Relationships

Understanding relationships that work, and especially those that don't, lies at the heart of After the Rain. Rachel's deepening relationship with Izzy, cut short by his death, becomes the vehicle for her growth into a mature adult. Rachel's relationship with her parents is tinged with typical adolescent turbulence. She is fondly tolerant of their advanced age one moment, and furious at their coddling the next. Rachel is all too aware that the outbursts fueled by her insecurities hurt her parents, but she is unable to stop.

At the beginning of the story, Rachel is focused entirely on her own feelings. She intensely wishes for a wider social circle and a boyfriend. She is afraid she'll turn 16 and then 17 without ever being kissed. This concern proves baseless when she develops a relationship with Lewis Olswanger. This story is not a romance, however, and Lewis' main contribution is fostering Rachel's...