and present, which in my opinion makes you understand the reason why the character’s lives ended up as they did. Many questions get answered as the story unfolds. And what a beautiful story this is, full of sacrifice, love, family, despair and of course, hope. I cannot recommend this book enough. I’m putting Camille DiMaio on my must read list of authors, as this her second book was as fabulous as her first. Wonderful!!
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy this most beautiful book.

Amazing! I adored this novel.
Well written and in such detail that I could feel the long days, intense heat in the air, and the heartbreak and suffering of each person both past and present.
This is a story of a young bride who is convicted of murdering her younger sister and sentenced to life in prison.
Forward to present day and in a small town a young Dr Paloma is returning to her small home town of Puerto Pesar to care for her ailing Abuela and her younger sister while leaving her current home in NYC.
In the midst, she meets a man who is looking for a "story" to revamp his career as a journalist.
What he finds is so much more.
What comes from his knowledge, is what makes the entire book a loving, heartbreaking, yet gentle perfect novel.
Well done Camille Di Maio!

What an amazing heartbreaking book! 70 years ago, Della Lee was accused of killing her sister. She is just released from prison and meets Mick Anders who wants to interview her. The book takes place in the past from the time of Della's childhood to that of the murder and during her years incarcerated, and now in the present as Della tells her story to Mick. So many heartbreaking things happened to Della during her life. It is a story of family, redemption, and love. I loved Della. She was a girl that had to grow quickly into a woman due to her circumstances. Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of the book in return for an honest review.

This was an emotional read, full of pain and agony- yet there were moments of relief and love to lighten up the story.

I can't believe the unselfishness and sacrifices of some characters in the book.

And although I kinda figured out the end, when the moment came it was really emotional.

I felt like the writing style was a bit slow at times.
I did enjoyed reading the parts of Della's past and her time at prison more than the present day parts.

Another beautifully written gem by the esteemed Camille Di Maio. A story of family and sacrifices that will grab you from the very first page. The characters are complex, but intertwined in a magical way as the story alternates between present and past. Di Maio does a magnificent job weaving the pieces together. In the interest of full disclosure.....I am still crying.

Di Maio has a wonderful skill of sucking the reader in. The writing was rich and beautiful.
The character work was a pleasure to read and the plot was well thought out and wonderfully executed. A brilliant story.

Before the Rain Falls was such a fun read because it was very different than any other book I have read lately. As the book opens Della Lee is returning home to Puerto Pesar, a small Texas town near the Mexican border. At the same time, two other individuals converge on Puerto Pesar, Mike Anders, a struggling journalist hoping to pursue a career-reviving story, and Dr. Paloma Vega, a former resident of the town returning for a short stint to care for her grandmother and sister. The three cross paths and help each other resolve family issues and learn about love, loss and pursuing their own dreams. I truly enjoyed reading about the relationships they developed with each other. DiMaio also addresses how faith can sometimes shape people, not always for the better which was a subject that made me think long after I finished reading this book.

The story is told in a dual timeline format, Della Lee’s story from the 1940’s, and the present day Puerto Pesar. My favorite part of the novel bizarrely enough was the section related to Della Lee’s prison stint. The Women’s Prison in which Della Lee was incarcerated participated in the Huntsville rodeo which I found truly fascinating. The prison also had a singing group that was broadcast weekly on the radio for years. In addition to those facts, the prison hierarchy and the details regarding just surviving in a women’s prison completely intrigued me.

Even though I have lived in Texas for a long time, I have not spent any time in South Texas. Before the Rain Falls makes the area sound pretty desolate, Puerto Pesar means “Port of Regret”, which made me struggle with the ending a bit. However, as I continue to read and review I realize that I need to try and avoid placing my preferences onto characters and determine instead if I feel that that character would truly make that choice. While I am not totally sure that would be the case, it is much more likely than if I were the one choosing. That was my only quibble with the book, and it was a small one.

I definitely recommend Before the Rain Falls. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an unusual book for me, as the setting and story line were quite original. I liked the rich historical detail, and the way the author made the setting and characters really come to life. The story moved smoothly, and I became invested in Eula's story. I would definitely read more by this author!

Wow..what a great read! I couldn't put it down. I have tears still in my eyes. As a Texas girl who grew up going to South Texas (I'm an East Texas girl) to McAllen and SPI every spring break through junior high, high school and college, I loved the setting of the book. That is what initially drew me in, but then I fell in love with the characters. What a moving story!

My second book by Ms. Di Maio, and it was better than her first, in my opinion. She expertly weaves two stories and two time periods. The 1940's story of Della Lee in prison for the murder of her sister, Eula Lee and the present day story of journalist Mick Anders and Dr. Paloma Vega who are brought together in the little border town of Puerto Pesar, (Port of Regret) where Della and Eula were brought up and where tragedy seemed to guide their lives. While this book might be considered romance, I really love the lighthearted way in which the author treats romance. It takes a back seat to the story of the the heartbreak of Della's life and the connections that Mick uncovers between Paloma, her grandmother, and Della Lee who is released from prison to return to Puerto Pesar after 70 years in prison. The story shows how the two stories mirror each other and you will find yourself wanting to know more about these connections across the decades.

Thank you Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing (again, I'll say...Lake Union never lets me down). I started this book, and for about 2 pages, I was thinking, "Hmm...will I like this?" That's all it took. I was engrossed for the rest of the book. A bride is accused of killing her younger sister, and the book alternates between present day and her time in prison. Both are equally interesting. You start to realize there is more to the story than meets the eye. I just loved this book about family, the path of our lives and sacrifice. I didn't want it to end, but it ended perfectly.

Ok, still wiping away tears! Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Before the Rain Falls. Author Camille Di Maio hit another home run with this emotional story of family, love, loss and secrets. Add to your TBR list right away; book will be available May 2, 2017.

In the 1940s Della was charged with murdering her sister and spent many years of her life in jail. Now an old woman, she returns to her family home in Puerto Pesar, Texas, with no family or friends. Around the same time, Paloma returns to the Texas home she grew up in to care for her grandma and reconnect with her teenage sister. In Boston, aggressive journalist Mick, reprimanded for running a story with inaccuracies is sent to Puerto Pesar on a mission for a soft news story about a painting of a girl that appears to be crying. Each chapter reveals more about Della and Paloma, and we get a glimpse into their families histories, revealing how their lives are surprisingly intertwined. Mick is the catalyst to bring Della, the old woman just out of jail who knows about the painting, and Paloma, his new friend together as he learns how asking the right questions and moving at a slower pace can lead to greater results and bring understanding, joy and love.

Through storytelling, author Camille Di Maio brings to light how decisions based on faith can be life changing, offering hope and a reason to live, but also causing one to protect a loved one leading to their own demise. In contrast, always being pragmatic and factual may push one to achieve their goals to reach financial and career success, but relationships and a personal life may suffer and have an emptiness to it. Before the Rain Falls is simultaneously heartbreaking, hopeful, and joyous: a story of complex characters with varied pasts and bright futures. Loved it!

Mick Anders has been suspended from his job as a reporter at a Boston newspaper and his prospects for work are grim, so he reluctantly agrees to do a story on a portrait of a murdered woman who supposedly sheds tears. Eula was murdered decades ago, and her sister, Della Lee has spent 70 years in jail for the crime, but there’s more to this story than meets the eye. Mick and Dr. Paloma Vega investigate the murder and its fallout. Traveling beak between Della’s grim life in the 1940’s and the present day, this is an evocative story of dark family secrets, misunderstandings and forgiveness

BEFORE THE RAIN FALLS by Camille Di Maio was a read I savored. I loved her debut novel, The Memory of Us, so I was excited to read her next novel before I even knew what it was about. This book tells the story of Della Lee, who comes back to her hometown after serving 70 years for killing her sister. The story alternates between present day in their small Texas town and the past where Della tells her story of incarceration. There is also a reporter who comes to town to write an article about the crying portrait of Santa Bonita but gets access to a much bigger story. There is mystery, love, and sorrow in this novel. The description of the women's prison and the self-imprisonment of Della starting with her transport to the prison are both well written. Di Maio provokes both imagery and emotion for the struggles of all her characters and for their successes. This novel is about family, forgiveness, and most importantly, faith. A read that is worth your time to pick up when it comes out on May 2nd.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from Great Thoughts' Great Readers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so heartbreaking beautiful! It is sister love taken almost to the extreme and at much sacrifice. I loved the suspense and connections as Della tells her story. A story not to be missed and one that I highly recommend!

What a brilliant piece of storytelling. I was so drawn into Della's life from the very first pages and I put this book down with great difficulty when I absolutely had to but thought about it non stop until I could pick it up again.

Each character added another layer to this story and I enjoyed each one of them so very much. Mick and his investigation of Eula's portrait, Paloma who comes home to care for her grandmother and sister, and then the way they all come together and lives are changed and bonds are strengthened. And even the town of Puerto Pesar becomes its own character in so many ways. The hot, parched town was the perfect setting for this story.

I got absolutely lost in the pages of this fabulous book and I will remember it for a long time, I'm certain. Della touched my heart and made me love her. Her story is an unforgettable one and I highly recommend this one!